PC World 1999 August/PCWorld_1999-08_cd.bin/doc/HOWTO/mini/Update

Text File | 1998-04-24 | 18KB | 595 lines

  HOWTO: How to stay updated
  Kjetil Bakkeskaug, Kjell Sundby and Stein Gjoen,
  [e-mail]
  v0.6, 3 February 1998

  This document describes how to stay updated and abreast of the devel-
  opment that takes place in the Linux world of development.  Although
  most of this text is Linux specific there is also a lot of general
  information on searching efficiently for specific information that can
  be useful for a wider audience.
  ______________________________________________________________________

  Table of Contents


  1. Introduction

     1.1 Copyright
     1.2 Disclaimer
     1.3 News

  2. Information

  3. Subscription

     3.1 Usenet News
     3.2 Mailing Lists
     3.3 Magazines

  4. Meetings

  5. Searching

  6. Conclusion



  ______________________________________________________________________

  1.  Introduction

  Development in the world of Linux takes place at an incredible speed
  and it can be difficult to keep abreast with the latest development.
  This HOWTO gives you a few guidelines on how to get the information
  you need, fast and efficiently. Most are quite familiar with using the
  World Wide Web (WWW) and Usenet News but as will be shown here there
  are many other methods that can be as good or even better.



  1.1.  Copyright

  This HOWTO is copyrighted 1997 Kjell Sundby, Kjetil Bakkeskaug and
  Stein Gjoen.

  Unless otherwise stated, Linux HOWTO documents are copyrighted by
  their respective authors. Linux HOWTO documents may be reproduced and
  distributed in whole or in part, in any medium physical or electronic,
  as long as this copyright notice is retained on all copies. Commercial
  redistribution is allowed and encouraged; however, the author would
  like to be notified of any such distributions.

  All translations, derivative works, or aggregate works incorporating
  any Linux HOWTO documents must be covered under this copyright notice.
  That is, you may not produce a derivative work from a HOWTO and impose
  additional restrictions on its distribution. Exceptions to these rules
  may be granted under certain conditions; please contact the Linux
  HOWTO coordinator at the address given below.

  In short, we wish to promote dissemination of this information through
  as many channels as possible. However, we do wish to retain copyright
  on the HOWTO documents, and would like to be notified of any plans to
  redistribute the HOWTOs.

  If you have questions, please contact Tim Bynum, the Linux HOWTO
  coordinator, at [e-mail] via email.


  1.2.  Disclaimer

  Use the information in this document at your own risk. We disavow any
  potential liability for the contents of this document. Use of the
  concepts, examples, and/or other content of this document is entirely
  at your own risk.

  All copyrights are owned by their owners, unless specifically noted
  otherwise.  Use of a term in this document should not be regarded as
  affecting the validity of any trademark or service mark.

  Naming of particular products or brands should not be seen as
  endorsements.

  You are strongly recommended to take a backup of your system before
  major installation and backups at regular intervals.


  1.3.  News

  Added more information on the workings of mailing lists.






  2.  Information


  When you start out with a Linux installation you will normally get
  quite a bit of information along, not just the installation pamphlet
  but also substantial online help and information files as well as
  HOWTO files. This gives you a good starting point but after a while
  you will find yourself interested in knowing more, updating your
  system and basically staying informed. For simplicity this kind of
  information is here divided into several types, the type you subscribe
  to, information you search for as well as a bit on getting more
  specific help efficiently.

  Even if you don't get printed information of some kind with your Linux
  packages you will along with any self respecting distribution get a
  number of directories with documentation of some kind, ranging from
  the tersest README files for most software packages to the more in
  depth HOWTOs, of which this is one.

  Have a look in the document archive <file:///usr/doc> where most
  packages store their main documentation and README files etc.  Also
  you will here find the HOWTO archive <file:///usr/doc/HOWTO> of ready
  formatted HOWTOs and also the mini-HOWTO archive
  <file:///usr/doc/HOWTO/mini> of plain text documents.

  The kernel source <file:///usr/src/linux> is, of course, the ultimate
  documentation. In other words, use the source, Luke.  It should also
  be pointed out that the kernel comes not only with source code which
  is even commented (well, partially at least) but also an informative
  documentation directory <file:///usr/src/linux/Documentation>.  If you
  are about to ask any questions about the kernel you should read this
  first, it will save you and many others a lot of time and possibly
  embarrassment.

  The online documentation is excellent for browsing and searching but
  don't dismiss the printed version altogether; if you cannot even get
  the machine to boot, how are you going to be able to read that piece
  of information you need to get the system going again?


  3.  Subscription

  This basically means you set up a subscription of some sort and then
  follow the news as they come in. be careful not to bite over more than
  you can chew, information overload is more than a buzzword. There is
  also rather more junk out there than is just annoying, it is a real
  problem these days. Read critically and be prepared to unsubscribe.

  There are two distinct medias for getting continuous updates: news and
  mailing lists, though sometimes news is gatewayed to mail and vice
  versa. In general news is a larger volume, larger noise source
  compared to mailing lists. Trying to follow too many newsgroups is
  like drinking from a fire hose.


  3.1.  Usenet News

  Getting access to Usenet News is outside the scope of this HOWTO,
  there are others that will help you with getting and reading News
  directly from a Linux system. If you have never used News before you
  should be careful to read the introductory information thoroughly. In
  spite of looking like an anarchy it does have its own distinct
  culture, follow a newsgroup for some time before posting yourself.
  Most importantly, look out for postings called Frequently Asked
  Questions or FAQ as they will show you the ropes for the group it is
  posted to, and most likely give you the answer to what you are looking
  for. Asking an FAQ will earn you severe negative credibility points as
  well as a place in many killfiles.

  FAQs should be posted regularly but if you cannot find it you can
  always find it at the main FAQ archive <ftp://rtfm.mit.edu> at MIT.

  These are also available as web pages <http://www.cis.ohio-
  state.edu/hypertext/faq/>.


  Still, there is a lot of noise, spam and junk in News and this is
  where killfiles come in. You will need a news reader with killfile
  capability and when properly set up it will scan through a newsgroup
  according to a search key of your own design and mark all flagged
  postings as already read so you don't have to be bothered by the
  noise. This improves the signal-to-noise ratio and lets you
  concentrate on the important parts. Similarly, if you make noise in
  News others will killfile you so if you later were to ask for help
  they will never see your post.

  Now to business: the following is a list of useful newsgroups:

  o  announcements <news:comp.os.linux.announce>

  o  answers <news:comp.os.linux.answers>


  o  development of applications <news:comp.os.linux.development.apps>

  o  development of the system <news:comp.os.linux.development.sys>

  o  hardware <news:comp.os.linux.hardware>

  o  misc <news:comp.os.linux.misc>

  o  networking <news:comp.os.linux.networking>

  o  setting up linux <news:comp.os.linux.setup>

  o  X11 on linux <news:comp.os.linux.x>

  Many national hierarchies also have Linux groups, such as the
  Norwegian <news:no.linux> Linux groups. If you cannot find your
  national or local group you might be able to use Dejanews
  <http://www.dejanews.com> to find the names for you.



  3.2.  Mailing Lists

  Unlike Usenet News a mailing list is centralised, someone sends a mail
  to the server and the server in return mails everyone that is
  subscribed to that particular list. These lists are generally low
  volume but also very low noise. Any breaches of the charter will be
  looked harshly upon. Equally seriously it will delay the development
  or the project that the list is dedicated to. When you subscribe you
  will normally get an introductory mail describing the charter, again
  you are strongly recommended to read this very carefully.

  There are many types of mail servers that can handle a list and you
  will need some information on how and where you can subscribe.

  One of the most common list servers is Majordomo which is what the
  list server at vger.rutgers.edu <mailto:[e-mail]>.
  is running. To learn how it works you send a mail message with the
  word help in the body. If you send it something it cannot parse you
  will get this help message anyway.  If you instead mail it the word
  lists you will be returned a list of all mailing lists it serves, and
  that can be a considerable number.

  Other mailing lists use several addresses, one where you send your
  requests such as subscribe and unsubscribe, and one where you send
  your contributions to the list which is usually also the address from
  which the list is also redistributed to you.  Again, sending it the
  message help or something it cannot parse will give you the help
  information.  An example: you send the word subscribe to the address
  [e-mail] and then you get mail from and
  contribute to the list address  [e-mail]
  until you unsubscribe.

  A few tips before you start sending in to mailing lists:

  o  Do not send subscribe etc. to the list itself, only to the server
     address, otherwise you will look silly and you will annoy people.
     There can be several thousand subscribers to a list and if such
     errors were to pour in the noise would be too much.

  o  When you subscribe you will often get an introductory message sent
     to you automatically. Read it carefully as this should answer most
     of the initial questions.

  o  Do not gateway mailing lists to news without asking first as this
     can cause mailing loops as well as spam.
  As mentioned above, vger.rutgers.edu
  <mailto:[e-mail]>.  is one of the main mailing list
  servers and here is an abbreviated index of what is available for the
  Linux community:


  o  linux-8086

  o  linux-admin

  o  linux-alpha

  o  linux-apps

  o  linux-arm

  o  linux-bbs

  o  linux-c-programming

  o  linux-config

  o  linux-console

  o  linux-diald

  o  linux-doc

  o  linux-fido

  o  linux-fsf

  o  linux-ftp

  o  linux-gcc

  o  linux-gcc-digest

  o  linux-hams           Amateur Radio and Linux discussions

  o  linux-hppa

  o  linux-ibcs2

  o  linux-ipx

  o  linux-isdn

  o  linux-japanese

  o  linux-kernel

  o  linux-kernel-announce

  o  linux-kernel-digest

  o  linux-kernel-patch

  o  linux-laptop

  o  linux-linuxss

  o  linux-lugnuts

  o  linux-mca

  o  linux-mips

  o  linux-msdos

  o  linux-msdos-devel

  o  linux-msdos-digest

  o  linux-net

  o  linux-new-lists

  o  linux-newbie

  o  linux-newbiew

  o  linux-nys

  o  linux-oasg

  o  linux-oi

  o  linux-opengl

  o  linux-pkg

  o  linux-ppp

  o  linux-pro

  o  linux-qag

  o  linux-raid

  o  linux-scsi

  o  linux-serial

  o  linux-seyon

  o  linux-smp

  o  linux-sound

  o  linux-standards

  o  linux-svgalib

  o  linux-tape

  o  linux-term

  o  linux-userfs

  o  linux-word

  o  linux-x11

  o  linux-x25

  o  sparclinux

  o  ultralinux

  There are of course a number of other lists on other server. As this
  is in a constant state of flux there is little point in naming all but
  the most important here. Instead you could check out a web page that
  maintains such a list of lists
  <http://summer.snu.ac.kr/~djshin/linux/mail-list/index.shtml> on
  various servers of interest to Linux users. It also offers an user
  friendly interface to subscribe or unsubscribe to the various lists
  directly.

  There is also a web page listing a huge number of lists concerning
  much more than Linux at list index
  <http://www.NeoSoft.com/internet/paml/>.



  3.3.  Magazines

  Many have been disappointed at the lack of information on Linux in the
  trade press. This is probably because certain commercial products
  would not stand up for any comparison and the advertisers would not
  stand it at all. Fortunately there is one Linux specific journal,
  called the Linux Journal. More information on subscription etc. can be
  found at the SSC <http://www.ssc.com> home page. A table of contents
  is usually also available online.

  There is also an e-zine called Linux Gazette
  <http://www.linuxgazette.com>.


  4.  Meetings

  Linux has been created through a massive networked effort, mostly by
  heavy use of the Internet. Still, there is the chance of meeting real
  people, face to face, in Linux user groups (LUG) that are all over the
  world. Search the lists that are published regularly, there could be
  one near you.

  Conferences, install fests, creating new user groups and more is
  regularly announced on Usenet News announcements
  <news:comp.os.linux.announce>.  Such events are excellent venues for
  staying on top of events and also for getting help.


  5.  Searching

  There are many avenues open when searching for something particular.
  Remember you can also use the web search engines and that some, like

  o  Altavista <http://www.altavista.digital.com>

  o  Excite <http://www.excite.com>

  o  Hotbot <http://www.hotbot.com>

     can also search usenet news.

  Also remember that Dejanews <http://www.dejanews.com> is a dedicated
  news searcher that keeps a news spool from early 1995 and onwards.

  Even though more and more things take place of the web these days, do
  not forget that there is a lot of information available on the various
  ftp servers around the world. Some web search engines also index ftp
  servers but the tool of choice is still the archie servers, systems
  that regularly scan major ftp servers around the world and keep lists
  of files. These can be accessed in many ways, either by archie clients
  like archie or the X11 version xarchie which should be available on
  any well maintained linux system. Failing that you can access archie
  servers using telnet to any of the servers listed
  o  Australia <telnet://archie.au>

  o  Austria <telnet://archie.univie.ac.at>

  o  Belgium <telnet://archie.belnet.be>

  o  Finland <telnet://archie.funet.fi>

  o  Germany <telnet://archie.th-darmstadt.de>

  o  Korea <telnet://archie.kornet.nm.kr>

  o  Italy <telnet://archie.unipi.it>

  o  Japan <telnet://archie.kuis.kyoto-u.ac.jp>

  o  Poland <telnet://archie.icm.edu.pl>

  o  Sweden <telnet://archie.luth.se>

  o  Spain <telnet://archie.rediris.es>

  o  United Kingdom <telnet://archie.doc.ic.ac.uk>

  o  United States <telnet://archie.bunyip.com>

  o  United States <telnet://archie.internic.net>


  Of course you should try to use the server closest to you, and to see
  the list of current server you can either start the archie client with
  no arguments or, if telnetting, by querying the server. Online help is
  available. Unfortunately not all servers are synchronised, so you
  might have to search a few before finding what you are looking for.

  Recently a more user friendly ftp index server entered the net, the
  ftpsearch <http://ftpsearch.ntnu.no> engine, featuring many options
  and with a rather stark interface, in the best Unix tradition.

  Most of these offer help on efficient searching techniques, reading
  this can speed up your searches enormously. Investing a little time
  here will pay off in the long run.

  If you have trouble getting onto the Internet but have mail then you
  should have a look at the access via mail FAQ. Naturally you can get
  it over e-mail using the US, Canada and South America server
  <mailto:[e-mail]> entering only this line in the BODY
  of the note:

  /send usenet/news.answers/internet-services/access-via-email

  or Europe, Asia etc server <mailto:[e-mail]> entering
  only this line in the BODY of the note:

  send lis-iis e-access-inet.txt

  or look through your news spool if you have one locally in
  news.answers newsgroup <news:news.answers>.

  Finally, you might wish to get more information from a person, say an
  author of a software package. usually you can find the e-mail address
  in the accompanying documentation which normally would be in the
  documentation subdirectory <file:///usr/doc/> but failing that and
  also if the given address is no longer valid you could find help in
  the FAQ for finding e-mail addresses
  <http://www.qucis.queensu.ca/FAQs/email/finding.html>.
  6.  Conclusion

  Finding information fast and efficiently is more of an art than a
  science and we still have not touched on the really difficult part:
  how do you determine the actual quality of the information? It is
  outside the scope of this HOWTO to tell you that but it is still
  something you should keep in mind. You should at least check the
  information is recent enough to be current to your problem.

  There are a number of FAQs available that deals with more serious
  research method topics and you can also see a comprehensive on-line
  version <http://cn.net.au>.

  Quoted from someone's signature:

  Be alert! The world needs more lerts.