m23.sf.net/videos

Those who would like to get an impression of the capabilities and options offered by m23 before downloading the program, are invited to watch our new videos. They contain a step-by-step tutorial about how to install the m23 server, how to set up the first client and show which options are available. The latest video even shows a complete mass installation with m23. The videos were made using the German version of m23.

The adjustment options m23 offers to the experienced user will amaze you. Those who are less well versed in administration techniques will be able to reach their goals using the standard and/or automatically generated settings. These will be demonstrated in the videos on a click-by-click basis, so they can also be used as a live-instruction for simple scenarios.

The videos were created in the form of a screencast to give the user the chance to get to know m23 in the original layout. For graphicness reasons, server and clients are installed on virtual machines which can be displayed together on one monitor.

At present, the videos only exist using the German m23 version and German subtitles. You will find them in our video section.

The background music comes from the albums of the artist PERSSON (respectively from his other Jamendo profile) and can be downloaded and shared freely.

Have fun watching our videos!

For us to improve m23 for you, the m23 users, and for you to show others that m23 is employed for various uses in different scenarios, we have designed a new questionnaire where you can report about your usage of m23.

The questionnaire is available in three languages: English, German and French (answers will be translated if necessary).

Please make ample use of it and have fun!

For Linux-Tag in Berlin, we still have some few free tickets and we would like to invite you to our booth 129 in hall 7.2a.

If you would like to get a Linux-Tag e-ticket, send us an email containing your email address where we shall send the e-ticket - and as there are really only a few tickets left, please also tell us why you would like to visit us at our m23 booth. We will then give the tickets to those who gave the most interesting/funniest/best reasons.

You can write either a normal email or use the contact form on the top right of the m23 page.

Have fun - and meet you in Berlin!

This latest m23 version does not hold a singular major innovation like m23 rock 11.1 with its halfSister but a whole bunch of small improvements and corrections that on the whole amount to a major change.

There are no longer any obstacles to the endeavor of using computers set up with m23 as internet servers: The name of every m23 client, which at the same time is its hostname, may now be up to 64 characters long and can contain dots. A new function now checks if the client name is a valid domain name. The support for Ubuntu also underwent some changes to be able to use Ubuntu as a server. Ubuntu clients can now be installed in text mode, without graphical interface. The package source lists of Ubuntu 10.04 LTS were expanded by additional Ubuntu updates and Ubuntu security updates.

There were also changes concerning the halfSister support: Every single m23HSAdmin function is now able to send detailed status messages that can contain the return values and possible output of programs running on the client to the m23 server. This was employed with Fedora 14 (the first halfSister distribution) so that every m23HSAdmin function automatically reports success or failure to the m23 server. Also, the installation of grub should work better now, even if the partitioning was not accomplished in full accordance to grub's "wishes".

As in most m23 releases, the issue 'hardware recognition and configuration' plays an important role. The Linux kernel was updated to version 2.6.38.2 and simultaneously, a small, self-written hardware detection was integrated into the m23 boot media, which compares the hardware IDs contained in the kernel modules to those of the devices present in the computer and loads the corresponding modules. Additionally, there is now an emergency network interface card module loader that will be started to make a last attempt of activating the network interface card if all the other methods of finding a network interface card fail. The hardware detection hwinfo was refined by automated actualisation and conversion of the hardware data base. The m23hwscanner which collects hardware data about the client and prepares it for sending it to the m23 server, now recognizes swap partitions by use of a generic algorithm, works with large harware data amounts and sorts out all read-only devices (DVD/CD drives) in order to transmit only information concerning partitionable drives to the server.

And here some minor changes: After the deactivation of the rescue system a corresponding message is now shown. In the partitioning dialog an absolutely empty hard drive can be clicked on to define a start and an end point (to create a new partition). The script editor shows a new error message if a script cannot be saved (which normally shouldn't happen ;-)) and MAC addresses are now checked for validity. The readability of the table with the preselected packages was improved. At mass installation, the installation drives are now adapted for the boot manager. And last but not least, the API for the package option pages was augmented by some further elements and a new setpoint value management. Beyond all this there are still a lot of minor changes and bugfixes you can read all about in the changelog.

You can get the latest version as an update via the m23 interface or via APT and as an ISO file to burn the m23 server installation CD or as a preinstalled virtual machine (both to be found in the Downloads section).

Have fun!

Besides our work on the 11.2 release, we are, of course, continuing our preparations for Linuxtag.

For every administrator (and those who may once become one) we will have a sheet of construction paper with the indispensable 'Admin Toy' on it.

With it, the overstrained admin who is irritated by uncountable PEBKACs can take a break and relax - to be able to get to work again as refreshed and motivated as can be, of course ;-)

For administrators who are so keen on papercraft that they cannot wait for Linuxtag or those who cannot come to Berlin, the construction sheets are available as download.

Have fun!