1/27    I just turned on the radio to KCBS and I heard a sentense which
        apparently is the end of a piece of news: "Pluto might not be a
        planet, but it has been for a lot of time."  What's going on?  Is
        there some new space discovery that shows that Pluto is not a
        planet?  Thx.  -- yuen
        \_ http://www.cnn.com/TECH/space/9901/20/puny.pluto
           \_ It's all poltics. Disney didn't pay off the right astronomers.

1/27 Is it possible to automate password cracking on an NT network, aka
     crack on a UNIX network?  I ask because I am allowing SMB access
     to our unix backbone, but I want to make sure they haven't picked
     bad passwords (and for political reasons, cant force them to use
     their unix passwords for the SMB server).  Any other thoughts on this
     matter are appreciated.
     -- NT clueless
     \_ "password cracking on an NT network, also known as crack on a
         UNIX network"  you really are clueless
     to our unix backbone, but I want to make sure they haven't picked
     bad passwords (and for political reasons, cant force them to use
     their unix passwords for the SMB server).  Any other thoughts on this
     matter are appreciated.
     -- NT clueless
        \_ only the best: http://www.l0pht.com/l0phtcrack

1/27    If the name server (DNS/named) caches the domain name<->IP pairs, where
        is the cache file located? Is the cache persistent in reboots?
        \_ It caches them in memory. That's one of the reasons why named
           grows in size the longer it's been running. A reboot (or even kill
           and restart) will clear the cache. --dim
                \-bind is moving away from kill -SIG "control" to use ndc
                [named control program] for more sophisticated control/
                communication with a running named. i dont remember off
                the top of my head if the onld-style signals will continue
                work. --psb
                \_ ndc is just a shell script that sends a kill -SIG you dork.
                \_ If you kill the named process, they will. :-)

1/27    Why isn't biff working? Why isn't comsat running?
        \_ because comsat is a stupid idea and a security hole.
                \_ What kind of security holes exist? Can't we just use
                   pam.d to block all comsat access EXCEPT 127.0.0.1?
                \_ root compromises from 127.0.0.1 are still root compromises.
        \_ just run philbiff +lots, its much coooler. -ERic
        \_ use "newmail"
        \_ Procmail and a few lines of perl works better.

1/27    Where is a good place on campus to get cheap intro to swing dance
        lessons?
        \_ I tried the Tuesday-night swing dance lessons at Hearst Gym
           a few months ago. It wasn't exactly cheap ($5), but it
           was alright. I _think_ it's on Tuesdays. --jsjacob
           \_ It's on Fridays this semester.  You may also want to check
              out UCBD on Wednesdays, also in Hearst.  Re $5, it's cheaper
              if you join the club (at which point it's free).
              \_ what room and what time?  is there an url for this?
           \_ Oh god.  Will all the cs geeks please stop going to swing
             clubs?  It's starting to make me sick.
                \_ That's right, they should all become Mambo-dancing
                   sexpots, like me.  -John
                \_ That's funny; all the CS geeks I meet at clubs are
                   good dancers.

1/28    What's the difference between linux-aout and linux-elf?
        \_ executable link format is the newer and more universally used
           binary/object/core/so format used by most unixes.  aout is
           reserved for the socially backwards programmer.  Nevertheless,
           you should still compile aout support into your linux kernel
           for the rare instances that you do run aout programs.
           \_ Does linux support coff?
                \_ Is that contagious?

1/28    Let's say I have root in my house's intranet. How do I perform sniffer
        using tcpdump or other tools? Thanks.
        \_ download snoop
                \_ where can I get it?
        \_ also sniffit
        \_ get tcpdump from ftp.ee.lbl.gov.  You also need libpcap.
           If you use FreeBSD, recompile your kernel w/ BPF -sky
                \-the answer strongly depends on the OS you are running.
                it also depends on what you want to do ... if you want to
                spy on people or do qualitative meansurements tcpdump isnt
                the right tool. if you want to build tools or do precise
                things, then tcpdump/libpcap probably are. there are some
                bugs but assuming you dont have split routing or a 100mbit
                saturated full duplex, they probably wont affect you. --psb
                \_ I doubt he wants to spy own ppl in his own house.
                   But there are plenty of scripts to display tcpdump
                   output in ASCII format, etc... if you want to spy.
                   If you really want to spy on ppl, get SessionWall-3
                   or something similar. --sky

1/28    I'm looking for any student who has gotten a job offer from the
        University during January and has a copy of the offer letter.
        Please let me know if you can help. -- schoen
        \_ It has been my experience that the univ does not send out
           actual offer letters, but simply call you.  If you just need
           the salary or benefit ranges, I can probably get you that.
           \_ Thanks, but it's political -- to verify that a particular
              paragraph is now included in all mailed offer letters.  I know I
              got some such letter when they hired me last year... -- schoen

1/28    Five years ago I fell deeply in love, but when I got out of the army
        she was married. I bought a house across the bay from her, so I could
        see the green light out at the end of the dock behind her house
        every night. Recently I learned that her husband was having an
        affair. Fast forward to a few weeks ago, my love's cousin moved
        into the house next to me. I'm considering asking him to ask her
        to tea so we can see if we still have a relationship. What should I
        do?
        \_ Just Do It!
        \_ If you believe she still has feelings for you, go for it. But the
           most preferable method is to do it YERSELF, aka do not rely on
           her cousin. You get more brownie points this way.
        \- And remember you DON'T ask her out for relationship but to rekindle
           the long lost tie and to catch up. In another word, to let her know
           you're there for her and but don't confront her about relationship
           yet.
        \_ NOT a good idea. She's not a virgin anymore.
        \_ can we got some lady to comment on this, please?
           \_ Yeah.  Fitzgerald sucks.

1/28    Lately motd seems to have a lot of personal attacks on poor graduate
        student, professors, and other intellectuals. Yes, they have a
        miserable life, they do not know how to enjoy life, and they do
        not understand the meaning and value of money+power-- things that
        you industry people take for granted. However, without these sorry
        ass graduate students/professors/intellectuals, there wouldn't be
        RSA/DES, no e-commerce, no internet, no power computing, NOTHING. So
        the next time you see one of these sorry ass poor intellectuals
        begging you for food, remember this: Without these shitheads, you
        wouldn't be in this industry                    -poor grad student
        \_ you're not a real grad student.  You're the same fucker who
           is getting wasted in industry bitching about GREs.  Real grad
           students wouldn't bitch in this self-deprecating manner.  Get
           real, "no understanding of money+power"?  Fuck you.  Brewer and
           Inktomi proves you wrong.  The sooner you realize that you're a
           cog in industry and you BELONG there the happier you'll be.
        \_ That's right, we all know businesses don't have R&D depts,
                troller.

1/28  0 When you try to recover from Jove 4.12 (by typing jove -r) and you get
------X-the message: "/usr/local/lib/jove/recover: execl failed!". What does
        that mean? I have the jreca* and jovea* in my home directory. Thx! -jt
        \_ It probably means /usr/local/lib/jove/recover doesn't exist.  -tom