Re: [9fans] really basic (stupid) questions, re: beginning sys admin.

["Sascha Retzki" <sretzki@gmx.de>]

> Hello,
> 
> 
> Q1) how to "logout" of the fossil+venti console? In my experience, open 
> console access to servers is bad (insecure).  Even though it is stated 
> numerous places that there is no "root" account.  Apparently physical 
> access to the console IS "root"?

Sure. See, you installed a network-distributed Operating System on a single machine on which you operate locally. Think of it this way, normally you would create file-/cpu-/authservers now. You can substitude 'root' for 'hostowner', which is alias as bootes in most documents (and eve in the kernel iirc, but unsure). He is in group sys and most other groups needed to operate on almost anything (glenda is the hostowner of a single-system-installation).

> 
> Q2) It is stated that you can't run both an authentication server and a 
> file server on the same node so how do I get the 'factotum' stuff going 
> on a standalone file-server/terminal/cpu-server (the cdrom installed 
> system)?
> 

Oh? I kind-of run a fileserver with an auth-server, what documents stat that?

> Q3) I have made a new user, how would I set this new user's (and 
> glenda's) password?  Again on the standalone cdrom installed system.
> 

Not. Distributed network environment, you are trying to use it like Unix, it won't really work that way.

> Q4) on Un*x, after entering a man page command I can search for a 
> specific word with /word in a terminal emulator window. How do I perform 
> the same thing in a rio/rc window (please don't answer "use acme")?
> 

Why not, acme rocks for that :-D

So you are demanding more(1)/less(1), there is not really such thing. If you want to read manpages, search arround in them etc, acme does a great job. If page(1) can search in postscript, and you prefer page, man(1) can assemble them.

> Q5) rebooting seems to be the main method to re-configure the system or 
> ones access rights.  In Un*x logging in/out and using su and 
> kill/restart allowed one to choose the role and modify the system 
> configuration without rebooting (I have a system running with uptime 
> over 3 years). Is rebooting the method for performing these tasks?  This 
> seems rather draconian (imo).
> 

Depends what you reconfigured. Sometimes it is a damn good idea to restart the whole OS after resetup, because you are right there - if some startup-script contains a typo, you will be able to react (unlike the system goes down unexpectedly at 1 am, murphys law, you know).


> 
> ps: i have an ac97 audio driver written and working on a via-epia 
> motherboard? anyone interested in trying this?

Ac97 driver for Plan9? I briefly looked into ac97*.pdf and planned to start working on it if I find the time...