Damn man, you cant make me laugh this hard at work. People are starting to stare! But aside from the fact that your comment make my day, the general concept of it sounds about right:)
THIS could make my life a lot easier. If they deploy this in a way that can be used, I'm going to try to be all over it. I'd be willing to deal with dynamic ips for this kind of speed to my remote locations. I dont really care if I have to do the Win9x bait and switch for a Linux box. It makes the techs feel better, no explaining is needed, and I dont have to yell. I just hope they realize that business offerings like static subnets would be extremely beneficial. The only thing I hate to see is this killing off the local ISPs that have been working extremely hard for many years. I love my ISP, but for 100 megabit, I'm going to have to be unfaithful;)
And these open services on a Linux box are different from some moron running Wingate with no permissions because......why again? HOW many Wingate servers got scanned with those damn scripts? How many IRC bots got bounced through Windows machines running Wingate with admins who have IQs lower than their operating system version number? A person who doesnt understand basic concepts is a problem regardless of operating system.
The problem wasnt being able to configure Linux for a normal situation. The problem was lack of information and the inability of Bellsouth to provide any coherent statements other than "fast access". What I was worried about was any virtual device drivers that might be installed in order to function and me ending up paying for an installation that I could not use.
As far as being a purist, nope. I'm not. A HUGE chunk of my administration is done to 95/98/NT machines and the "my outlook doesnt work anymore!". I use Linux for my personal workstations at home, at work, and to protect the Windows machines from themselves at all internet junctions. IP masqing is our friend:) I'd prefer Linux all the way around in my life, but realistically, it's not gonna happen that way. I'm just dealing in the best way I can.
Nobody is asking them to support it as in phone calls from people who installed Linux because it's "kewl" and think that everyone else should help them with what they should read about. Like I said above, dont support it, but dont exclude it. If someone calls with a Win9x problem, help them. If they call in with a Linux problem, tell them to fire up Netscape on a Win9x box and hit the search engines. Linux is simply another ethernet enabled device that is perfectly capable of handling all TCP/IP services. HOWTOs come with the distros and the packages that are needed to do DHCP. I'm sorry, but if you wont take the time to read them and look for help on the internet, no Linux for you!
It's not a matter of supporting. I'd say it's more of a matter of allowing. They dont want to deal with people who cant connect while running Linux. They want a simple "reinstall the software and reboot" solution for the people crying on the phone, so they say no Linux. Not "supporting" Linux is fine. Linux supports itself. Not "allowing" it wont work unless they use some funky software tunnel for TCP/IP, and that would be pretty pointless.
I have had to deal with Bellsouth for a long long time. I kinda figured that they were going to be a problem about ADSL. I was planning on getting their service at one point and do the Win95 in a 200 meg partition thing so that the DSL tech could come in and install the _40 meg_ of bellsouth.net software and leave. Then reboot to Linux and be set. I was nervous about it not being dhcp or having a proprietary login method (some win95 network virtual device) and then being stuck with the setup fees. I couldnt find any info on it. When I called I got (and I quote) "A..D....uhhh what?" and never did find anyone after several hours on the phone who knew how the setup worked. Rather than chance it, I have to use a fairly expensive ISDN setup here, which works out better anyway because of static IPs. I may go SDSL with my ISP, but that's not exactly cheap:/
Anyway, what I'd like to hear of is people who pulled the 95 bait and switch to Linux when the tech leaves trick and had it work with bellsouth specifically. If it does, then people who use linux will just have to use a 95 machine to record the mac address of the net card and let the ignorant be ignorant. They're a telco. This is kind of to be expected as silly as it may be.
I know I've seen a few people mention BRU, but I'll put my.02 in as well. Someone mentioned the 24x6 from HP used in-house at estinc.com. I have one and loved it, but outgrew it. I'm on a 15 tape DLT robotic changer now, run by bru and a rather ugly hack I did to a changer driver. (I commented out an error, and it works fine hehe) The guys at bru are quite helpful and their product runs around 210 gigs per week across my changer on a linux 2.2 system for me. I plan on fixing my scripts for the backup (so they're not QUITE so ugly) and making them public on the truedork domain after I get off my butt, and getting estinc.com to link to me for them. Not fancy, but hell, they work. For single drive backups, they have a gui too. I'd love a gui, but it doesnt work for changers at the moment. Anyway, they took damn good care of me for the few hundred we spent on them. Check them out. Remember that commercial products are not all evil. Some companies have to do so to pay the rent:) See ya!
The UK may be stable (or not, I have no idea) with their laws, but the US tends to pile half-assed law on top of law to gloss over a problem. This has proven time and time again to be a Bad Thing for us. Zack was right on the money with the EULA statement. They are asking us to buy on blind faith with no consequence. In most cases, due to an employer's or client's requests, I do so. Then I have to explain how "this...uhhh...happens with this product...sorry:/" But think about it, if you buy a swampland property and there is a clause of "if it sinks into the slime, screw ya" clause, who is the real sucker? The UL concept of voluntary compliance is a damn good idea in my opinion. I wouldnt say the UL model is the one to follow, but the basic concept works for me. I _DEFINITELY_ say no government agency should be involved. If anyone has a good model to follow, can implement it for a voluntary compliance of reliability and functionality, and can make money in the process, go for it. I personally cannot, so I'll shut my trap for now:) Take care.
That's all I have to say about that. Leave his immigration status the hell out of it. I'd say he contributes more than most 'mericans BORN here. Just a _little_ off topic ya think? sheesh.
Oh yeah! This is the one where the Millennium Falcon hits an iceberg, and Skywalker and the really cute redhead are floating in the ocean and it's really cold, and hey.... wait a minute... that's not how it went! Oh well, I'm just kidding, but I'd better not hear any Celine Dion songs in reference to this one.
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Damn man, you cant make me laugh this hard at work. People are starting to stare! But aside from the fact that your comment make my day, the general concept of it sounds about right :)
THIS could make my life a lot easier. If they deploy this in a way that can be used, I'm going to try to be all over it. I'd be willing to deal with dynamic ips for this kind of speed to my remote locations. I dont really care if I have to do the Win9x bait and switch for a Linux box. It makes the techs feel better, no explaining is needed, and I dont have to yell. I just hope they realize that business offerings like static subnets would be extremely beneficial. The only thing I hate to see is this killing off the local ISPs that have been working extremely hard for many years. I love my ISP, but for 100 megabit, I'm going to have to be unfaithful ;)
And these open services on a Linux box are different from some moron running Wingate with no permissions because......why again? HOW many Wingate servers got scanned with those damn scripts? How many IRC bots got bounced through Windows machines running Wingate with admins who have IQs lower than their operating system version number? A person who doesnt understand basic concepts is a problem regardless of operating system.
The problem wasnt being able to configure Linux for a normal situation. The problem was lack of information and the inability of Bellsouth to provide any coherent statements other than "fast access". What I was worried about was any virtual device drivers that might be installed in order to function and me ending up paying for an installation that I could not use.
:) I'd prefer Linux all the way around in my life, but realistically, it's not gonna happen that way. I'm just dealing in the best way I can.
As far as being a purist, nope. I'm not. A HUGE chunk of my administration is done to 95/98/NT machines and the "my outlook doesnt work anymore!". I use Linux for my personal workstations at home, at work, and to protect the Windows machines from themselves at all internet junctions. IP masqing is our friend
Nobody is asking them to support it as in phone calls from people who installed Linux because it's "kewl" and think that everyone else should help them with what they should read about. Like I said above, dont support it, but dont exclude it. If someone calls with a Win9x problem, help them. If they call in with a Linux problem, tell them to fire up Netscape on a Win9x box and hit the search engines. Linux is simply another ethernet enabled device that is perfectly capable of handling all TCP/IP services. HOWTOs come with the distros and the packages that are needed to do DHCP. I'm sorry, but if you wont take the time to read them and look for help on the internet, no Linux for you!
It's not a matter of supporting. I'd say it's more of a matter of allowing. They dont want to deal with people who cant connect while running Linux. They want a simple "reinstall the software and reboot" solution for the people crying on the phone, so they say no Linux. Not "supporting" Linux is fine. Linux supports itself. Not "allowing" it wont work unless they use some funky software tunnel for TCP/IP, and that would be pretty pointless.
I have had to deal with Bellsouth for a long long time. I kinda figured that they were going to be a problem about ADSL. I was planning on getting their service at one point and do the Win95 in a 200 meg partition thing so that the DSL tech could come in and install the _40 meg_ of bellsouth.net software and leave. Then reboot to Linux and be set. I was nervous about it not being dhcp or having a proprietary login method (some win95 network virtual device) and then being stuck with the setup fees. I couldnt find any info on it. When I called I got (and I quote) "A..D....uhhh what?" and never did find anyone after several hours on the phone who knew how the setup worked. Rather than chance it, I have to use a fairly expensive ISDN setup here, which works out better anyway because of static IPs. I may go SDSL with my ISP, but that's not exactly cheap :/
Anyway, what I'd like to hear of is people who pulled the 95 bait and switch to Linux when the tech leaves trick and had it work with bellsouth specifically. If it does, then people who use linux will just have to use a 95 machine to record the mac address of the net card and let the ignorant be ignorant. They're a telco. This is kind of to be expected as silly as it may be.
I know I've seen a few people mention BRU, but I'll put my .02 in as well. Someone mentioned the 24x6 from HP used in-house at estinc.com. I have one and loved it, but outgrew it. I'm on a 15 tape DLT robotic changer now, run by bru and a rather ugly hack I did to a changer driver. (I commented out an error, and it works fine hehe) The guys at bru are quite helpful and their product runs around 210 gigs per week across my changer on a linux 2.2 system for me. I plan on fixing my scripts for the backup (so they're not QUITE so ugly) and making them public on the truedork domain after I get off my butt, and getting estinc.com to link to me for them. Not fancy, but hell, they work. For single drive backups, they have a gui too. I'd love a gui, but it doesnt work for changers at the moment. Anyway, they took damn good care of me for the few hundred we spent on them. Check them out. Remember that commercial products are not all evil. Some companies have to do so to pay the rent :) See ya!
The True Dork
The UK may be stable (or not, I have no idea) with their laws, but the US tends to pile half-assed law on top of law to gloss over a problem. This has proven time and time again to be a Bad Thing for us. Zack was right on the money with the EULA statement. They are asking us to buy on blind faith with no consequence. In most cases, due to an employer's or client's requests, I do so. Then I have to explain how "this...uhhh...happens with this product...sorry :/" But think about it, if you buy a swampland property and there is a clause of "if it sinks into the slime, screw ya" clause, who is the real sucker? :)
The UL concept of voluntary compliance is a damn good idea in my opinion. I wouldnt say the UL model is the one to follow, but the basic concept works for me. I _DEFINITELY_ say no government agency should be involved. If anyone has a good model to follow, can implement it for a voluntary compliance of reliability and functionality, and can make money in the process, go for it. I personally cannot, so I'll shut my trap for now
Take care.
The True Dork
That's all I have to say about that. Leave his immigration status the hell out of it. I'd say he contributes more than most 'mericans BORN here. Just a _little_ off topic ya think? sheesh.
Oh yeah! This is the one where the Millennium Falcon hits an iceberg, and Skywalker and the really cute redhead are floating in the ocean and it's really cold, and hey.... wait a minute... that's not how it went! Oh well, I'm just kidding, but I'd better not hear any Celine Dion songs in reference to this one.
and yes, I misspelled decrypt!
How is the gov't going to know what encryption you use? They'll know if they cant decyrypt it. :P