From: adam@address.invalid   
      
   Moe Trin wrote:   
   > On Thu, 09 Aug 2012, in the Usenet newsgroup alt.os.linux.mandriva, in   
   article   
   > , Adam wrote:   
      
   >> one site, someone's list of 8086 assembler mnemonics, returned   
   >> "203 Non-authoritative information".   
   >   
   > The '203' code means the data returned might   
   > be different from the original (Intel) source data - but it's the   
   > option of the web-site owner to use that rather than the '200'.   
      
   Well, whoever put the site up was certainly conscientious about that.  I   
   suppose a valid web page that doesn't specify any code returns '200'.   
      
   [my test system]   
      
   >> Of course none of that may generalize to any distro besides CentOS.   
   >   
   > Mentioned, CentOS is a GPL of Red Hat Enterprise Linux, but it's only   
   > one of several. I'd expect them all to be similar.   Fedora probably   
   > is similar, based on the family relationship.   
      
   You may have noticed that all the distros currently installed on eris   
   are not only unfamiliar to me, but about as different from Mandriva and   
   each other as possible, or at least I've tried for that.   
      
   > OK, the modem is configured to report "port speed" rather than the   
   > over-the-wire speeds.  Rockwell/Conexant chipset modems may have an   
   > ATWn command that controls that.   
      
   The Winmodem on eris has a Conexant chipset.  I just have to figure out   
   how to communicate with the modem directly.  All I know is 'kppp' but   
   installing that would require installing all the KDE libraries as well.   
     Gotta look into 'wvdial' and plain old 'pppd'.   
      
   >> Yeah, I splurged and ordered one this morning.  No idea yet what I'll   
   >> do with it.   
   >   
   > I'd test it, and then store it in the desk drawer (or equal).   
      
   Looks like it (USB hardware modem) arrived today but I wasn't around to   
   answer the door, so now it's waiting at the P.O. for pickup.  USPS used   
   to leave packages outside the apartment doors here, but after some   
   complaints of thefts will now only deliver them in person.  What bothers   
   me more than the trip to the P.O. is knowing there are thieves around here.   
      
   Once I'm sure it works, I might put it on stolid instead of the   
   USB-RS232 adapter and external modem that are there now.  I expect it to   
   be used rarely, and I could always change things back later.   
      
   >> The Linux driver that I bought for eris's Winmodem uses the computer's   
   >> speakers.  That does help.   
   >   
   > Very much so.   
      
   I suppose since they're charging for the driver, they want the purchaser   
   to feel he's gotten value for money.  Actually it looks like that site   
   hasn't updated things since about 2010, which I think is more a   
   reflection of the demand for modems than the quality of their software.   
      
   > This is the first modem I've had without a speaker. I   
   > have tossed together an outboard replacement (essentially a high input   
   > impedance amp with a isolation switch feeding a headphone jack) and it   
   > works, but I wish it wasn't needed.   
      
   Across the tip and ring phone lines?  What about listening in on another   
   telephone on the same line until the remote modem's signal is heard?   
      
   >> I don't think rc.local is even used.  The atime of everything in and   
   >> under /etc/rc.d is earlier than my last reboot.   
   >   
   > Is the fileystem mounted with atimes enabled.  Some are using the   
   > "noatime" mount option to get "faster" access.   
      
   All of Mdv2011.0 is in one partition, and it's mounted with the default   
   of "relatime".  Right now the atime for everything in /etc/rc.d is 4:02   
   AM this morning when 'mlocate' was run as a cron job, even though I last   
   booted about 7 PM today.   
      
   >> Nope, /media is now a tmpfs so nothing in it is persistent.   
   >   
   > I wonder what problem they're attempting to solve by doing that?   
   > Probably something related to automounting to unique device names,   
   > and they didn't think of consequences.   
      
   Well, the one persistent mount point that I wanted, I just created as   
   /mnt/iso .  Not a big deal now that I understand what's going on.  I   
   just have to modify my disc cataloging script because it can't count on   
   the disc being /media/cdrom any more.  "df | grep /dev/sr0" should work.   
     Right now, top priority among non-essential computer projects should   
   be that family collage, in time for Mom's birthday.   
      
   [kitty news]   
      
   > We're seeing the personal turf - Smokie owns the computer room, Good   
   > Sam the living room.  Marg seems to be taking over the second bedroom,   
   > and all three have access to the rest of the house.   
      
   Sounds like Smokie got the best deal, as far as being able to hang out   
   with the humans.  Does she have "seniority" at the house?  (Although   
   that's not the only thing that determines social rank.)   
      
   >> In other news, today started off by my learning that my neighbor and   
   >> friend (about my age) has gone from the hospital into hospice, and we   
   >> all know what that means.   
   >   
   > Yeah, sorry to hear that.   
      
   Thanks.  I'm gonna visit Monday (changed from Sunday so I can pick up   
   that package at the P.O.), and I'm not sure what to expect there.   
      
   > Another neighbor was put into hospice at age 59 because he had so many   
   > things going South on him related to diabetes   
      
   Unmanaged diabetes can cause all sorts of problems.  At the dialysis   
   center, that was the most common reason for being there, I'd guess well   
   over 50% of the patients.  Untreated HBP would probably be second.   
      
   Adam   
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