[linux-help] Re: Remote Distribution

[Tom Hull <thull@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Kurtis Roeder wrote:
> 
> My company is working on implementing Linux at the store level.  The problem
> we are having is how to copy file back and forth from the central computer
> to the store servers. We are currently using SCO 3.2 on both the store and
> central servers with CA-Mlink doing all of our automated data transfer and
> maintenance. What I'm looking for is either a software package that is
> similar to what CA-Mlink does or I need help getting CA-Mlink to run on
> Linux.

This sounds like a job for uucp. It's a bitch to set up, but it's designed
to dial up other known machines and copy files to them.

If the machines are internet-connected, you could set up a virtual private
network, and use rsync. I suppose you could use rsync over ppp with a
dialup connection. rsync checksums blocks and only transmits blocks which
differ, so it should be relatively fast and reliable.

> I have tried loading the iBCS module and running the software, but I have
> run into some problems that are not allowing me to do file transfers or make
> modem connections.  I don't know much about iBCS and thought that maybe
> someone could give me some pointers on how to set it up and maybe get
> CA-Mlink to run on linux.

iBCS was an Intel binary compatibility standard, which was intended to
assure binary interoperability between Intel-based Unix systems. I'm not
sure that it was ever very successful -- SCO, Sun, and USL always felt
free to add things willy nilly. So while they both claim to be iBCS-
compatible, that doesn't mean much. I've also heard that interest in
Linux iBCS is waning -- I know one key guy who used to work on this, 
and who won't touch it anymore. You can link iBCS into your kernel
and try it, but if it don't work right off, I'd be inclined to look
for another solution.

I can't find any current doc on iBCS, iBCS-2, or Intel ABI, either on
SCO or Intel web sites.

> Any help on either software packages, iBCS, or pointers to more information
> on the subject would be greatly appreciated.
> 
> Kurtis Roeder
> Sheplers, Inc.

-- 
/*
 *  Tom Hull * thull at kscable.com * http://www.ocston.org/~thull/
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