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Caldera OpenLinux Workstation 3.1

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PCQ Bureau
New Update

Caldera OpenLinux comes with software like language compilers, interpreters, application servers (Tomcat and Enhydra), and certificate servers. We received a six CD pack, of which only one contained the actual installation and applications. Others are explained below.

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Lizard: Installation wizard

Besides a graphical and text-based installation wizard, there are options for Unattended Install Mode (picks up installation instructions from a script in a floppy) and Demo Install Mode (walks you through the installation wizard, while writing nothing to the hard disk). There is support for software RAID and ReiserFS file system, a journaling file system. It was interesting to note that while installation ‘Help’ says that the hard disk can be partitioned according to sector numbers, but the installation wizard shows cylinder numbers! Moreover, to allocate a part of the disk space, you have to tweak the cylinder numbers to arrive at the exact size. Three preset installation options are minimum (1 GB), recommended (1.65 GB) and complete (about 2 GB). You can also configure a modem for dial-up connections and printer, and play Solitaire during installation.

Webmin, a utility that comes with Caldera Linux, is a comprehensive, browser-based configuration tool for user, system, networking, hardware and server administration

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After installation, the OS loads without a reboot. For an out-of-the-box installation, the OS is quite secure. We did a port scan and found only a low risk security breach in the Sendmail service, that is VRFY command enabled.

The Goodies

SNAPSHOT

  • Price: Rs 3,000 for single copy, Rs 5,445 with support Meant for: Developers
  • Features: Linux kernel 2.4.2, XFree86 4.0.3, KDE 2.1, 60 days access to Caldera

    Volution, 60 days installation support via e-mail, latest developer tools like JDK 1.3
  • Pros: Secure, ready to install, GUI installation, developer centric packages, RPM-based distribution
  • Cons: Installs only KDE 2.1 desktop environment, per-system-license policy
  • Contact: Caldera International.
  • Tel: 011-3736466
  • Fax: 3359997.
  • 56 Janpath, New Delhi-110001.
  • www.caldera.com
  • E-mail: maheshr@caldera.com 
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This distribution installs only one desktop environment cum Window Manager, that is, KDE 2.1. However, from one of the six installation CDs, you can manually install RPMs for GNOME, WindowMaker, fvwm2, etc. Interestingly, this CD is labeled as Unsupported software! It also contains VNC (a remote control software), telnet and file sharing applications for interoperability with Windows, Windows CE and Mac. Another CD contains third-party software like JBuilder, Forte, StarOffice and some developer manuals. Yet another contains source RPMS (SRPMS) of packages. For developers, the alpha release of Caldera OpenLinux for IA-64 (Intel’s 64-bit processor) is on a separate CD.

The distribution comes with 60 days online access to Caldera Volution–an online solution to keep Caldera up-to-date and secure from bugs. A client program written in Python uploads your system information, and gets a system report of possible bugs and availability of package

upgrades.

Shekhar Govindarajan

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