Interesting Questions

[Peter da Silva]

In article <1991Mar12.005158.20343 at erg.sri.com> zwicky at erg.sri.com (Elizabeth Zwicky) writes:
> *i) What would a vendor install script that you didn't hate look like? 

What the System V.3.2 install scripts look like. In fact the V.3.2 system
administration/kernel configuration stuff is pretty damn good. Good enough
that when I discovered Oracle didn't support it I wanted to start kicking
some serious butt.

> 	*D) How much are you willing to pay for free software? Do you
> install it, just because it's free? If you do, how do you handle
> supporting it? 

We install stuff that solves problems we have. Stuff that's simply an
enhancement we leave to users to install in a public bin.

> 	*B) User information beyond the password file. Gecos field or
> no gecos field, the password file doesn't hold all of the information
> that you want about users. What other information are people using,
> and how are they storing it and keeping it in sync?

We rebuild the gcos field and home directory information out of a separate
file periodically.

> 	*B) 24 hour support; do you provide it and if so how?

Yes.

> Are beepers evil?

Yes.

> Most system administrators want a life of some sort; how do you
> get one while keeping the users happy?

Good question. We take turns with the beeper, and bitch about people who
seem to be trading off too often. :->

> 	*C) 20 questions to ask users when they report a problem. So a
> user calls you up and says "Mail doesn't work." What do you ask them?

"Doesn't work `how'? What are you doing. *do you still have the message
that was causing the problem*?" The answer to the last question tends to
be "no". Any suggestions here appreciated!

> about how much more popular PCs are and how their PCs never crash

Hah! They just "lock up" and you give them the three-finger salute.

> 	*B) How do you deal with batch jobs under UNIX? (References:
> \cite{harrison88lisa} Commercial products: UQUEUE, Unitech) 

"at".

> *C) Just what exactly should a printer queuing system do for you? 

I'd like one that was a general queueing system, that calls a shell script
for the actual printing. That way I can (a) use it for other things (see
"batch jobs"), and (b) fix the bloody scripts so they work more or less
uniformly.
-- 
Peter da Silva.  `-_-'  peter at ferranti.com
+1 713 274 5180.  'U`  "Have you hugged your wolf today?"