Re: Interesting Times (Was: Re: [cobalt-users] Re: Tech Support)

["David C. Ashworth" <dave@xxxxxxxxx>]

Woohoo, an answer from the Jeff man <smile back>, thanks for answering.

> Let's go through this one step at a time <smile>...

OK, although this is getting big now!

> But first let's note that this is the first weekday since my post; I'd
love
> to see Cobalt's response.  I don't intend or mean to be antagonistic
> towards Cobalt, just to describe something as I see it (which is what I do
> in my "Interesting Times" column.
>
> More inline...
>
> At 10:04 PM 2/6/00 +0000, you wrote:
>
> >I'm with you Jeff, if you are going to be a VAR add some value, it's just
> >that I feel the problems I am hitting myself require A LOT of unix/Linux
> >knowlege.
>
> I'd have to ask what and why.  Did you read everything Cobalt published
> first to see if the machine would do it?

No, I got a trial, loan one from my reseller.

>Or did you just presume it was a linux box and you could configure it
yourself?

Not really, I just want samba type file shares, and email, I have small
customers who start with 1 to 2 PC's and now maybe have 20 max, they now are
asking for e-mail facilities.  I really don't want to mess about like somre
of these RAQ people, I can see why they want to do it, installling PHP and
Twig or something on mine might be fun as an experiment... did I mention I
have invested in a spare /test machine for my office?  it can act as a loan
machine or I can try out patches and stuff without fear of knackering one of
my customers machines.  Answer me this: (please) should I expect to be able
to use the shares (OK, I have had no problems with this) and individual user
e-mail without grief?

>If the former, and the
> Cobalt literature says the machine can do it, then (since they're selling
> it as an appliance) you should expect them to supply instructions on how
to
> do it.  If the latter, then you're obviously using the box outside its
> intended use.  Kind of like using a toaster oven to wash your clothes
> <smile>.  If you can get it to do it, great, but if you can't, it's
> certainly not the manufacturer's fault.

Sure, I feel I make toast (normal toast at that, I don't use pop tarts in
it!), the example I use is like a games console, arguably the PC games are
graphically superior, but consoles are great for the task they were designed
for - an appliance.


> >The inteface on the Qube2 that I have is great, but (from reading
> >this group) you just CANNOT run it by using that interface.
>
> What specifically does Cobalt say you can do that you can't do from the
> Interface?  There's a lot of stuff I can't do from the interface, but
we're
> talking about you, not me, here...

OK, I was trying to be brief.  THE most important thing on a machine is
backup, I guarantee that every one of your machines hardware will break at
some time (although I hope not soon <grin>) It is not possible to back up
the Qube from the backup interface, I know everyone will say about FTP this
and that, but just humour me for a moment - what the hell is the backup page
on the qube for??  The backup 'tars' up the files and then sends them across
the network, good idea, however I have a slight problem with the browser
timing out!  I have had backups of 32Mb fail - this is not very big for a
failure.  I am also aware that there is an issue when you get to 2Gb's on
the Linux system, I don't know off the top of my head what the limit is for
DOS/NT environment but again, I need to find another solution at some point.
My own system backup would be more than this.

I think generally, you could buy the Qube with a Windows background and be
totally lost if you run into problems.  I'm not saying that Cobalt should
talk directly to me as a VAR (if that's what I am) but AS a VAR I expect
some 'official' support from my reseller.

> >ok, so maybe I
> >was naive expecting this, but it was sold to me on this premise.
>
> Okay, what premise?  Be specific.

The premise that you can run the Qube from the interface, did I not say
that?  if we go back to my console example above, I believe you can 'chip'
some consoles so they play copied games but I wouldn't expect any support
from the manufacturer if I burnt my circuit board in the process.  All these
people who are adding PHP or whatever do so at their own risk, and in the
spirit of Linux answers can be sought from message groups such as this, and
people, such as yourself 'may' assist.

> >When it is
> >working it's great, but every now and again wham! something happens, a
> >strange message from mail system or something and I know that my supplier
> >will not be able to resolve the issue, they just don't/won't know.

> Now we're getting somewhere.  Is the error message in a knowledge base?
If
> not, then certainly you can expect either your supplier or the
manufacturer
> to tell you what it means.  And they should be willing to tell it to you
in
> writing.  If the "appliance" continues to generate "errors" "in normal
use"
> then it is most likely returnable under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty act as
> unsuitable for the use for which it was sold.  That's an implied warranty
> that generally cannot be disclaimed away under the act.

Sorry about the length this message is getting - here are my problems, also
I'm guessing this Warranty doesn't work in the UK!  Perhaps you will tell me
that these are easy problems, if so I guess the buyline for adverts should
be 'The Qube, great product - but don't buy unless you have reasonable
Unix/Linux experience'
************
Hi,

I have bought a unit called a Qube 2, which on the surface is really good, I
haven't modified it and am just wanting to use sendmail (the default mail
system).  This is all configured via an HTML interface, so I haven't messed
with any of the files. but I'm getting some problems.  I have enclosed the
error messages, although I'm not expecting everyone to solve my problems(OK
do if you must <grin>) I just don't know where to start.  I have done
searches on the net, joined other groups but I am unable to find any help.
Where do I start?

Thanks,

Dave

#####################################

I have been having this problem on a Qube2 which I have no idea where to
start with.  he couldn't check his mail.  Outlook Express came back wth this
error:

The connection to the server has failed. Account: 'qube.esigroupltd.com',
Server: 'qube.esigroupltd.com', Protocol: SMTP, Port: 25, Secure(SSL): No,
Socket Error: 10061, Error Number: 0x800CCC0E

I tracked this down to the Qube having shut down the mail system (the active
monitor said it wasn't working).  A reset of the Qube seemed to sort it.

This happened a few times and so I looked at the maillog and these three
lines seem to be the problem.  Every time he sends to the
offers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx address it shuts down the mail server bit of the Qube.

Dec 12 15:52:07 qube sendmail[304]: OAA23241: to=<offers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
delay=
00:57:59, xdelay=00:03:00, mailer=esmtp, relay=octagon.tacom.army.mil.
[147.240.
16.253], stat=I/O error
Dec 12 15:52:43 qube sendmail[384]: PAA00382: to=<deckerp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
delay
=00:01:31, xdelay=00:01:27, mailer=esmtp, relay=octagon.tacom.army.mil.
[147.240
.16.253], stat=Deferred: Connection reset by octagon.tacom.army.mil.
Dec 12 15:52:43 qube sendmail[384]: PAA00382: to=<offers@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
delay=
00:01:31, xdelay=00:01:27, mailer=esmtp, relay=octagon.tacom.army.mil.
[147.240.
16.253], stat=Deferred
Dec 12 15:52:54 qube sendmail[390]: PAA00387: to=<dave@xxxxxxxxx>,
delay=00:01:3
8, xdelay=00:00:58, mailer=esmtp, relay=mail.antco.net. [212.67.202.29],
stat=Se
nt (OK id=11xXm6-0007Yl-00)

The only other bit I can think might be relevant is the fact that he was
sending a 2Mb file (approx).  He was able to send to this address in the
past but I don't know wether that was using the Qube or wether large files
were sent.

Anyone got any ideas?

Thanks,
#####################################


2.) I have kept getting this for the past week! is it my name server or his?
and what can I do about it.


#####################################
The original message was received at Tue, 25 Jan 2000 05:02:56 GMT
from localhost [127.0.0.1]

   ----- The following addresses had transient non-fatal errors -----
<Robert.Perkins@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

   ----- Transcript of session follows -----
451 <Robert.Perkins@xxxxxxxxxxxx>... wpafb.af.mil: Name server timeout
Warning: message still undelivered after 4 hours
Will keep trying until message is 5 days old
550 <FETCHMAIL-DAEMON@localhost>... User unknown
#####################################


3.) Every now and again I get this message??


#####################################
The original message was received at Mon, 24 Jan 2000 22:02:27 GMT
from localhost [127.0.0.1]

   ----- The following addresses had permanent fatal errors -----
<BOCAESI@xxxxxx>

   ----- Transcript of session follows -----
... while talking to a.mx.cs.com.:
>>> MAIL From:<FETCHMAIL-DAEMON@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> SIZE=2038
<<< 550 rejected: cannot route to sender
<FETCHMAIL-DAEMON@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
554 <BOCAESI@xxxxxx>... Service unavailable
550 <FETCHMAIL-DAEMON@localhost>... User unknown
#####################################


4.) and this one (which I think is the same problem).


#####################################
The original message was received at Wed, 12 Jan 2000 01:13:33 GMT
from root@localhost

   ----- The following addresses had permanent fatal errors -----
dave@xxxxxxxxx
    (expanded from: admin)

   ----- Transcript of session follows -----
... while talking to mail.antco.net.:
>>> DATA
<<< 550 rejected: cannot route to sender <root@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
554 dave@xxxxxxxxxxxx Service unavailable
#####################################

> >This is
> >my worry, I have no direct support path.  I understand that Cobalt should
> >not necessarily be expected to solve every end users problem (that's up
to
> >us) but I would expect some official help.  It's definately this
'applance'
> >mentality.  The Qube is not an applance it's a server, just like HP or
DELL,
> >don't expect to just plug it in and forget it,  it just won't happen.
>
> If your dealer sold you a "server" he has mis-sold the product and
> certainly has liability under the Magnuson-Moss act.  Cobalt most
certainly
> is selling an "appliance".

I don't believe they did, however I did have a Qube that went down 2 months
into it's life, no problem I thought, phone reseller arrange RMA (from
reseller not Cobalt - nothing to do with them) send Qube back, get
replacement next day.  I even invested (hey, there's that word again) in a
restore CD in the hope that if it was a software problem that would fix it.
Anyhow, reseller said that coz it was over 30 days old I needed to talk to
Cobalt, they only offer a 30 day swap facility.  the rest of the warranty is
done via Cobalt themselves and I would have to ship it to The Netherlands
(export forms, etc.) 3 months later it was eventually sorted out by Carley
Korchinsky  (at Cobalt) and a bloke at my resellers.  My beef was that this
is like a hard drive or monitor, you don't send a guy out to fix it on site,
you swap it out - appliance.  They argued that like a laptop or server you
needed to send it back for repair.

> If I want to make my RaQ2 work as a server, that's my business, but I
can't
> expect Cobalt to make it do that.  I can't even expect them to include all
> the tools to make it do that.  If I want to extend the capabilities beyond
> those advertised, it's obviously at my risk and expense.

I just mean file server via samba (pretty basic I think)

> I'm currently looking at some other options, but it appears at this time
> that if I want a 1u Linux server my best bet might very well be to buy a
> RaQ3, gut it's software, and install a generic Red Hat 6.1, or even
another
> linux entirely.  However I do have to remind you that the Linux community
> is mostly a do-it-yourself community; you won't get near the handholding
> from any part of the Linux community that you do from Cobalt.
>
> Personally, in spite of that, I'd be more likely to buy a generic 2u or 3u
> case, and install my own Linux.  But I've been using Linux (and advocating
> it for Internet use) since kernel version 0.99, so by now I have at least
a
> bit of familiarity with it.  If you don't, then use the "appliance" but
use
> it for what it's made for.

I believe I am doing that

> If your purpose in purchasing the "appliance" is to avoid having to hire
> someone like me (with advanced Linux knowledge) then well and good, but
> don't expect to be able to make it do what it's not designed to do,
without
> a lot of pain.

I'm not doing that as said above

> Hire a good Linux tech; it should only cost you in the neighborhood of $50
> to $75 thousand a year.  Don't want to spend that?  I can't say I blame
> you.  Find a good consultant (I'm often available in the $75/hour range on
> short-term projects, others may be more or less expensive).  Don't want to
> spend that?  Then either accept the RaQ for what it is... or don't.
>
> Jeff
>
>
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