Small Tricks...

Small Tricks...

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Setting the printer for StarOffice 5.2 with the correct driver

We could not print out of StarOffice 5.2 ... We use the CUPS printing system and have in this case a Canon Printer Multipass C50, which can also be used as a Canon Bubble Jet 4200. The solution is as follows:

- login as root
- Check in the directory /usr/share/cups/model/Canon
  if a file BJC-4200-bjc600.ppd.gz   exists
- So, what we learn here, is: There are many printer drivers ready, but
  they first have to uncompressed using gunzip!
- This is the trick: The driver exists, but is gzipped! So, enter:
- gunzip BJC-4200-bjc600.ppd.gz
- soffice (still as root)
- Setup Printer
- Install new Driver...
- Driver-Directory: /usr/share/cups/model/Canon
- Select BJC-4200
- OK
- Select BJC-4200
- Add as new printer

Then, as a regular user (not root) start StarOffice and open the print-menu, select the new printer (instead of 'Generic printer') and then things work.
Should this HOWTO not be correct, please send me some improved text - thanks.

Last Update: 25Dec2001 uk - Created: 25Dec2001

Setting /etc/resolv.conf correctly

If you experience an unusual long boot-time and get messages at the console (and in the file /var/log/boot.msg) such as:

Nov 29 13:45:26 exportfs: machine.host.domain has non-inet addr

then your file /etc/resolv.conf is probably not properly configured. We made the experience, that when installing a machine e.g. with SuSE Linux 7.3 the file /etc/resolv.conf looked as follows:

nameserver 129.132.250.2
nameserver 129.132.98.12
nameserver 129.132.250.220
search ethz.ch ethz.ch ethz.ch

This was the reason for long boot times with the error messages mentioned above. In the man-pages of resolv.conf I read anyway, that such 'search' entries in the resolv.conf file would cause a lot of network traffic. Modifying our file /etc/resolv.conf to

domain ethz.ch
nameserver 129.132.250.2
nameserver 129.132.98.12
nameserver 129.132.250.220

gave us the full functionality - so that e.g. we can enter 'telnet machine' instead of 'telnet machine.ethz.ch'.
However, I must admit, that when we experienced this, it was just after a power-fail and maybe, our Domain-Name-Servers (DNS) had problems just shortly after this as well.
Upon a search on Google I also read a message, that including the machines mentioned in the /etc/exports file in the file /etc/hosts would help in such cases.
Any further suggestions would be much appreciated!

Last Update: 29Nov2001 uk - Created: 29Nov2001

Setting the DISPLAY variable for root on SuSE Linux systems

On your Linux-System, you should always login as a regular user, not as root. However, some tasks have to be done as root and then you login as root using the secure shell (ssh), which provides an option, where the DISPLAY variable does not have to be set and where X-forwarding is done automatically.

   ssh -X -l root machine
or
   ssh -X root@machine

where 'machine' is the name of the host you want to establish a connection. If it is your local machine, you may use 'localhost' instead 'machine'. With this, you will have both a secure connection to the remote host and any X-window you open will be displayed on the machine where you started this command. (Try the command described above and after having entered the password enter 'xclock' and see the result.)
You also may login to a third host from the second host as described above and any X-window will still be sent to the display of your first host - it just works fine without ever setting the DISPLAY variable ever again!
Alternatively, you may enter:

sux -
(enter root password)

That's probably the easiest way!

Last Update: 15Nov2002 uk - Created: 28Oct2001