CYBERBUZZ > Support > Definitions ___ "A server for the students" ___ home I about I support I calendar I organizations I email ___
[ Site Map ] [ CyberBuzz FAQs & Support ]

These are common terms and ideas used in reference to the entire CyberBuzz and student organizations systems now in place.

  1. What is all the FINE PRINT?
  2. What is this passcode for activating an account?
  3. Why is CyberBuzz NOT a General Purpose machine?
  4. What are the differences between CyberBuzz, MAGIC, and the organization database?
  5. What are the MANDATORY links and information required ON ALL PAGES?
  6. How does the email forwarding work and how do I change the address it is forwarded to?
  7. How do I update my account contact information IMMEDIATELY when it changes?
  8. How do I update my organization's information in the database AT LEAST annually?
  9. I don't like {ksh|csh|bash|sh}. How can I change my shell?
  10. What editors are available on CyberBuzz?
  11. What software is available on CyberBuzz?
  12. I can't seem to find pine / tin / elm / mutt / rn / slrn.
  13. Why can't we advertise on CyberBuzz, and then how do we thank sponsors?
  14. How do I setup an email list?
  15. What about CGIs?
  16. What about a counter for web pages?
  17. How do I submit cgi scripts for use?
  18. How can I enhance the ability for search engines to find important information in our pages?
  19. How do I get support/give feedback about this system and services?


[ Top || Support Index ]

What is all the Fine Print??

By applying for an user account on this machine, you and the organization you represent agree to:

  • USE COMMON SENSE!!
  • NOT request an account with ADMIN in it or beginning with GT
  • Request logins and directories which relate to your group
  • Not use this machine for interactive uses for the users, including, but not limited to,
    • News
    • slirp
    • irc clients
    • email clients (MUAs--pine, elm, etc.)
    • CS homework (ESPECIALLY 2430 :)
  • Not distribute passwords for your account(s)
  • Not to attempt to destroy the quality of service of this machine or of other machines through the use of this machine
  • Use SSH whenever possible (it's on the acme triumvirate)
  • Not abuse CGI privileges
  • Update any changed contact information immediately
  • Not attempt to gain access to this machine from off-site (outside .gatech.edu) without prior appoval
  • The active logging of all processes and connections
  • NOT attempt to gain root through any means or exploits
  • NOT attempt to gain access to system files through any means or exploits
  • ONLY include pages that are directly related to the purpose and aims of the organizations, and which do not duplicate resources provided elsewhere (e.g. groups do NOT need to place individual homepages for all the members on CyberBuzz, when all Georgia Tech students have the ability to do create their own pages on their gt accounts)
  • Include standard information regarding updating of pages, links to other parts of CyberBuzz projects, and legal disclaimers
  • The reviewing of content on pages if it is deemed inappropriate by federal, state, or local law or Georgia Tech and OIT's guidelines
  • Understand that if your account is not updated for 3 months, its access will be FROZEN. Six months of inactivity will have your account DELETED. This is to enforce the fact that current information and at least some due diligience is necessary for web-based information dispersal.

Use common sense. If you are in doubt about doing something, DON'T do it!

These are not all inclusive and can change without notice. Please refer to them regularly to make sure you are current with all minimum requirements.

Not following these guidelines can result in freezing access, temporarily disabling pages, or removal of the account altogether.


[ Top || Support Index ]

What is this passcode for activating an account?

When you request an account, you will be asked to enter a 2-digit/letter passcode. YOU WILL REQUIRE THIS PASSCODE IN ORDER TO LOGIN YOUR FIRST TIME. Along with your confirmation email that your account was created (which may take a while as an admin must approve it) you will receive an additional passcode to add to the one you entered in order to login, SO KEEP THE PASSCODE IN MIND.

When your account is approved you receive an email with a KeyID and UID along with the Passcode Key you supplied when requesting the account. These three things are needed to initially access your account on CyberBuzz.

To get your password you need to combine in this order:
(Passcode Key)(KEYID)

Example:
Say your Passcode Key is: AB and your KeyID is: 12345
Your Password would be: ab12345

NOTICE! Please change your password using the command passwd during one of your first two logins! Your account will be locked if you do not change your password!


[ Top || Support Index ]

Why is CyberBuzz NOT a General Purpose machine?

This machine is NOT a general use machine, but strictly for groups and organizations to use for web, list,ftp and other specialized services. There is no need to duplicate services already easily provided via OIT and other departments.


[ Top || Support Index ]

What are the differences between CyberBuzz, MAGIC, and the organizations database?

All student organizations will have _2_ accounts; one on CyberBuzz, and one on the MAGIC system on Prism aka Acme. Most of these accounts are in the form of dsadmxxx. This is to provide email and PRISM services without duplication of those administrative functions associated with them. A break down of services to clarify this follows:

  • CyberBuzz: Web, list, ftp, etc & email FORWARDING for any organization
  • MAGIC (on PRISM): Email reading, printing (to clusters or central-ps), Mac usage and file storage, news, and any other functions associated with normal PRISM accounts which are not found on CyberBuzz
  • Organizations Database: This is the record of entire information on an organization which Student Affairs uses daily, and from which all authorization for use of campus resources comes from for an organization. This is why accurate and current information is necessary in this database.

[ Top || Support Index ]

What are the mandatory links and information required on ALL PAGES?

The following links are mandatory on your page, and recommended as a footer:

  • Last Modified Date
  • Contact Email
  • Legal Disclaimer Reference
  • URL
  • Link to umbrella area or project

We, the admins, provide a link to a legal disclaimer page as mandated by OIT's Network Usage Policies. All organizations need to link this to EVERY PAGE before it is even put up for testing purposes.

Further, we STRONGLY recommend the use of Server Side Includes for things such as these Last Modified dates and legal includes. This will help greatly simplify web design and keep updates easy to maintain.

The link to the umbrella area or project would, for example, be a student organization linking to the top pages of the Student Organizations area.


[ Top || Support Index ]

How does the email forwarding work and how do I change the address it is forwarded to?

When you request your account, you will also specify the login and directory name you wish to have for it. For instance, FOO (A Georgia Tech Student Organization :) has the login foo and it's URL is http://cyberbuzz.gatech.edu/foo/. Now this creates an email address on the machine as foo@cyberbuzz.gatech.edu. BUT, an alias will be created and placed on Georgia Tech's servers so that the email address of foo@GaTech.edu is also in place. Now isn't that easy to remember :)

The short email address, here the foo@GaTech.edu one, will be ALWAYS forwarded to foo@cyberbuzz.gatech.edu, thereby not adding to OIT employees' workloads unnecessarily. But this email address, with CyberBuzz in it, MUST ALWAYS BE FORWARDED.

This allows each organization to redirect their email to any officer or their MAGIC account, even though it adds a few hops to a message, but all on very fast connections within Georgia Tech itself.

Here's a visual schematic for those who that helps.

foo@gatech.edu --> foo@cyberbuzz.gatech.edu --> address in account update for foo

So you want to know when you can start using this alias? Well, when your account was approved the alias request is automaticly sent to OIT. Please give 5-6 working days for the alias to be added into the system. However, it is generally in place seconds after the account is approved.

So now that it is all forwarded, how do you CHANGE the forwarding address? Simple, go to the CyberBuzz account update and enter and submit the changed email address.

Hopefully Horton's egg doesn't hatch while you figured that one out.


[ Top || Support Index ]

How do I update the contact information for our account?

Go to the CyberBuzz Account Update and submit your information.


[ Top || Support Index ]

How do I update my organization's information in the database AT LEAST annually?


[ Top || Support Index ]

I don't like {ksh|csh|bash|sh}. How can I change my shell?

chsh is installed in /usr/local/bin. Available shells include /bin/sh, /bin/csh, /bin/ksh, and /usr/local/bin/bash.


[ Top || Support Index ]

What editors are available on CyberBuzz?

Among others, CyberBuzz has ed, vi, vim, pico, and jed installed.


[ Top || Support Index ]

What software is available on CyberBuzz?

Among other things, the complete GNU suite of software is installed in /usr/local/bin. PERL and pgp are installed, as is mSQL and the latest JDK. If you know what you're looking for, an easy way to find it is with the GNU locate command.


[ Top || Support Index ]

I can't seem to find pine / tin / elm / mutt / rn / slrn.

As has been pointed out numerous times already, CyberBuzz is not a general-purpose machine. It exists to serve information for student groups, not to provide users with an alternate Unix box to read mail / news, do their homework, compile their personal code, etc. Among other places, the acme triumvirate provides ample resources for these sorts of activities. Please use another machine for such activities. Attempting to circumvent this by installing such software yourself is a good way to lose your account.


[ Top || Support Index ]

Why can't we advertise on CyberBuzz, and then how do we thank sponsors?

CyberBuzz operates over a state-funded network. Therefore, no organization may advertise for another non-Georgia Tech affiliated group (look at where the Athletic Association's pages are now to see one way to get around this, ie they AREN'T on campus any longer).

An organization may have a sponsorship page which contains a graphic logo of the sponsors and even the specific name and a listing of their homepage, however, THE LOGO OR NAME OF THE SPONSOR CAN NOT BE LINKED IN TO THEIR HOMEPAGES DIRECTLY!! Doing so and not correcting this problem when noticed by the admins WILL FREEZE YOUR ACCOUNT as this is illegal and puts the entire server's operations in jeopardy.

Note, this does NOT prevent you from having a general page of links to organizations connected to you. But, you must include the standard disclaimer from OIT (the boldface on this link) and you can not say they are a sponsor on the links page.

We know, this policy stinks for orgs trying to fund themselves outside of campus/member dues, but it doesnt completely prohibit all function of it, but we have to do so within the legal rules laid down for us. Cause hey, we would like to be able to get other funding for keeping up the server besides hitting up groups on campus too.

If anyone, like oh someone at MindSpring would like to donate a connection space for us to uhh, get around this legal problem, say with space to place linked pages for sponsor pages, drop us admins a line.


[ Top || Support Index ]

How do I setup an email lists?

Setting up an email list on listproc now has its own FAQ. Please read it thoroughly before asking questions of the admins.


[ Top || Support Index ]

What about CGIs?

Please read the CGI Policy. Learn it, love it, live it.


[ Top || Support Index ]

What about a counter for web pages?

It has its own FAQ!


[ Top || Support Index ]

How do I submit cgi scripts for use?

Cgi-bin access WILL be provided. HOWEVER, this is on an approval basis. Common scripts will be provided as drop-in forms (similar as to www.prism provides). This prevents each of the 280+ student organizations from all creating individual email reply cgi's and the associated overhead and time wasted. Further, wrappers for system calls are on the cgi directories.

For more information about CGI's, please consult the CGI policy. Basically, custom CGIs are allowed, but must be submitted to CyberBuzz admins for clearance. A wrapper system has also been set up to allow for safe testing by users of potentially unsecure CGIs.


[ Top || Support Index ]

How can I enhance the ability for search engines to find important information in our pages?

There is a search feature on CyberBuzz. It will load in all pages based on what is contained in the html. However you can give better descriptions by including a tag in your html. This will allow users to find the pages they are looking for a lot easier!

Tag Format : <META NAME="descriptive name" CONTENT="summary of page">

Place this tag between the tag <HEAD> and the tag </HEAD>


[ Top || Support Index ]

How do I get support/give feedback about this system and services?

Well, with a server, support is needed. If you have problems accessing something, running a program, or just anything else CyberBuzz-related, we will try to help. You can request help by email to support@cyberbuzz.gatech.edu. We will try to respond to your email as soon as we can. Please include the following in your email to help us solve the problem as fast as possible.

       Your Email Address       A phone number where we can reach you
       Your user account name   A brief description of the problem you are having.
    	

Notice: Server support methods may change and users will be notified via the main web page!



Support@CyberBuzz.GaTech.edu

Copyright © 1998 CyberBuzz/Georgia Tech
Modified June 23, 1999 at 4:25 PM EDT
http://CyberBuzz.GaTech.edu/support/definitions.html
[ Hosted by CyberBuzz ]
Disclaimers
(MS)