[ltp] Switching Between Networks

[Rob Smith]

I believe there were something like four or five groups. I didn't see
anything in the documentation describing the groups and what exactly was
included in each. Here are the important considerations that I believe I
need to make.

For the Work group, I will be on a network, using DHCP, with server assigned
DNS. It is currently an NT4 domain, but will soon be migrating to Win2k. I
don't have to join the domain, although there would be a certain "cool"
factor to doing so. I will need to set up a proxy server in
Konqueror/Mozilla in this group and I will be using my USB mouse.

For the Home group, I will again be on a network, this time with a manually
configured IP address and default gateway, including manually configured DNS
servers. Again, I will be using my USB mouse, but will NOT need a proxy
server for Web access. I may at some point want to pick up a port replicator
in this profile, so that I might attach an external monitor, and run both
the mouse and a keyboard.

As to the Away group, that will be without any network attachment. It will
also be sans mouse, relying on the trackpoint instead. Consider this the
group for the commute on the train, or if I just want to do some work while
at the local coffee shop.

Other than those considerations, I would want the machine to run as it was
built. I have decided upon an inittab setting of "3" which allows me the
option of either GUI or no GUI. Yes, I'm still weaning myself away from the
Evil Empire, and although it is not uncommon for me to work in a command
window in NT/2000/XP, there's a big difference between that and living in a
command based environment. DOS was such a long time ago!   ;-)

Which brings me to another issue, the ability to select a profile or group
during boot up. When in the boot process does this occur? Speaking of the
boot process, SuSe has what seems to me a strange way of going about this,
as it appears that you are in a semi-GUI state during boot up, having to
select F2 if you want to see what is happening. That seems kind of strange
to me, and I was wondering if there was any way to change this behavior by
default? Does it have anything to do with the line "splash=silent desktop"
in /boot/grub/menu.lst? If so, what do I change this to, or do I just leave
that line out?

Anyway, thanks for all the assistance. I'd be lost, waiting for my next LUG
meeting without this resource.

Rob Smith