netatalk, X 3.1.2G, Mach64CT

["C. Oda" <craig@example.com>]

Since I've been sick with a cold, I spent yesterday playing
with Linux.

I thought I would share some experiences with everyone.

Netatalk
********
I've connected my Linux machine to my wife's Macintosh with
the netatalk package version 1.3.3.  We can now save
files from the Mac to the Linux box with ethernet.  The file
names and icons look exactly the same as if they were on the
Mac hard disk.  There can be spaces or Japanese file names.
I created a user "lynn" on the linux box and when she
starts apple file share from the Mac chooser, she logs on
with her Linux username and password.  If I do a ls /home/lynn
as root from the Linux box, I can see her file names.  I was
surprised that I could even see the file names with spaces.
Japanese file names are not appearing.  However, I don't have
the kanji conversions set up properly and it doesn't matter
whether I see her filenames or not.  Japanese file names
do appear on the Macintosh side even when the files are
saved on the Linux box.  

Part of the reason, I did this is to implement a centralized
file server and backup policy on our domestic Home Area Network
(HAN).  The Mac is kind of flaky and I thought that I would
have her save the files to a central fileserver running
Linux then I would backup the central fileserver.  This
way I could throw in a Windows '95 machine and save the
files with Samba.  I could even mount a directory on my
Linux box and have all three computers backed up from
one computer.  

Unfortunately, there are two problems.  The Macintosh is
connected to the HAN Laser Jet IV with LocalTalk, not
ethernet.  She has to open the Control Panels select
"Network" and change it from LocalTalk to ethernet in 
order to save.  This is not going to happen in a real
world.  I could use the Linux box as a print spooler and
have the Apple files spooled to lpd.  However, this would
increase the possibility of her having to call the 
HAN System Administrator (me) in the event of a printing
problem.  This is not an acceptable solution.

The other problem is that performance between a Mac Quadra
and a Linux 166mhz Intel with 32 megs of RAM is fairly
bad.  I tried to test files over the ethernet and 
the file transfer was pretty slow. 

Xfree86 3.1.2G
**************

I upgraded X from a binary elf distribution at ftp.xfree86.org

I can now get 32,000 colors from a Mach64CT chipset with 2 meg VRAM
at 1024x800.  There is a new tag:

Section "Screen"
    Driver      "accel"
    Device      "ATI Mach64 CT (264CT), Internal RAMDAC"
    Monitor     "MAGDX15F"
         DefaultColorDepth 16


Note the "DefaultColorDepth 16" specification.  This is the
first time that I've seen it and this is the first time I've
got 32,000 colors at 1024x800

Someone had a question about the installation.  Here is what
I did.

Downloaded these files:

[root@example.com X]# ls -l
total 9450
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root      1124484 Sep  5 07:32 312GMa64.tgz
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root       706320 Sep  5 07:47 312GVG16.tgz
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root      2035650 Sep  6 09:27 312Gbin.tgz
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root      1528529 Sep  5 06:20 312Gdoc.tgz
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root      1610160 Sep  4 18:56 312Gfnts.tgz
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root       321774 Sep  5 07:56 312Glib.tgz
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root       555232 Sep  5 07:57 312Gman.tgz
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root       407970 Sep  5 08:03 312Gset.tgz
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root        40793 Sep  4 21:58 RELNOTES
drwxr-sr-x   7 root     root         1024 Dec 17  1995 ld.so-1.7.14/
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root       191067 Sep  6 06:43 ld.so-1.7.14.tar.gz
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root      1088530 Sep  6 05:53
ncurses-1.9.9e.bin.tar.gz
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         1946 Sep  8 10:01 postinst.sh
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root         3407 Sep  8 10:01 preinst.sh
[root@example.com X]# cd ..

-------

Executed the preinst.sh script from /usr/X11R6

	# cp preinst.sh /var/tmp
        # cd /usr/X11R6
        # /bin/sh /var/tmp/preinst.sh

Decompress ld.so

	# tar zxvf ld.so-1.7.14.tar.gz

Install it

	# cd ld.so-1.7.14
	# make install

Install ncurses binary from root directory

	# tar zxvf ncurses-1.9.9e.bin.tar.gz -C /
	
Install X

	# tar zxvf 312GMa64.tgz -C /usr/X11R6
	# tar zxvf 312Gbin.tgz -C /usr/X11R6

 	*** Repeat for all 312G files

-------

Xfree86 3.1.2G has an X configuration tool that works under
VGA mode.  It looks pretty good.  However, I couldn't get
it to work and I kind of enjoy modifying the XF86Config file
myself.  I just read the XF86Config manpage and edited
the file.

Hope you get it to work.  xearth didn't look too different
with 256 colors instead of 16, but the 32,000 colors
sure make a difference when I run Netscape, xv, and
goodstuff at the same time.  I'm going to change my wall paper
from xearth to some pictures from the Kodak sampler at random
intervals.  Gone are the days of scrounging around the system
for just a few extra color maps.  Gone are the non-genki
fish in xfishtank swimming around with only 8 colors.  Gone
are those shocking transitions between private color mappings
and the rest of the system.  

Just when I think I am becoming color-rich, I think, why not
have millions of colors???  Anyone got X working with more
than 32,000?
	

-------------
Craig Oda 	craig@example.com	
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