DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT DRAFT
Contents
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 ...