By @Macarlo

Great news! Finally appears a substitute for Windows NT! I'm talking about Caldera Open Linux 2.2. I tested it on my Test Machine (a Pentium 200 PC with ASUS mainboard and 128 MB of EDO RAM). This Linux install smooth, clear and simple and runs simply fantasticaly!!! Absolute stability, very fast, very improved. I just update my web site today using this Operating System an his incredible tools: editors, image viewers etc. Congratulations Caldera! You can buy now this terrific and powerful OS from BTM Micro, Inc. <http://www.bmtmicro.com>. To buy it now on Falcon Net secure server simply click the logo below: 

Click me!

SCREENSHOTS

To see the fantastic Caldera's File Manager click here>###

To see Caldera's FM copying StarOffice from Red Hat click here>###

To see XEmacs running on Caldera Open click here>###

To see StarOffice 5.1 starting on Caldera click here>###

To see internet connection (with graphic details) click here>###

Fantastic. This is the only appropriate word I encountered to describe Caldera Open Linux 2.2. I installed this Linux distribution from a CD distributed inside the number 2, Year 3, issue 26 of PC Master magazine, brazilian edition (the CD includes also Delphi 1.0 and Netscape 4.6 for Windows. Note that this Caldera 2.2 have complete kernel but the CD don't includes Partition Magic and other features thah are included only in the boxed version - you must buy one).I'm using Linux since the first release of Red Hat (I'm registered user and the latest version I've here, the 5.2, I purchased it from BMT Micro, Inc., the World largest OS/2 apps reseller). Red Hat is suck, I agree, but Caldera Open Linux 2.2 is a release absolutely innovative that really runs rather than Windows 98. If you don't believe, try yourself and see!

In order to install Caldera Open Linux 2.2 you have not necessity to make install diskettes. You simple starts the CD inside Windows 95 or Windows 98 and command install. The Install Shield quickly creates a Linux installation set with a icon. When you click this icon the system restarts in MS-DOS mode and the install process commence. No text mode screens, only graphic screens. I installed this Caldera Open Linux 2.2 in the slave of the primary master (/dev/hdb) a Wester Digital 2,5GB I've here just for tests. The entire installation process is absolutely automated and I've not any problem. I used my HP 6020 CD Writer as a source, from a SCSI card Adaptec 2940AU because this Caldera don't recognizes my ATAPI CD-ROM connected in the third IDE port (the IDE connector of my Soundblaster card). Well, for Red Hat Linux (version 5.2 and above) this third port is not problem.

I installed the recommended options (500 megabytes), the Caldera Open Linux 2.2 started after the installation without problems and I immediately updated my web site using the Caldera applications. Using one of the most powerful file managers (totally graphical and drag-and-drop) I simple copied my entire web site from my works partition (FAT) in my Windows NT 4.0 SP5 that I mounted with VFAT option in /mnt/windows mount point. I also mounted my entire works directory in my OS/2 Warp 4.0 FP6 in mnt/os2 with the HPFS option and also copied it in few seconds using this fantastic file manager called File Manager Super User Mode, alias Root (resides in the System option in the main menu (like the Start menu in Windows 95,98/NT).

One day after the publication of this review I received a lot of e-mails from users asking me about the correct use of Kppp, the dialer used by KDE. Same users reported that was received Signal 15. Well, are you configured correctly your ppp? Please read the FAQ above, from de Kpp Help, that I just add on this report.

Frequently Asked Questions About Kppp

I can't getkpppto work.kppptells me that pppd has died or that a timeout has expired!

Did you read the this manual carefully? Here are once more the most common pitfalls.

Click on the "Details" button .kppp will you give an excerpt from the PPP log messages (may not work on non-Linux systems, or even on some Linux distributions). The log will help you to track down the bug.

Make sure that pppd is the actual pppd binary not a script

Make sure that pppd is setuid root. You may set this mode by issuing chmod u+s pppdas root.

Make sure that your/etc/ppp/options file exists and that it doesn´t contain any conflicting entries. If in doubt: Leave this file empty.

Make sure that you DON'T use the option "lock" as an argument for pppd (kpppis already taking care of device locking )

Remove the "lock" option from your/etc/ppp/optionsand~/.ppprcfiles!

Using the symbolic link/dev/modemmay cause some conflicts. Eliminate this source of trouble by using the real device, i.e./dev/cuaXor/dev/ttySX. NOTE: COM1 equals ttyS0, COM2 is ttyS1 and so
on.

Make sure you set the right permission. In case of trouble you might want to run it as root first and then later, when everything is working o.k give it less harmful permission if you can not afford to run kpppsetuid root. The proper way to proceed would probably be creating a "modem" group.

You might be launching pppd too early, i.e. before the remote server is ready to negotiate a PPP connection. If you are using a login script, you should use the built-in terminal to verify your login procedure. Some providers will require you to issue a simple "Send" or "Send ppp" to launch PPP. Some users even reported, that they had to append "Pause 1" or "Pause 2" to their script to solve timing conflicts.

If nothing helps, you might obtain some debugging info from your systems log by issuing:

# tail /var/log/messages

kppp tells me ``Sorry, can't open the modem''.

This means that kppp doesn't have permissions to open the modem device or that you selected a modem device on the Modem Tab Dialog that is not valid. First make sure you selected the right modem device. Once you are sure you have selected the right modem device, you must give kpppthe right permission to access the modem device and to be able to modify/etc/resolv.confin case you want kpppto configure DNS correctly for you. If you can afford to run kpppsetuid root this would solve all access problems for you, if not you will have to figure out what the right permissions are for your purposes. In order to give kpppsetuid root permissions do the following:

% su root # chown root:root ${KDEDIR}/bin/kppp # chmod +s ${KDEDIR}/bin/kppp # exit

kppp tells me it can't create a modem lock file.

This in most instances means that you have installed kppp without SETUID bit on while you, the person executing kppp, doesn't have write access to the lock file directory which by default is/var/lock. This for example is the case on Red Hat systems. Check the modem dialog for the precise location you have chosen. The solution is easy -- either run kppp SETUID if you can afford to, or give regular users write access to/var/lockor create a modem group that will have access to the/var/lockfile.

Why iskpppinstalled with the SETUID bit on?

There is no need for the SETUID bit, if you know a bit of Unix systems administration. Simply create a modem group, add all users that you want to give access to the modem to that group and make the modem device read/writable for that group. Also if you want DNS configuration to work with kppp, then/etc/resolv.confmust be read/writable by the members of that group. The same counts for/etc/ppp/pap-secrets and /etc/ppp/chap-secrets if you want to use the built-in PAP or CHAP support, respectively.

Please do not criticise me for installing kppp with setuid bit on, I simply can no longer handle the amount of mail I used to get from desperate users who had problems getting kpppto work because they didn't understand enough about Unix and device permissions.

The kppp team has lately done a lot of work to make kppp setuid-safe. But it's up to you to decide if you install and how you install it.

You might also want to read the Security section.

kppp just sits there and waits: Expecting OK

Have you played with the CR/LF setting? Try CR, LF or CR/LF.

Your modem might need some time to respond to its initialization. Open the "Modem Commands" dialog on the "Modem" tab and adjust the "Pre-Init" and "Post-Init" delays. See if you are successful when drastically increasing their values and do some fine tuning later.

The connection works fine but I can´t start any applications.

You probably have activated the Auto-configure hostname option and the X Server has problems connecting to your newly named host. If you really need this option (chances are that you don´t) you are on your own to setup the appropriate authorizations. Issuing xhost +before starting the connection would do the job, but be warned of any security risks that involves since everyone else is granted access to your X Server.

kppp reports a successful connection, but Netscape just says "The server does not have a DNS entry"

Try pinging another server by its IP number, e.g.ping 195.0.254.76. If that works you should

check if you provided kppp with at least one DNS address

check the contents of/etc/host.conf. There should be a line saying something similar toorder hosts, bind. The bind keyword advises the resolver library to include a name server query when performing an address lookup.

How do I make kppp send a \n or a \r?

Just send an empty string such as in the following script:

Send # send an empty string Expect ID: Send its me Expect word: Send forgot Expect granted Send ppp

kppp complains: "Can't create lock file"

This means that you don't have permissions to create a lock file. If you chose to use a lock file you must have write permissions to the directory (typically /var/lock). This is of course no problem if you have given kppp setuid permissions. Please read the section onlock files.

My modem makes much noise when dialling!

Click on "Setup", "Modem". You can control the modem volume here in three steps: off, medium and high. For most modems "medium" and "high" result in the same volume. If that doesn't work, make sure that the correct settings for your modem are specified in "Setup"/"Modem"/"Modem
commands"!

I turned the modem volume "off" and verified the modem commands,but I still hear that noise when dialling!

The volume initialisation string can get lost if your modem can't cope with the speed it revives its command fromkppp. Increase the value of "Post-Init Delay" in "Setup"/"Modem"/"Modem commands"!

Click on "Setup", "Modem". You can control the modem volume here in three steps: off, medium and high. For most modems "medium" and "high" result in the same volume. If that doesn't work, make sure that the correct settings for your modem are specified in "Setup"/"Modem"/"Modem
commands"!

kppp reports an unusual modem speed like 115200, 57600 or similar

Many modems only report the speed of the serial line and not the speed over the telephone line as default. You must configure these modems to report the true line speed (add to modem init or dial string). For many modems this command is "ATW2". If you want to add it to the dial-string
(typical "ATD"), the new dial string would be "ATW2D".

kppp reports "Unknown speed"

New modems often have very complex connection messages like "CONNECT LAP.M/V42.bis/115000:RX/31200:TX", and kpp pcannot parse this message correctly. Turn on "Show Log" and you'll see the connection speed. I'm currently working on a solution for this, and the parser is now much better, but still not perfect.

Slow connection speed

If you are not satisfied with the modem speed, make sure you've set the connection speed ("Setup" / "Device" / "Speed") to 57600 or higher. Make sure that your serial ports support higher speeds. Many systems based on i486 do not work correctly when you set the speed to 115200. If you have a 8250 UART chip, it won't work. If you have a 16550 or 16550A it should
work flawlessly.

Additionally, consult your modem manual to look for init strings that enable a high speed mode.

REALLY slow connection speed

If data drips in at a rate of just a few bytes per second you should check your hardware setup. If moving your mouse speeds up the transmission this is definitely a hardware issue.

Obtain some information about your serial port with set serial -a /dev/ttySxand check for interrupt conflicts with other components of your system.

My phone line needs pulse dialling instead of tone dialling (or vice-versa)

You must modify you modem dial string. Nearly all modems support the following AT-commands:

ATDT - selects tone dial

ATDP - selects pulse dial

kppp makes really strange things (whatever)

Did you compile it or the libraries with gcc-2.8? This version of gcc is somewhat broken, and it will not work as expected.

How do I write a telephone cost rules file?

Just follow the TEMPLATE rules files supplied with kppp. You should be able to find a copy in the${KDEDIR}/doc/HTML/kppp. Use the-r kppp command line options to check the syntax of your proposed rules file.

I have written a telephone cost rules file for my region. Where can I submit it so that others can make use of it?

I would love to receive any rule files written. I will make them available on my kppp web page. Before you send me a new rules file make sure it is not already available on the kppp web page. Then email the new rules file tome.

Can my phone cost rule file contain fractional time units, e.g .
"(0.17,45.5)"?

Yes this is possible. But you should not use unusual small time units (below tenth of a second), because this would result in higher CPU load (though I doubt you'll notice with a modern CPU :-)

My country observes a moving holiday different from easter.

In that case you need to write new code that allows for the computation of that holiday. Please have a look at ruleset.cpp and emulate the ``easter'' example. Then send me the patches.

How to interpret the system's log

Serial line is looped back

Short answer: You haven't started the PPP software on the peer system.

See a posting from Al Long year on http://www.dejanews.com/getdoc.xp?AN=184945314for a more detailed explanation.

Signal 15

If you see the following lines you've probably just received a timeout error from kppp, too .kppp has been waiting for the PPP interface to come up and gave up after the specified timeout. pppd was signaled to shut down with signal number 15, i.e. SIGTERM.

pppd[26921]: pppd 2.3.5 started by me, uid 500 pppd[26921]: Using interface ppp0 pppd[26921]: Connect: ppp0 <--> /dev/ttyS0 pppd[26921]: Terminating on signal 15. pppd[26921]: Connection terminated. pppd[26921]: Exit.

Receive serial link is not 8-bit clean

The PPP daemon is alarmed by the fact that all data it receives has bit 8 set to zero. In most cases this simply indicates that the remote PPP server isn't running yet. You might be still confronted with a login prompt that echoes back all data sent by your pppd.

can't locate module ppp-compress

Do you get the following messages ?

modprobe: can't locate module ppp-compress-21 modprobe: can't locate module ppp-compress-26 modprobe: can't locate module ppp-compress-24

Just add the lines

alias ppp-compress-21 bsd_comp alias ppp-compress-24 ppp_deflate alias ppp-compress-26 ppp_deflate

to your /etc/conf.modules file.

Technical data

A totally graphical user interface for the Linux installation, login, and the desktop environment are sure to set OpenLinux 2.2 apart as the easiest to install and use. With powerful desktop applicatons, this new Linux product is sure to appeal to both first-time users and seasoned power-users. Easier Than Ever to Install and Administer The new graphical installation interface is powered by our enhanced installation called Lizard, (the LInux wiZARD.) Autoprobing your hardware for the right video card, network card, PCMCIA detection, size of hard drives, CD-ROM, and floppy drive, Lizard even saves installation time by copying packages to your system while you add user login names and passwords, set your time zone, and perform other necessary functions.

OpenLinux 2.2 has also integrated a custom edition of PartitionMagic, which lets you size and create a disk partition for OpenLinux, making installation, whether on an existing system with Windows or on a new machine, a snap. BootMagic allows you to boot between OpenLinux and other operating systems on your system.

Bundled Software Increases Workstation Productivity OpenLinux now includes Corel's WordPerfect 8. We have also included StarOffice version 5.

The Linux 2.2 Kernel

What is it? The kernel is the core of the operating system. It controls the execution of processes, handles memory management, provides a file system, and provides a portable interface through which programs may communicate with hardware. What's new in the Linux 2.2 Kernel? The new Linux kernel is a treasure of new functionality and performance. Here are just a few of the highlights:

Improved performance of machines with at least 16 megs of RAM. Power management for laptops Linux will now read NTFS (Windows NT) drives and Windows 98 FAT32 drives (also used by some later versions of Windows 95) Recognizes the Joliet system for long filenames on CD-ROMs. Completely rewritten CD-ROM driver system for more standardized support Support for more than 4 serial ports, and allows serial devices to share interrupts. It includes a number of drivers for non-standard ports and multi- port cards Supports higher data transfer rates with newer modems Many new sound devices are supported Support for a growing number of TV and radio tuner cards and digital cameras Enhanced support for Ethernet and ISDN devices Additional rewritable CD-ROMs are sup- ported under Linux 2.2 SMP: up to 16 processors are supported, with amazing performance Linux 2.2 includes enhanced support for spanning a filesystem across several disks transparently. Presently, this support can be used in RAID 0, 1, 4, and 5 modes as well as a simple linear mode

OpenLinux 2.2 Comes Complete With

Linux kernel 2.2.x; multi-user; multi-tasking; glibc 2.1 (and libc5 for backwards compatibility); PalmPilot-capability; comprehensive manual. Installation Lizard, (LInux wiZARD) PartitionMagic Caldera Edition BootMagic Administration COAS Administration System 1.0 Disk Quotas IP firewall and accounting BRU backup and restore utility (personal edition) Office WordPerfect 8, personal edition StarOffice 5, personal edition Daily schedule/organizer Internet/Network Protocols: TCP/IP, Ethernet, PPP, SLIP, PLIP, UUCP, SMTP, POP, IMAP, NFS, SMB, IPX Client/Services: DHCP 1.0, NFS 2.2, NIS 2.0, Samba 2.0.3, DNS (bind 8.1.1), Telnet, WU-FTP 2.4.2 Internet: Communicator 4.51, Apache 1.3.4, Sendmail 8.9.1, News (inn 2.1), Majordomo 1.94.3 Dial-in (mgetty 1.1.8 & ppp 2.3.5), Dial-out (kppp 1.1) Development Symbolic debugger (gdb & ddd) Python 1.5 Perl 5.005 Tcl/Tk 8.0.4 Java Development Kit 1.0.2 Java Virtual Machine (Kaffe 1.0) Desktop K Desktop Environment (KDE) 1.1 XFree86 3.3.3.

System Requirements

32 MB of RAM 300 MB hard disk StarOffice 5, WordPerfect 8, BRU 15.0, and Communicator 4.51 require an additional 300+ MB of hard disk space Pentium, Pentium II and compatible CPUs

CONTACT CALDERA

http://www.caldera.com

Comments

July 16, 1999 - From Fernando Lozano
(Fernando Lozano, the first IBM Certified Network Communications Engineer in Latin America , is an OS/2, Windows NT and Unix guru)

Hi, Macarlo!

Congratulations for your nice site. For more than a year it has been one
that I visit everyday.

I am writting to make a few comments about recent articles.

First, the "Caldera File Manager" is not Caldera's work. It is the
standard KDE File/Internet browser. If you install the KDE version
included on Red Hat Linux (since 5.2) and another distributions you get
the same file manager. Also, you do not need to make KDE your desktop to
use KDE appliations. That's the beauty of the X Window System: any
application, whatever the toolkit it uses, can be run under any other
Window Manager (like Fvwm95, Gnome, Window Maker, Lesstif, CDE, Open
Look, and others).

Another nice point you should make on Caldera: it is the only Linux
distribution today that can completely integrate with a Novell 4.0 or
higher network. Caldera ported Novell NDS and other enhancemenets for
Unix, and the result, "Netware for Linux" can be purchased separately
and installed into other Linux distributions. A 3-user version (which is
not only a Netware client bot a full Netware server) is availabe for
free download and use. You can buy more license packs much cheaper than
Netware license packs.

The Netware integration software included with other Linux distributions
(ncpfs and mars_nwe) support only Netware 3.x services (Bindery-based).

A second comment: won't you try StarOffice 5.1 on OS/2?

It's also very improved, and adds two new features OS/2 users will love:
Desktop integration (so all WPS objects will be shown on SO menus and
you can safely hide your OS/2 desktop behind SO) and Palm Pilot
syncronization. This is the frist OS/2 package I am aware that can
HotSync with the data on the Pilot. To learn how to configure this
feature, see the OS/2 E-Zine recent article about StarOffice.

[]s, Fernando Lozano

@Macarlo, Inc.
@Macarlo's Shareware & Web
OS/2
Java Lobby Member
Java Site Accredited

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