Diary of a Network Geek

Hey, did you know you can run PERL on Netware?

Yeah, it’s been there since Netware 4, actually, though no one really mentioned it at all until Netware 5. I started paying attention to that fact about two years ago when I started getting into PERL for my websites. But, now, it’s a default component in the standard install! So, why don’t I hear about anyone leveraging this? Well, I’m not sure about anyone else, but I intend to get some use out of PERL on my Netware servers.
Two weeks ago, I bought PERL for System Administration with the idea that I would use it, and code from the PERL Cookbook, to make my life easier. Why not, I thought, make a set of scripts that I can use or adapt for Linux, Netware and Windows? Sounds like a great idea, right? Well, we’ll see. I hope it’s a great idea, anyway. At the very least, I should be able learn a bunch more about PERL!
And, while I’m working on it, here’s a German site(in English) that has all kinds of scripts for PERL on Netware. Enjoy!

No, not just that early-morning vision problem, either.

Seriously, according to this article on MSN Health, caffeine can help ease muscle pain. So, it really is a good idea to “start your heart” with a cup of java before your workout. Or, your commute!
Go, drink your coffee and enjoy your Friday.

With subpoenas this time, not just FUD.

(That’s Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt, by the way.) Well, according to this article on ZDNet, SCO has filed subpoenas with the U.S. District Court in Utah, targeting Novell; Linus Torvalds, creator of the Linux kernel; Richard Stallman of the Free Software Foundation; Stuart Cohen, chief executive of the Open Source Development Labs; and John Horsley, general counsel of Transmeta.
The article said that IBM responded to the Linux-related lawsuit by asking a federal judge to order SCO to identify illegal source code and serving four other companies with subpoenas of its own. Though it wasn’t clear if they filed before or after SCO. In either case, I hope this gets resolved soon. I’m tired of hearing about it and anyone who knows Linux knows that they have no leg to stand on. Oh, well, at least it gets Linux in the news….

With the mobile infrared transmitter!

Okay, all jokes aside, this scares me. I read an article on the Detroit News about this little box that changes traffic lights. Yeah, that’s right, just like in _The Fast and Furious_. And, yes, you can, in fact, buy them on the Internet. For instance, at MIRT, the Traffic Light Control Device. Frankly, I think you should have to provide proof that you’re an emergency department of some kind before they’re allowed to sell this to you, but that’s apparently not how it is right now. So, go, tell your local government about this and get them out-lawed for the regular public. Get this safety hazzard off the street.

Time to brush up your security skills!

And, NMRC, Nomad Mobile Research Centre, is the place to do it. At least, for Novell it is.
Simple Nomad has been around for a long, long time and is one of the few hackers pounding at Novell security to make sure it’s good. He has a great website and killer tools to check your systems with, not to mention recover passwords “lost” by disgruntled former admins. But, lately, he’s also had articles on security and been adding Windoze and Unix security stuff, too. I have to admit, it’s been a little bit since I visited NMRC and I was pleasantly surprised at the progress that’s been made.
If you’re worried about network security, NMRC is a site to add to your list of links!

You know, I’m not sure…

Look through my resume and you’ll see that I’ve had quite a few titles: MIS Analyst, MIS Systems Analyst, Network Administrator, Senior Network Engineer, Supervisor of LAN/Desktop Support, and, now, I think, Systems Engineer. All those titles and I’ve always done the same basic thing. Go figure.
That’s why I coded up this little beauty: The Amazing Information Technology Title Generator. Give it a whirl and fill in the “blanks” on your resume. I doubt anyone would know the difference.

Really, I just get nostolgic about this little script. It was the first PERL I coded all by myself. Just between you and me? It’s a mess. But, it still runs well enough. Enjoy!

Ever dream of the stars?

Well, Brian Walker sure has! This guy, who has been an inventor for quite some time, is building a rocket in his backyard. Yes, that’s right, his backyard! Now, it’s not as crazy as it seems, because he’s also built hovercraft and personal submarines. Still, it’s not the kind of thing you’d expect your neighbor to be building, that’s for sure. In any case, he’s got a website dedicated to his “quest” and it seemed like a good thing for a Friday.

Wow, this has generated a lot of buzz!

The Linux news sites are burning up with talk about what this will mean to Linux, SUSE, KDE, Gnome, and Novell. The traffic on this is just HUGE. Personally, I think it’ll be good for everyone involved. People aren’t too familiar with Novell, so they don’t know just how good a company it is. I was suprised at how many people didn’t realize that Novell has an enormous cash reserve. These are some pretty frugal guys. And, they’ve always had good products with minimal bugs. So, while I sit here wearing the Gnome “hoof” on my shirt, I smile at the thought of Novell revitalizing themselves with Linux, even if it means that they’ll be supporting the KDE interface.
But, what do I know about this stuff? I mean, I’ve only been Novell certified for over TEN YEARS and been running Linux, in one form or another, for at least four years. Take a look at what the folks at News Forge have to say about it. Or, if you’d like another, more “mainstream” source, check out the article on ZDNet Australia. I think they’ll both back up what I’ve been saying. (I know that ZDNet Australia confirms what I’ve been saying about the CNE for years.)

WOW!

It looks like I did a good thing by getting my Linux+ cert and then also updateing my CNE to version 6. This announcement from Novell came out yesterday afternoon about how Novell is buying the well known German Linux distro packager SUSE. Cool.
Of course, there are some hard-core Linux people who are afraid of another SCO scam, but, based on what I’ve seen of Novell, I doubt that will happen. More likely they’ll just become more like RedHat. Of course, considering RedHat’s new support policy, that may not be the best thing. Still, it’s nice to see Linux grow up and enter the enterprise big-time. And, hopefully, this will keep Novell competitive. Hell, I just hope it keeps them alive!
In any case, I’m sure this will be all over the geek news, so I’ll keep an eye on it.

Now, we’re getting scientific on ’em!

No, really, SPAM killing has gotten to be such a science that Scientific American has run an article on it. So, the SPAMmers use bots? Now, anti-SPAMmers can use bots to defeat them. Now, that’s what I call better living through technology!