[frgeek-michiana] Lab Notes, 05/24/05
- From: Tom Brown <tbrown@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: FreeGeek Michiana <frgeek-michiana@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 26 May 2005 09:34:08 -0500
:: Sound configuration
Alsa almost always detects a sound card and seems to install a driver, but
sound often doesn't work. John has discovered that moving a sound card from
one expansion slot to another often causes VL 4.3 sound to work.
:: Floppy automount
The 2.4.x kernel is configured with autofs support. In some way, VL 4.3 is
using autofs to automatically mount cdrom and floppy removable media.
However, when logged in as the "guest" user, the kernel fails to automount
the floppy disk yet it always automounts cdroms. When logged in as root,
the kernel always mounts floppy disks.
This behavior is annoying. Users would have to learn to mount and unmount
floppies to take work saved on diskette to and from school or the office.
We are unlikely to teach how to su to root, mount and unmount media at the
FreeBox classes. I developed a work around which is not perfect, but buys
us time.
Mike and I are researching the automount problem. Mike is also compiling a
list of problems he and others have found with VL 4.3. Once we have
identified and corrected or worked around the problems, we will post a
report to Vector Linux developers and to our own web site.
:: Norton Ghost
Jay copied Norton Ghost and an image of a working VL 4.3 hard drive
installation to a bootable cdrom. Goose burned 4-5 copies of the cd and
bootable floppies of Tom's Root Boot (tomsrtbt). The Ghost/tomstrbt
combination works well.
We noticed some tweaks which should be made to the image.
1. Add root password and guest account.
2. Configure cups and install standard HP 4L or 5L laser
printer driver for parallel port.
4. Add the floppy automount work around.
5. Install and setup grub. Grub automatically finds the
bootable Linux kernel image. This would eliminate the
step of booting from a tomstrbt floppy and running /sbin/lilo to
make VL 4.3 bootable.
There may be other tweaks.
:: Testing
I will print a quality control check sheet for us to document that a system
has been inspected and meets the FB2 spec. The check sheet will also
document that the system passes standard tests, such as: playing sounds,
writing to a floppy disk, reading a cdrom, printing a test page, accessing
a network with NIC or modem and so forth.
:: Latest Kroc Center grant news
The good news is the church is going to set up offices for the crew that is
working on the Kroc Center grant. This will help them in the grant process.
The bad news is we must empty the upstairs storage room within two weeks so
the crew will have adequate office space.
We need to schedule an additional night or weekend lab to move the
inventory from upstairs to our offices at the Chippewa warehouse. I'll
announce the extra lab after I talk to Capt. Jody.
:: Wireless at warehouse
Cyberlink will soon install a wireless antenna and radio at the River Bend
Hose Specialty (RHBS) warehouse on Chippewa. The warehouse will have
sub-1.5 mbps Internet and WAN connectivity. Cyberlink is running CAT5 to
our offices inside the building for $100. Jay donated a Linksys router to
FGM months ago. We will install the router in our Chippewa offices.
I will work out an arrangement with RBHS re sharing Internet access. We may
get it for nothing or for a small co-pay.
The warehouse space is coming together. Most of RBHS's materials are on
pallet racks along the walls. Our stuff is still clumped on the floor. I
think it will be 2 weeks at best before our material is moved to the inside
wall close to our offices.
:: Free Geek Portland 501c3 sponsorship
The current administration at FGP thinks it may not be legal to offer 501c3
sponsorship outside the state of Oregon. So we may lose our tax-free status
as a sponsored affiliate of FGP. Jay and I plan to submit our IRS 501c3
application by the end of this month. Jay has been advised that we may be
better off doing the application ourselves rather than having a CPA fill it
out -- it will look more authentic if we do it. I don't know about that,
but it fits our need to get an application to the IRS asap.
Tom
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