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Nominations for 2011 Novell Knowledge Partners are now open! Wouldn't it be a shame if someone helpful in the forums, in the beta program, in Cool Solutions was denied an opportunity to become a Novell Knowledge Partner because nobody they helped took the time to nominate them? Is there someone you have seen that loves to share their knowledge and experience and takes the time out of THEIR busy day to help you? Do YOU take time out of your busy day to help others in the Novell communities? Nominations are being taken until the end of October for next year's Novell Knowledge Partners. If you have a favorite NKP that you feel should continue in the program, or know someone that would make a good candidate for admission to the program, please take a few minutes and nominate them. It would be appreciated. Go to http://support.novell.com/community/nkp.html to read more and submit a nomination. Thanks for taking the time to help us identify the people that help you the most.

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The supportconfig RPM package has been renamed from ntsutils to supportutils.

Installation Instructions

1. Uninstall the ntsutils RPM package

rpm -e ntsutils

2. Download the supportutils package
3. Install the RPM

rpm -Uvh supportutils-1.20-18.2.noarch.rpm

4. Run the supportconfig command as root; use -h or man page to see more options.

supportconfig

5. To view the information files, assuming the tarball filename is: /var/log/nts_host1_100125_1500.tbz

   cd /var/log
   tar jxf nts_host1_100125_1500.tbz
   cd nts_host1_100125_1500
   ls -l

6. Perform a Basic Server Health Check with Supportconfig

If you have difficulties installing the RPM, do the following:

1. Change to the root of the file system

cd /

2. Download the supportutils package
3. Extract the RPM files

rpm2cpio supportutils-1.20-18.2.noarch.rpm | cpio -ivd

4. The preferred method is to install the RPM using the rpm command, not rpm2cpio.

Reporting Bugs

Updates to Version 2.25-223:

• Added a %B filename qualifier to normalize_base
• Added running application pmap data to memory.txt
• Fixed alsa-info.sh output collector
• Added ctdb information to ha.txt
• Fixed third party proc hang
• Excludes kernel-source rpm validation from boot.txt
• Added initrd output to boot.txt

Updates to Version 2.25-216:

• Fixed an additional hang issue with NSS volumes
• Fixed validate_rpm error in scplugin.rc
• Fixed a logger -b error

Note: Detailed system information and logs are collected and organized in a manner that helps reduce service request resolution times. Private system information can be disclosed when using this tool. If this is a concern, please prune private data from the log files. Several startup options are available to exclude more sensitive information. Refer to the man page to see these options.

We all know that Dilbert isn't the only one with a pointy-haired man in his life. We're guessing you've had some close encounters with your own absurd managers. Managers who dictate new policies that fly in the face of reason. Crazy decisions made without any thought for unexpected consequences. Pronouncements unburdened by facts, yet defended to the death. (This is why Scott Adams is a billionaire today.)

We thought it would be fun to see your Dilbert-esque stories dealing with strange ways that PHPs (pointy-haired people) have dealt with file management and file storage issues. We're launching a contest to find the best real-life 'storage insanity' story as told by our beloved IT professionals worldwide. Grand prize: a pass to BrainShare 2011 (Salt Lake City or EMEA)

Here is how the contest works:

1. Write an account of an absurd real-life incident that has something to do with file storage, file management, file archiving and restoration, etc.
2. Email your story to coolguys@novell.com with "Dilbert" in the subject line, by November 30, 2010.
3. We will edit all stories to remove any incriminating references to real people and real companies.
4. You may enter more than one story. If you have a lot of good stories, we want to hear them all.
5. We will publish all submissions that are fit to print.

PRIZES

* The first 100 published entrants will earn a limited-edition Dilbert t-shirt.
* The Top 25 submissions will receive a Dilbert mug customized with the Novell comic strip. (These will be selected based on reader ratings, so get all your friends to rate your entry.)
* The best entry, selected by a panel of judges, will earn a pass to BrainShare 2011.

Note: Since these aren't really technical tips, we won't be giving Novell Rewards Points for published entries.

PRIME THE PUMP
Need some ideas?

• Check out these new Dilbert cartoons.
• Check out these videos to get your creative juices flowing. (Bet you have true stories that can top these any day.)
  • Ditch the Ice
  • Forget the Flash Drives
  • Don't Delete
  • Control the Chaos

So I hear you are killing OpenSolaris. Admittedly it never was all that successful as an Open Source project, unlike the Linux Kernel, Apache, Firefox, GCC, Samba, and hundreds/thousands of others that make up openSUSE and SUSE Linux Enterprise.

While I guess I can see your logic, I sympathize with those volunteers who had engaged. Luckily, there are communities around other operating systems which are a lot more open than OpenSolaris ever was, and I hope they will find a new home.

Let's be clear on one thing, though. This is not the end of our quest; Solaris shall be next. We are taking share, and have for years. We run on a wider range of hardware than Solaris ever has or ever will. (Remind me, what happened to Solaris on System z? Just in case you wonder, 80% of System z workloads not running directly on IBM's own operating systems use SUSE Linux Enterprise Server.) Our portfolio of ISVs and applications is ever growing. We are cloud ready and readily found in various clouds, slim as in JeOS (Just Enough OS) and easy to build. No vendor lock in. Ah, and more brains and eyeballs than even you can afford. That's the power of Open Source, the power of Linux, the power of collaboration. And that's why I would not bet on the future of proprietary UNIX systems. Of which SUSE Linux Enterprise Server alone has already superseded several.

Who is we, you may ask? It's those of us behind openSUSE, SUSE Linux Enterprise, our peers behind other distributions and thousands of upstream projects we participate in, contribute to, and leverage.

Me, I am the Director of Product Management for the SUSE Linux Enterprise family, Novell's Appliances products (around SUSE Studio), and openSUSE. As time allows I am still contributing to various Open Source projects, and all opinions above are my own even if shared by many.

d'Ehre, and watch out, Larry!

The new Product Support Lifecycle site is now live: http://support.novell.com/lifecycle/. Benefits include:

• Faster search results.
• Product nesting so you can easily view the lifecycle dates associated with products in a suite or bundle.
• Ability to display additional notes for products

Take a look and let us know what you think.