DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT

Why?

• significant effort
• dwindling number of users who want it

  • termination announced for > 6 months

    • received a single statement in writing that support should be kept up, and why
    • plus another statement, not in writing, without specifics or reason
• still little progress in linux support for notebook hardware, no more hope for change

When?

July 31, 2006.

How?

• No more help with any kind of problems
• No more new installations

Existing installations can be used securely as long as SL4 is supported by FNAL. They just have to be maintained by the user. These systems will receive a last update from DV:

• disables most customization
  • browser, touchpad, ...
• disables automatic software updates
  • DESY (/opt/products) and System
• removes DESY software that would need to be updated for security reasons in the future
  • java incl. firefox plugin
• removes additional System packages that would need to be updated for security reasons in the future
  • Adobe Reader
  • Flash Plugin for firefox
• disabCutoff Dateles automatic updates of known accounts
• grants passwordless root access on gdm login screen

Functionality Retained on Systems Installed Before Cutoff Date

Unless configuration is messed up otherwise:

• USB mice
• USB memory sticks
• LAN, WLAN, AFS, local firewall

• shared VFAT Partition usable from both Windows & Linux

• ACPI fixes for unblanking the display on models that need them

These should continue to work, but could be broken by future SL updates:

• X11 in native resolution on the X1
• controlling the external VGA port (beamer)

Functionality Lost on Systems Installed Before Cutoff Date

• Automatic updates

  • User has to run yum update as root regularly to update SL packages

  • User has to install/update /opt/products packages manually if desired
• Synchronization of known accounts
  • User has to add/remove accounts manually if desired.
• Laptop Mode (enhanced battery life)
  • Too fragile to leave installed on unsupported systems.
• Enhanced touchpad configuration
  • D400/X1 users can restore it by editing /etc/X11/xorg.xonf (save a copy before cutoff date)
  • Should not be done on any other model since required driver will no longer be available after next kernel update.
• Compose Character key
  • if system tools are ever used for configuring X
• Ability to read the Windows C: partition (driver would be missing after next kernel update)

  • may help: http://www.linux-ntfs.org/

• Software removed for security reasons
  • may be reinstalled by user manually afterwards

Final Hints for Users now Maintaining Their Notebook Themselves

• To disable passwordless logins, comment the corresponding lines in /etc/pam.d/gdm:

  # auth       sufficient   pam_succeed_if.so user ingroup users
  # auth       sufficient   pam_succeed_if.so uid eq 0

• maybe a few more ...