Unix Users Meeting

January 29, 2003

Fermi Linux 731

UPDATED since Fermi Linux 7.3.1 (September 2002), ADDED compared to RedHat 7.3

OpenAFS -- Fermi version

The OpenAFS rpm's have been updated to use openafs 1.2.8. This was mainly done to incorperate the various patches that had to be made for the kernels.

Yum -- From Duke University and Fermi modifications

Upgraded yum to fix bugs.

zz_ntp_configure-3.0-3.i386.rpm

RedHat had added "restrict" clauses to the ntp.conf file. This caused ntp to be too restrictive on what sources to listen to for ntp broadcasts. This fix changes this "restrict" for the Fermi site network.

zz_dhcp_resolv-1.1-2.i386.rpm

Added a fix to this to put fnal.gov first.

ups/upd bootstrap

Upgraded to include latest fullFUE as of November 15, 2002

Includes fix to setpath which fixes a fermi kerberos vs redhat kerberos issue.

fixes a problem with cmd adduser not making the /etc/shadow file correctly.

ADDED compared to Fermi Linux 7.3.1 (September 2002) and RedHat 7.3

IceWM

Window Manager for X Window System.

Fast and small

not installed by default.

nessus client

This is the nessus client that Randy Reitz made for use with the nessus server. See http://computing.fnal.gov/security/nessus

zz_fermi-logos-7.3.1-2.i386.rpm

This rpm is a collection of various icons, logo's, and startup screens used to Fermize the release. RedHat does not want other to use the RedHat logo without permission.

UPDATED compared to Fermi Linux 7.3.1 (September 2002) and RedHat 7.3

Pam-krb5

Fixed a problem where you were not allowed to su to users or groups with a .k5login file.

Mozilla

We had upgraded to the 1.0 version of Mozilla.

RedHat released a errata to Mozilla but it was buggy.

Mozilla 1.2.1 came out with loads of bug fixes as well as features that many people were waiting for. We have found that it is as stable, or more stable, than those before so we decided to use it.

Galeon

Galeon uses Mozilla's libraries, and so came out with a release to match Mozilla's release (along with some bug fixes)

OpenSSH

Upgraded from 3.4 to 3.5

Note that when you upgrade to newer version of openssh that it does NOT replace the ssh config file. If you were using s config file from a prior version of openssh you should double check the config file .

kernel

RedHat released a new errata kernel. 2.4.18-19 . This exact kernel was also released for 7.1 , 7.2, 7.3 and 8.0 .

This means that we get new features and new device drivers that before were only available with 8.0 .

This is both the installer kernel and the installed kernel.

Need new install floppy because of the this change. Available from Yolanda and PREP.

KDE

KDE 3.0.3 provides various service enhancements over KDE 3.0.1 as well as two security corrections (the personal web server (KPF) may permit a remote user to retrieve any file readable by the local KPF user, and the PostScript® / PDF viewer (KGhostview may execute arbitrary code placed in a PS or PDF file). This is a really big RedHat errata in terms of number of rpms involved. There are 121 rpms involved in this errata.

vsftpd

vsftp versions less than 1.1 were unable to work with files greater than 2 Gig. We needed greater than 2GB support so that we can host our new DVD iso image.

tcsh/NFS

In some circumstances the tab completion and the "path" completion do not work with tcsh when tcsh is accessing NFS mounted directories. This is fixed by using the "32bitclients" export option on the IRIX nfs server.

I created a version of tcsh with the "LARGE FILE SUPPORT" turned on which fixes the problem but does not require the 32bitclients option.

cdrecord/mkisofs/cdda2wav/xcdroast

Upgraded to the latest much newer version 2.0, was 1.10

name change to cdrtools-cdrecord, cdrtools-mkisofs, etc

gaim

The new version fixes problems that users were having when connecting to yahoo's new servers. Other bugs have been fixed as well.

kudzu

fixes the problems that occurs when a machine has a serial console connected. It does not comment out the local consoles if you have a video card. It also does not add a serial console line into inittab if you already have one put in from our serialconsole rpm.

Installer modifications

ncurses4

Now installed by default because many ups/upd products use ncurses4.

Removed more of the references to "Red Hat" and replaced with "Fermi"

Fermi Generic Desktop

This workgroup does NOT install openssh server by default anymore since you have to get a host key anyway in order to use it you can also install the rpm manually. To install this rpm manually you can

yum install openssh-server

A choice has been given during the install to select "Openssh Server" if needed.

/contrib

openoffice.org

1.0.2 upgrded from 1.0.1

xemacs

Updated version of xemacs

21.4.11 which is basically what the Xemacs group just moved over to the stable branch

HARDWARE SPECIFIC ISSUES

Laptops with the I830(Intel 830 video)

There are known problems affecting the Dell Latitude C400, Dell Latitude X200(?), Dell Inspiron 2600, some models of the Sony PCG R505 series, the Asus S1 series (problem seems to be solved with BIOS rev 0201) and the Asus L1400, and the HPOmnibook XT 6050. The issue is seen by the Video only workingat 640x480. On some notebooks this shows up as the video not covering much of the lcd screen. The only solutions so far are to use a version of Xfree86 that has a upgraded i810/i830 driver. The soon to be released Xfree86 4.3.0 is expected to have a fix for this issue. RedHat has stated that they do not expect this new verison of Xfree86 to be released on RedHat 7.1, 7.2, 7.3 or 8.0 .

Intel 845 based video

Does not work well. Expected solution is a new version of Xfree86.

SOFTWARE ISSUES/BUGS

Gui Installer

If you have a disk drive that has greater than 2147483647 sectors the installer will give you a python traceback. Detour is to use the text installer instead of the gui installer.

FIXED SOFTWARE ISSUES/BUGS

Laptop install did not select Fermi changes. This is now fixed.

RedHat ERRATA

Lots of errata

Other

DVD

dvd now available

dvd iso image now available

Troy has written documentation on upgrading from 731 to 731a via yum.