[TriLUG] Some Newbie Linux Questions

[al johnson]

On Tuesday 31 December 2002 09:02 am, you wrote:
> al johnson said:
> > OK, I've got several possibilities, so many that perhaps a little
> > explanation  on my part is required. While I don't have a high-speed
> > internet connection,  I do have a very close friend who does. If I
> > needed to use it, e.g. to update  my Linux system files, all I would
> > have to do is give him a call and go over  to his home, plug in and do
> > whatever I need to do. I update my Mac this very  same way. So what I
> > suppose I need is a simple way to switch the eth0 out of  the boot
> > sequence or just switch it off, and a simple way to switch it back  on
> > whenever I need to do a lot of updates. That's why I wanted to know how
> > to  get it switched back on.
>
> It would help us to know what distro of Linux you are running. (grin)
>
> For Redhat/Mandrake, editing the /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-eth0
> file and setting onboot=no is your best bet. I do this since I have a
> wireless ethernet card as eth1 which I primarily use at home. When I am on
> the road and need the "wired" card, it is simple to turn on.
>
> In the same directory you will see the "ifup" and "ifdown" scripts. Simply
> run "ifup eth0" to turn it on, and "ifdown eth0" to turn it off. Both need
> to be run as root.
>
> -T
------------------------------------------------------------------
OK, the distribution is Mandrake 8.1 Powerbook edition. Thanks for the info, 
in any case. I  was just trying to explain why I have the ethernet card in 
the first place. What would really be neat is if it were possible to write a 
short program to switch it on and off. This would prevent typos from screwing 
up your Linux system and it would also be extremely easy for anyone to use.
---Al Johnson.