TPL wireless & linux

Giles Orr gilesorr-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org
Tue Dec 8 15:38:09 UTC 2009


2009/12/7 E K <ekg_ab-FFYn/CNdgSA at public.gmane.org>:
>
>
> --- On Mon, 12/7/09, Giles Orr <gilesorr-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org> wrote:
>
>> From: Giles Orr <gilesorr-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org>
>> Subject: Re: [TLUG]: TPL wireless & linux
>> To: tlug-lxSQFCZeNF4 at public.gmane.org
>> Received: Monday, December 7, 2009, 2:52 PM
>> 2009/12/7 Matt Price <matt.price-H217xnMUJC0sA/PxXw9srA at public.gmane.org>:
>> > Have other people noticed that the Toronto Public
>> Library wireless
>> > doesn't work for them?  For me, the connection went
>> fine, and I was
>> > assigned at 10.1 IP address; but use of the network
>> requires you to
>> > check a box on a web page & then do a handshake
>> which registers your MAC
>> > address with their routers.  the web page won't load
>> on my ubuntu
>> > machine; I had to call tech support (1-888-855-3555,
>> if you're ever in
>> > this situation), and they just executed the handshake
>> manually, because
>> > apparently 'there's a software problem and linux isn't
>> supported.'
>> >
>> > After that my internet worked, and I found the
>> following post somewhere
>> > else:
>> >
>> -----------------------------------------------------------------
>> > If spyders.local is a local network address, it might
>> be a problem (or
>> > lack) of proper name lookup. Try enabling WINS name
>> lookup as additional
>> > to standard DNS.
>> >
>> > In Ubuntu/Debian you would do this by installing the
>> winbind packages,
>> > together with samba I think. Once winbind is up and
>> running, add "wins"
>> > to the end of the "hosts:" line in /etc/nsswitch.conf.
>> Like this:
>> > ***** /etc/nsswitch.conf ******
>> > ....
>> > hosts files dns wins
>> > ....
>> > *******************************
>> > You might need to restart your network or reboot, but
>> IIRC it usually
>> > works right away.
>> >
>> ------------------------------------------------------
>> > I'm posting this here:
>> > 1 - to ask if this solution works for other people (I
>> can't test it now
>> > -- my laptop's already registered here)
>> > 2 - to ask what this even *means* -- Why the heck
>> wouldn't they just use
>> > DNS here?
>> > 3 - to make that 888 number available, if you don't
>> want to have to mess
>> > about with your system to access a public service to
>> which you're
>> > entitled and from which you absolutely shouldn't be
>> excluded.
>>
>> As far as I can tell Spyders made some fairly significant
>> change very
>> recently.  (I'm working on a Debian-testing
>> netbook.)  I first noticed
>> it at Guildwood library on Saturday, where I saw that
>> they're now
>> using a self-signed cert.  That's going to lead to
>> tears: Firefox
>> whines about it so much that it's going to freak out the
>> 30-50% of
>> their users who use FF.  I think I got on the internet
>> fine after
>> that, but today at North York Central I got the same
>> complaining about
>> a cert (I thought I had added it permanently?) and I
>> couldn't get
>> connected.  I didn't investigate further.  Being
>> a TPL (but not a
>> Spyders) employee, I'm going to watch this with some
>> interest.  I
>> entirely agree: if Winbind is required, that's a huge
>> problem.  How
>> would a Mac handle that?
>>
>> --
>> Giles
>> http://www.gilesorr.com/
>> gilesorr-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org
>> --
>
> I have been using TPL wireless with Ubuntu 6.06 without problem. I use both firefox and w3m to sign up with Spyder and everything works fine. The page loads and the handshake goes well.

Could I ask when was the last time you used TPL wireless, and at which
branch?  Thanks.

-- 
Giles
http://www.gilesorr.com/
gilesorr-Re5JQEeQqe8AvxtiuMwx3w at public.gmane.org
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