HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: pushp@nic.cerf.net (Pushpendra Mohta)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.large,comp.sys.sun.admin
Subject: Suggestions sought for a Unix Box to support a large user base
Date: 31 Aug 92 19:46:57 GMT
Followup-To: comp.unix.large
Organization: CERFnet



I am trying to help a university in Brazil that has just come on line
on the Internet. 

Say, they had a user base of 2000 users of which no more than  100-150
were active at any given time.

And users did mostly intercative work, News and mail and occasional
file transfers using ftp etc .

No graphics or software development or other CPU intensive 
work on the machine.

I understand that this is a very vague question, but what is the
minimal unix machine they should be looking to buy with "reasonable"
response?

If they were stuck on Sun Microsystems, what model should they be
looking at ?

Would they be better of in investing in many smaller machines rather
than a large one ? I suspect the answer is yes, but mainframe 
technology is still too ingrained there ..

They currently have a Sparc II.  What changes can they make to their
Sparc II kernel to performance tune it for this kind of use for about 50
simultaneous users ?

Email replies will be appreciated.

Newsgroups: comp.unix.large
From: john@iastate.edu (John Hascall)
Subject: Re: User registration on diverse computer systems
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1992 15:17:54 GMT

sfreed@lacerta.unm.edu (Steve Freed) writes:
>Anyone wanting a computer account logs into any Unix system as the user "new"
>where they are prompted for a variety of information including UNM ID number,
>Name, date of birth, the system(s) they want accounts on (MVS, CMS, VMS, 
>Unix, etc.), the login name they wish to use and the password they want.
...
>This whole process is done without human intervention. (Look ma, no hands!!!)

schow@bqneh3.bnr.ca (Stanley T.H. Chow) writes:
}Without human intervention, how do you verify ID?

}Another way of looking at it is that anyone knowing the UNM ID number and
}birthdate of someone can get accounts in the victim's name.

Our registration process is similar, but every month it generates a postcard
for each new registrant, "Welcome to ... if you don't have the first clue
what we are talking about, someone is using the system in your name, please
call ...".  This is mailed to the person's official university address.

It does have a hands-on step though :-(  A clerk has to put stamps on the
ones for students living off-campus (we use on-campus mail for those with
an office faculty/staff/GAs and dorm residents, so it's not too many).

John
-- 
John Hascall                                       ``Live with it pink-boy!''
Project Vincent                                                              
Iowa State University Computation Center                     john@iastate.edu
Ames, IA  50011                                      515/294-9551 [fax -1717]
From: schow@bqneh3.bnr.ca (Stanley T.H. Chow)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.large
Subject: Re: User registration on diverse computer systems
Date: 27 Aug 92 19:08:47 GMT
Organization: Bell Northern Research Ltd, Ottawa

In article <yvcnv6a@lynx.unm.edu> sfreed@lacerta.unm.edu (Steve Freed) writes:
>The way it works (in a nutshell) is a list of all persons affiliated with the
>university (students, faculty, staff, etc.) is generated on the IBM mainframe
>and sent to the Unix system(s). Everyone on the list is entitled to an account
>on any (all) of our systems.
>
>Anyone wanting a computer account logs into any Unix system as the user "new"
>where they are prompted for a variety of information including UNM ID number,
>Name, date of birth, the system(s) they want accounts on (MVS, CMS, VMS, 
>Unix, etc.), the login name they wish to use and the password they want.
>
>The info is verified (real pearson, valid login ID, clever password) and
>if all ok, thengivin some instructions on what to do, particularly if
>there are any problems.
>   [...]
>This whole process is done without human intervention. (Look ma, no hands!!!)
>and seems to work rather well. The code is going through a cleanup process
>this fall, with hopefully a release that is presentable to the public
>by December or January. (there are currently some security concerns that
>need to be resolved first).

Without human intervention, how do you verify ID?

Another way of looking at it is that anyone knowing the UNM ID number and
birthdate of someone can get accounts in the victim's name. This is particularly
bad for some staff/faculty who does not normally need an account and will 
never try to get one. The crook can get away with this for years!

In one of the recent issues of RISKS digest, there was discussion of problems
with a registration system like this.     


--
Stanley Chow            InterNet: schow@BNR.CA
Bell Northern Research  UUCP:     ..!uunet!bnrgate!bqneh3!schow
(613) 763-2831
Me? Represent other people? Don't make them laugh so hard.
Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin
From: rdekker@do.raet.nl (R. Dekker)
Subject: ksh TMOUT environment variable
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 13:49:36 GMT
Organization: RAET Decentrale Overheid, The Netherlands
Keywords: ksh

An undocumented feature of the Korn-shell is the TMOUT environment
variable. It enables you to timeout the shell in a certain amount
of seconds.
Questions:
 - One minute before timeout you get the message
	"shell time out in 60 seconds"
   Can I suppress this message ?
 - Does the timeout raise a signal (SIGALRM) ?
 - What is the meaning of the A__z environment variable ?
   (It equals "*TMOUT )
-- 
Roel Dekker                             RAET Decentrale Overheid
Internet : rdekker@do.raet.nl           Attn: Mr. R. Dekker
UUCP     : do.raet.nl!rdekker           P.O. Box 131
Phone    : +31 5220 56969               7940 AC  MEPPEL, The Netherlands
Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin
From: gary@sci34hub.sci.com (Gary Heston)
Subject: Re: PD routing software
Reply-To: gary@sci34hub.sci.com (Gary Heston)
Organization: SCI Systems, Inc., Huntsville, Al.
Date: Tue, 1 Sep 1992 18:27:24 GMT

In article <1992Aug24.031134.28631@adx.adelphi.edu> zhao@adx.adelphi.edu (Bin Zhao) writes:

>	Could somebody recommend some PD routing software. I am going to
>set up a router using an "old" PC with two ethernet devices to connect two 
>logical networks (two class C nets). 

Find a pre-LANPort copy of PCRoute, or try KarlBridge. KarlBridge is newer,
free, and will probably do what you need between two C nets. It probably 
wouldn't do the job between a C and the rest of the world, though...


-- 
Gary Heston    SCI Systems, Inc.  gary@sci34hub.sci.com   site admin
The Chairman of the Board and the CFO speak for SCI. I'm neither.
    The most dangerous person in the world is Jessica Fletcher.
        Everywhere she goes, people die.
From: brettw@matt.ksu.ksu.edu (Brett D. Watson)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin
Subject: Re: UnixWorld and Unix magazine
Date: 28 Aug 92 15:44:57 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Kansas State University
NNTP-Posting-Host: matt.ksu.ksu.edu

ccoprbm@prism.gatech.EDU (Bruce Mccullough) writes:

>Without yelling out me too. I'm looking for good books on the UNIX lifestyle.
>I've seen in UNIX WORLD books about getting started and learning UNIX but
>I was kinda looking for something off of that beat. I'd looked in the book
>stores locally and didn't see anything. Thanks.

  I'm saving my money for Unix System Administrators Handbook by
Nemeth and others.  I've looked through it a few times and it's NOT a
beginners book.  It provides good, practical administration skills,
tips, etc.  Best price I've found is $46.  Is this along the lines of
what you're looking for?

-=- Brett
-- 
  Brett Watson, 915 Calflin Rd. Manhattan, KS  66502, (913) 776-5951
  Technical Support Programmer, Farrell Library, KSU, (913) 532-7427
  ==================================================================
	  brettw@matt.ksu.ksu.edu | brettw@cygnus.cis.ksu.edu
From: ash@ulysses.mr.ams.com (Alan Harder)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin
Subject: Re: tcsh
Date: 4 Sep 92 13:50:19 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: American Math. Society

In article <1992Sep3.212759.29748@esds.mdc.com> bonney@esds.mdc.com (Greg Bonney) writes:

   >In <1992Sep1.200153.28380@esds.mdc.com> bonney@esds.mdc.com (Greg Bonney) writes:

   >>Somebody just gave me a version of csh called tcsh that allows one to
   >>do command line editting using the arrow-keys for history, etc. like
   >>on a VAX.  I haven't got man pages on it yet, and I don't know where
   >>he got it.  Anybody heard of this, use it, or have comments on it?
   >>I'll post more information when I learn more myself.

   >I found the source code to tcsh on anonymous ftp.  It works on a variety
   >of systems.  So far, it looks real cool.  You can do command-line editing
   >in eather gmacs of vi modes.  Plus it has a lot of other extensions to csh.

Tcsh is a widley-used public domain shell.  It seems well supported,
with new releases coming out on a regular basis, and we like it a lot.
Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin
From: stritzi@Physik.TU-Muenchen.DE (Peer Stritzinger)
Subject: Wrong records in routing table - where from?
Keywords: routing routed rip
Organization: Leibniz-Rechenzentrum, Muenchen (Germany)
Date: Sun, 30 Aug 1992 08:09:18 GMT

In a TCP/IP network I use routed in passive mode on all machines.

When some machines are rebooted, the other machines routing table gets
wrong records. How can I find out why?

Is there a guide "Setting up and troubleshooting routing in a TCP/IP network"
or something like that? Or a good book?


--
Peer Stritzinger
Phone: +(49)8141-90613
Fax: +(49)8141-95235
Internet: stritzi@physik.tu-muenchen.de
Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin
From: kjberte@cray.com (Kurt Bertelsen)
Subject: Bulk mailing problem
Reply-To: kjberte@cray.com
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Date: 27 Aug 92 15:28:21 CDT

Here is one for all you mail gurus out there:

I am working on a problem where a program triggers a mailing to
a list of people.  

The problem is that anyone who is on the list and using the vacation program
replys to the mail.  I don't want that.  

The solution is to put a line in the mail header that says:
Precedence: bulk

I am at a stand still on trying to put that line in the header through the 
command-line interface to mail.

Any help or direction would be appreciated.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kurt Bertelsen                  I am Connor MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod.
kjberte@cray.com                I was born in 1518 in the village of 
DoD# 0538                         Glenfinnan on the shores of Loch Shere.
86 Miniceptor                   And...I am IMMORTAL.   - Highlander

Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin,comp.unix.questions,comp.unix.shell
From: volker@edfd.uucp (Volker Schmidt)
Subject: Re: How to prevent a large core-dump
Organization: EDAG, ENGINEERING + DESGIN AG, Fulda, FRG
Date: Wed, 26 Aug 1992 07:15:14 GMT

soos@math.utwente.nl (Adwin Soos) writes:

>Hello netters,

>A few weeks or even months ago I have read some discussion about the problem
>of preventing a core-dump. I remember that there were some suggestions on how
>to prevent that a large core-dump will be made. 
>This problem is now occurring at our place where someone is writing a large
>program and in some test-cases there is a core dump for more than 60 Mb.
>This person is not using this core to debug it so maybe we can just stop the
>creation of this core for this person.
>Is there someone who can mail me such suggestions?

Well, it depends on the shell you or your user is using. For the csh and
tcsh (maybe also zsh) you only need to issue:

	      limit coredumpsize 0

to shrink the size of a core to zero. The core file entry will also be
created, but it's size ist zero. 

Hope this helps!

-volker
-- 
Volker Schmidt | EDAG, Reesbergstr. 1, D-W-6400 Fulda | volker@edag.de

O Herr, gib mir heute meinen taeglichen Einfall
und vergib mir den von gestern.
Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin
From: dcb@kopachuk.uucp (David Breneman)
Subject: Re: Prevent user from editing /etc/passwd
Organization: Tacoma Screw Products, Inc.
Date: Tue, 25 Aug 1992 16:01:44 GMT

In article <170j07INNoj3@early-bird.think.com> barmar@think.com (Barry Margolin) writes:
>In article <21390@rpp386.lonestar.org> jfh@rpp386.cactus.org (John F. Haugh II) writes:
>
>The question I have is why would someone who can't be trusted not to edit
>the passwd file be authorized to have the root password.  If he needs to be
>able to do a few things that require superuser access, maybe you need
>something like "sudo", which permits you to give him a specific set of
>commands that run with root privileges.
>
Well, in a family-owned company for instance, a member of the owner's
family may insist that he/she "needs" root access just because that
person doesn't like the idea of an "outsider" having more priviledge
than themself (mind you, this is a hypothetical situation  ;-)  ).
In such a case, you run the real risk of having a dilettante screw
things up massively.  BTW, what is "sudo"?

-- 
David Breneman     Sys Admin, Tacoma Screw Products, Inc. |  ____  ____  ____
dcb@tacoma.uucp           |   SCREWIE the TSP CLOWN sez-  |   /   /___  /___/ 
 ..!uunet!tacoma!dcb      |  "Nylok lock nuts lose their  |  /   ____/ / 
CompuServe: 75760,1232    | binding strength after 1 use!"|
From: etsiao@joule.elee.calpoly.edu (Eddie Tsiao)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin
Subject: Re: tcsh
Keywords: tcsh csh shells
Date: 4 Sep 92 16:24:10 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

In article <1992Sep3.212759.29748@esds.mdc.com> bonney@esds.mdc.com (Greg Bonney) writes:
>In <1992Sep1.200153.28380@esds.mdc.com> bonney@esds.mdc.com (Greg Bonney) writes:
>
>>Somebody just gave me a version of csh called tcsh that allows one to
>>do command line editting using the arrow-keys for history, etc. like
>>on a VAX.  I haven't got man pages on it yet, and I don't know where
>>he got it.  Anybody heard of this, use it, or have comments on it?
>>I'll post more information when I learn more myself.
>
>I found the source code to tcsh on anonymous ftp.  It works on a variety
>of systems.  So far, it looks real cool.  You can do command-line editing
>in eather gmacs of vi modes.  Plus it has a lot of other extensions to csh.

We've been using tcsh for several years and it is just about everybodies
default shell.  It is very stable and full featured.  I install all new
accounts with tcsh but for those more adventurous, we have zsh which has
even more little toys.  Sources and man pages for both are available on
ftp.
Good luck.

			- E.T.

|Eddie Tsiao                         | etsiao@autobahn.ARDFA.CalPoly.EDU     |
|System Administrator                | Voice:   (805) 756-1706               |
|ARDFA Cal Poly,  San Luis Obispo    | FAX:     (805) 756-1702               |
Xref: sparky comp.unix.admin:4825 comp.sys.sun.admin:6035 comp.security.misc:1125 alt.security:4229
From: wietse@wzv.win.tue.nl (Wietse Venema)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin,comp.sys.sun.admin,comp.security.misc,alt.security
Subject: Re: log_tcp (tcp wrapper) update
Date: 1 Sep 92 20:40:10 GMT
Followup-To: poster
Organization: Eindhoven University of Technology, The Netherlands

> The patch has been submitted to comp.sources.misc, and can be picked up
> from ftp-win.tue.nl:/pub/security/log_tcp_4.2-to-4.3.Z.

Make that: ftp.win.tue.nl; ftp-win.tue.nl does not exist.

	Wietse
Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin
From: jdavis@bordeaux.kpno.noao.edu (Jim Davis)
Subject: Re: Can't get DNS running
Followup-To: comp.sys.sun.admin
Organization: National Optical Astronomy Observatories, Tucson AZ
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 1992 03:24:10 GMT

In article <1992Sep2.222502.6172@midway.uchicago.edu> epc1@midway.uchicago.edu writes:
>
>Well, after a week of poring through Sun's System & Network Admin manual and
>rooting around my system, I still can't get DNS up and running.  Does anybody
>have any suggestions?

Yes.  Post more details!

Are you trying to use the DNS with NIS?

Are you trying to use DNS without NIS, and if so, did you modify your shared
C library to add the DNS support?

Are you trying to set up a local nameserver, or just pointing to an existing
on one another machine?
-- 
Jim Davis            | "I don't want him crushed -- just slightly dented."
jdavis@noao.edu      |   -- Clarissa Darling
Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin
From: troy@cbme.unsw.EDU.AU (Troy Rollo)
Subject: Re: Linking /tmp off of root file system
Organization: University of New South Wales
Date: Mon, 31 Aug 1992 07:03:03 GMT

From article <dtb.715225819@otto>, by dtb@otto.bf.rmit.oz.au (David Bath):
> walder@alexia.lis.uiuc.edu (John Walder) writes:
>> Our root file system is nearly full. Thus it overflows periodically since
>> vi and mail have /tmp hardcoded in them for creating temporary files.
>> What problems might arise if we did the following?
>>   mv tmp tmp.save
>>   ln -s /usr/tmp /tmp
>> One problem I foresee is that /usr is not mounted in single user mode.

There is an easy way around this problem. Snce mount requires that the
mountpoint itself be a directory, then /usr must be a directory before
the real /usr is mounted. Thus all you need to do to ensure that a
/tmp is always available is to go into single user mode, and:

		mkdir /usr/tmp
		chmod ugo+rwx /usr/tmp
		chmod +t /usr/tmp

I have used this configuration on a machine with little space left
on the root volume.
--
__________________________________________________________________________
troy@cbme.unsw.EDU.AU	Overworked, overcommited and always multitasking.
From: swlodin@kocrsv01.delcoelect.com (Steve Lodin)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin
Subject: Re: UnixWorld and Unix magazine
Date: 28 Aug 92 17:25:07 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Delco Electronics Corp.
Originator: swlodin@kocrsw15


** I just posted this to news.newusers.questions earlier this week ***

Here is the list I gave my library:

Introducing UNIX System V - Morgan and McGilton
        McGraw-Hill
        0-07-04315203

UNIX System V Release 4 An Introduction - Rosen, Rosinski, and Farber
        McGraw-Hill
        0-07-881552-5

UNIX for the Impatient - Abrahams
        Addison Wesley

Learning the UNIX Operating System - Todino and Strang
        O'Rielly and Associates (ORA)
        0-937175-16-1

UNIX in a Nutshell (for System V or Berkeley)
        ORA
        System V 0-937175-19-6
        Berkeley 0-937175-20-x

Basic System Administration - Frisch
        ORA
        0-937175-74-9

Unix System Administration Handbook - Nemeth, Snyder, and Seebass
        Prentice Hall
        0-13-933441-6

Using UUCP and Usenet - Todino and Dougherty
        ORA
        0-937175-10-2

TCP/IP Network Administration - Hunt
        ORA
        0-937175-82-x


Two more additions:


Although there are lots, the best remains "The UNIX Programming Environment"
by Kernighan and Pike.

and


   "Intro to the Unix operating system" by
      Rebecca Thomas and (Jeremey ?) Yates


Steve
-- 
Steve Lodin	Internet: swlodin@kocrsv01.delcoelect.com  UUCP: deaes!swlodin

#include	<standard.disclaimer>
#include	<fancy.pseudo.graphics>
From: trant@shire.corp.sgi.com (Ken Trant)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin
Subject: Re: SECURITY -- How to list files having suid
Date: 27 Aug 92 18:16:33 GMT
Reply-To: trant@sgi.com
Distribution: world,local
Organization: Silicon Graphics Inc. Data Center Operations

I like COPS also, but.
find / -user root -perm -4000 -exec ls -l {} \; | mail trant
 Will work and send you the results via email.

-- 
 -----
 Ken Trant <trant@sgi.com>     / Second Star to the right
 Senior Systems Administrator / And straight on till
 Information Services,       / Morning
 Silicon Graphics, Inc      / Peter Pan
Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin
From: dold@unislc.uucp (Clarence Dold)
Subject: Re: SECURITY -- How to list files having suid
Organization: Unisys Corporation SLC
Distribution: world,local
Date: Sat, 29 Aug 1992 00:34:19 GMT

From article <1992Aug27.181633.6131@odin.corp.sgi.com>, by trant@shire.corp.sgi.com (Ken Trant):

> find / -user root -perm -4000 -exec ls -l {} \; | mail trant
How about sgid?  Other owners besides root?
find /  -type f \( -perm -4000 -o -perm -2000 \) -exec ls -l {} \; | mail trant
-- 
---
Clarence A Dold - dold@unislc.slc.Unisys.COM
               ...pyramid!ctnews!tsmiti!dold
Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin
From: fish@daacdev1.stx.com
Subject: is there any reason not to run strip on all executables???
Organization: Goddard Space Flight Center
Date: Fri, 28 Aug 1992 19:06:14 GMT

i'ld like to "strip" all my /usr/local/bin stuff and don't see
any reason not too - is there one?  why is that information maintained
if you don't use cc -g when making the .o's ?

		fish
--
John R. Vanderpool                INTERNET: fish@daacdev1.stx.com
NASA/GSFC                         VOX: 301-513-1683                
Hughes/STX Corporation            FAX: 301-513-1608
"arcadian driftwood, gypsy tailwind; they call my home, the land of snow" -jrr
From: andy@orchid.bdc.ubc.ca (Andrew Dwelly)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin
Subject: Restricted shell
Date: 28 Aug 92 22:37:43 GMT
Organization: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada


We are considering offering free accounts to the members of our dept.
with a shell capable of executing only a few commands. We know
about retsh, but it seems to have some trouble executing with SunOS
4.1.2 

Are there any other ways of doing this ? - chroot for example.

All advice gratefully received.

Andy Dwelly, Biosciences Computing Unit. UBC.(andy@bcu.ubc.ca)
From: leisner@eso.mc.xerox.com (Marty Leisner 311/? x?)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin
Subject: changing all accounts on a file system
Date: 31 Aug 92 15:50:34 GMT
Reply-To: leisner.henr801c@xerox.com
Organization: Xerox
X-Received: by usenet.pa.dec.com; id AA21970; Mon, 31 Aug 92 08:52:44 -0700
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X-To: comp.unix.admin.usenet%decwrl.dec.com@eso.mc.xerox.com
X-Cc: leisner@eso.mc.xerox.com


What's a good program/script to go from one password database to another password database?

I.e., all files owned by an old user will be changed to ownership by a new user...

Marty    leisner.henr801c@xerox.com 
          Member of the League for Programming Freedom 
 	Give me source or waste my time..
From: jim@cs.strath.ac.uk (Jim Reid)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin
Subject: Re: SECURITY -- How to list files having suid
Date: 26 Aug 92 08:50:00 GMT
Distribution: world,local
Organization: Computer Science Dept., Strathclyde Univ., Glasgow, Scotland.
In-reply-to: jjr@ace.ece.arizona.edu's message of 26 Aug 92 00:16:01 GMT

In article <1992Aug25.171601.3629@arizona.edu> jjr@ace.ece.arizona.edu (Jeffrey J. Rodriguez) writes:

   I'd like to do a security check on my SPARCstation (SunOS 4.1.1).
   How can I list all files having suid or sgid set?
   With "find -perm" I can only check for exact matches of bits.
   I'd like to just check the suid & sgid bits and not check the
   other permission bits.

The -s option to ncheck does this. [It's also a lot faster than find
because it can use the raw disk instead of traversing the directory
hierarchy and running stat() on every file.]

   What other security checks should I perform?

Files and directories with world write permission, accounts with no
password (or easily guessed passwords), over-tolerant /etc/hosts.equiv
and/or .rhosts files, device files in user directories. Sounds like
you need to get hold of the COPS package to make regular security
sweeps on your machines. COPS will be available from you nearest
archive site.

		Jim
Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin