[GNUz] Re: Last nights meeting - Thanks Dale and Rik...

[Rik Tindall]

Glad the workshop was useful. - For the workshops & me too. Thanks.

Don Gould wrote:
> Don't know about the rest of you but I found Dale's presentation on BSD 
> very useful.
> 
> It highlighted a number of issues for me...
> 
> Wireless in the non-ms spear is simply not simple enough.  The fact that 
> neither Nick or I could quickly connect to anything is an issue.
> 
> Regardless of OS it was clear that setting up an ad-hoc network is 
> complex and the tools simply don't work as expected.

That much was proven, by achieving no connectivity from either Ubuntu or 
FreeBSD - due to insufficient time more than anything. But the interest 
level has determined perseverence.

Why the lack of success?

My assumption - having quickly and easily established a wireless local 
p2p network on the same laptop hardware on to a very similar laptop, 
using WinXP - that the same would be doable in good time using current 
nix. Mostly a matter of learning how, as I see it, so I'll continue 
exploring over the next month and present any successful result. Could 
it be that purchasing a wireless access point like Don's makes the 
networking easier? Which unit is recommended if so?

What the workshop confirmed was at least threefold:

a) The wireless skills and hardware are too patchily held in our G/LUGs 
to yet make adequate use of this winning technology. And progress at 
that level is crucial in advancing Don's Community ISP Mirror Project.

b) Wireless workshops provide an exercise base of adequate interest for 
both newbies and old hands alike.

c) Once solved, wireless connectivity will add value to our G/LUG 
meetings, from enhanced activity and resourcing. We should, through a 
bit more training etc, get to the point where a few eager people can get 
the network up in 5-10 mins before the start of every meeting. That is, 
it presents a challenge we can usefully overcome. Incrementally, the 
skills around using the wireless network would start being distributed 
throughout the G/LUG.

d) ...

> It was interesting to see the the BSD camp consider a wifi card nothing 
> more than another ip device so it's completely integrated into 
> ipconfig.  I am perplexed about why linux requires a whole new subset of 
> tools just to configure a wifi card.  Thou I'm sure that in later 
> versions of linux we're going to see the iw range of tools integrated 
> into ifconfig to reduce confusion.
> 
> I thought the oo style of configuration was quite clean and useful.  I 
> know that this is also done in linux, just in a different way, thou Dale 
> did send me off to do some thinking last night.
> 
> Building a turnkey solution for service delivery is a complex task and 
> what seems clear to me is that it doesn't get any less complex by 
> changing OS.  The good news seems to be that mirroring efforts on a BSD 
> platform isn't going to be that complex once we have the basic tools 
> running properly.
> 
> Again, thanks Dale for taking the time to present something new and 
> different to us.
> 
> Cheers Don

Am CC-ing this to GNUz list, where Dale resides:
http://lists.ourshack.com/mailman/listinfo/gnuz

A good night all round, I thought.

Cheers for everyone's input,
-- 
Rik Tindall, InfoHelp Services <http://www.infohelp.co.nz> on virus-free
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