Author: paul.deluca

How do I disable dictionary checking for Linux passwords?

We do not recommend you disable dictionary checking or allow null (blank) passwords. The instructions below are provided for systems administrators who fully understand and accept the implications.

If you do not want passwords or permutations of them to be checked against a dictionary of words, you are not interested in checking passwords for their relative security quality or if they have been used before, and you are aware of the security implications of this, here’s how to disable the additional checks:

    • Make a backup copy of the file /etc/pam.d/system-auth:
cp /etc/pam.d/system-auth /etc/pam.d/system-auth.`date +%Y%m%d.%H%M%S`
    • Edit this file with a text editor:
vim /etc/pam.d/system-auth
  • Remove (or comment out) the line that references the pam_cracklib.so module. On the following line, remove the use_authok option. For example, the new file might look like:
#%PAM-1.0
# This file is auto-generated.
# User changes will be destroyed the next time authconfig is run.
auth        required      /lib/security/$ISA/pam_env.so
auth        sufficient    /lib/security/$ISA/pam_unix.so likeauth nullok
auth        required      /lib/security/$ISA/pam_deny.so

account     required      /lib/security/$ISA/pam_unix.so

password    sufficient    /lib/security/$ISA/pam_unix.so nullok md5 shadow
password    required      /lib/security/$ISA/pam_deny.so

session     required      /lib/security/$ISA/pam_limits.so
session     required      /lib/security/$ISA/pam_unix.so

Resources:

How do I add a printer in Linux?

To view a step-by-step screencast of this process, click here.

To add a printer:

  • Log into the server as root
  • If you are using Eterm instead of PuTTY (not recommended), make sure to set the appropriate TERM variable:
export TERM=vp
  • Create driver file:
    • NOTE: Replace lp1 with the name of the printer being configured (lp1, lp20, etc.)
echo "lpr -P lp1" > /usr/spool/uv/lp1.dvr
chmod +x /usr/spool/uv/lp1.dvr
  • Create queue in UV:
cd /u2/uv; uv
  • Create queue in UV:
    • NOTE: Replace lp1 with the name of the printer being configured (lp1, lp20, etc.)
    • Spooler -> Device -> Maintain
    • Use ENTER to advance, selecting all defaults unless otherwise specified.
    • Name = LP1 (shows all caps)
    • Path = /dev/null
    • Driver = lp1.dvr (ignore error)
    • Lock = lock.lp1
    • Press Enter several times, accepting the defaults, until done.
    • ESC -> Q -> ENTER to exit
  • Create the Linux print queue, with the following variables adjusted appropriately:
    • lp1: the name of the printer being configured (lp1, lp20, etc.)
    • socket: the communications protocol to be used. While the default socket setting works for most printers, some Zebra and other printers prefer to use the lpd communications protocol (lpd://).
    • lp1 or 192.168.1.123: the hostname or IP address of the printer
/usr/sbin/lpadmin -p lp1 -E -v socket://lp1
  • If you created the print queue using a hostname (ie lp1) instead of an IP address (ie 192.168.1.123) in the previous step, you’ll need to make certain the server can resolve the hostname. If you have not yet added the hostname to your /etc/hosts file, do so now using the following command (take note the double greater-than symbols):
echo "192.168.1.123     lp1" >> /etc/hosts
  • The printer is ready for use by Eclipse

What do I do when I receive my new Eclipse database server?

When your new database server arrives on site:

  • Unpack and install the server according to the manufacturer’s documentation. For your convenience, here are links to the installation documentation for the most common servers:
  • Make sure both the DRAC (highlighted in green below) and 1st LAN ports (highlighted in red) are plugged into your LAN. (The DRAC port is marked with a wrench icon)
    • Example: Dell PowerEdge R710
    • Example: Dell PowerEdge T410:
  • If the server shipped from Epicor, you may skip this step. If the server shipped directly from the vendor, insert the Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 64-bit installation DVD. If the server did not come with RHEL5 media, download and burn the latest DVD image from here.
  • Turn on or restart your system.
  • Configure the DRAC IP address. (See: How do I set the DRAC IP address?) The default DRAC root password calvin.
  • Configure the LAN IP address. (See: How do I set the IP address on my Linux server?) The default OS root password is abc123.
  • Notify Eclipse that the server is online by updating your service request online with the DRAC IP address.
  • Eclipse will verify VPN connectivity to the DRAC and continue the remote server configuration process.

Additional Resources:

How do I cancel faxes in the VSIFAX queue?

Many times it’s quicker to cancel faxes from the VSI-FAX queue in AIX, Linux or Windows instead of from the Eclipse outgoing fax status queue.

To cancel all faxes for a certain user (for example, johndoe):

vfxcancel -u johndoe "*"

To locate the job number and cancel a single fax (for example, job number 1234):

vfxstat
vfxcancel 1234
For more information on the many VSIFAX administration command functions, see the VSI-FAX Reference Addendum.

How to Purge the Outgoing Fax Queue

If the outgoing fax queue has old and/or stale information, it may be necessary to purge this queue.  To do this, open two separate sessions: one Eterm session logged into the Eclipse application, and an SSH root session. This is an advanced procedure, so proceed at your own risk or call Eclipse for assistance. This should be done after all valid faxes have gone out as it will clear EVERYTHING in the outgoing queue.

From Eterm’s main menu, press F2 -> T (TCL)
At the ; prompt, type in this command:

;clear.file.real fax.queue

After you hit ENTER, the session will most likely hang for a while, because there will be a lock on the file. Now, from the root session, find the Process ID for FAX.FEEDBACK3 with this command:

ps -ef | grep FAX

The Process ID (PID) will be the first set of number on the line with FAX.FEEDBACK3. For example:

[root@eclipse enp]# ps -ef | grep FAX
eclipseB  7248 29271  0 11:32 ?        00:00:01 phantom PHW FAX.FEEDBACK3
root     11469  7149  0 11:57 pts/2    00:00:00 grep FAX

Kill that process with this command:

kill -4 7248

The outgoing fax queue should now be clear and the fax feedback phantom should automatically start within 1 minute.

Type “exit” to close the root session and hit “ESC” to exit the TCL screen.