snmpconf question (newbie)

Hi,

I installed FreeBSD 6.2 according to
[url]http://dfwlpiki.dfwlp.org/index.php/Installing_FreeBSD_6.2[/url]

That went well.

Then I went on with
[url]http://dfwlpiki.dfwlp.org/index.php/Deploying_a_FreeBSD_6.2_Server[/url] to
deploy FreeBSD as a server.

I installed the daemons portupgrade, webmin and net-snmp and I
synchronized the time, but then when I have to configure net-snmp I am
at a loss. When I execute snmp I am overwhelmed by the questions I have
to answer. I tried to do it once, but then, when I went on to configure
webmin, that didn't work so well: executing
/usr/local/lib/webmin/setup.sh seemd to work but then at he end it said:

--snip
Running postinstall scripts ..
: Permission denied
...done
--snip

Could this have to do with the snmpconf done wrong?
How should snmpconf be answered?
I tried reading the snmp man file, but I don't understamd that.

I hope somenone can help me out here.

BTW
I also registered as a openaddict.com forum member, but that doesn't
work for me, because everytime I want to login with my newly ceated
account I get a page not found error. I also tried to contact the forum
admins, without succes.

Greetings,
Roel

Begin <47442D23.1080809@xs4all.nl>
On Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:05:39 +0100, Roel Neumann <neumann@xs4all.nl> wrote:[color=blue]
> I installed FreeBSD 6.2 according to
> [url]http://dfwlpiki.dfwlp.org/index.php/Installing_FreeBSD_6.2[/url][/color]

Uh, what is that? *looks* Oh, some offering of LOTS OF SCREENSHOTS.
Cool. Did you read the FreeBSD handbook? If not, you should.

[color=blue]
> I installed the daemons portupgrade, webmin and net-snmp and I
> synchronized the time,[/color]

I hope you gave some ntp servers more local to you instead of what that
guy is documenting for himself. If not, you're needlessly sending your
traffic across the pond. Look up what ntp servers xs4all offers their
clients. xs4all is pretty good that way.

[color=blue]
> but then when I have to configure net-snmp I am at a loss. When I
> execute snmp I am overwhelmed by the questions I have to answer.[/color]

Yes, and you should understand what they mean, too. SNMP is an
administration tool, and admins really should know what they are doing.

[color=blue]
> I tried to do it once, but then, when I went on to configure
> webmin, that didn't work so well: executing
> /usr/local/lib/webmin/setup.sh seemd to work but then at he end it said:
>
> --snip
> Running postinstall scripts ..
>: Permission denied
> ..done
> --snip
>
> Could this have to do with the snmpconf done wrong?[/color]

Inspect the script and find out. There is not enough information in
the above for me to guess what might have gone wrong, except perhaps
that you ran it as a normal user and it wanted root.

I don't use webmin as I think it's a waste of time. But then, I usually
know what I'm doing.

[color=blue]
> How should snmpconf be answered?[/color]

``Appropriately''.

It doesn't ask those questions because there are universal answers. It
asks them because it needs your answers to function properly.

[color=blue]
> I tried reading the snmp man file, but I don't understamd that.[/color]

Well, best forget about SNMP for the moment, then. Kudos for trying,
though. OTOH, that is only the reference manual, not an introduction.

One of the basic tenets of running a server, or an anything that is
connected to the internet, is that you're responsible for what it does.
If you don't understand what you are doing, you are being irresponsible.
This might be a harsh contrast to the practice of people using produce
from a certain large software vendor, but it is how it works here.

Start with the following: figure out what net-snmp does and why you
would need it. If you need it for something, figure out how its
configuration works and how to configure it for your needs.

We don't know what your situation is so we can't answer the why for you.
The rest is already well documented. There are plenty materials to be
found on the 'net, and your local bookstore might have or can order you
plenty of books with lots of explanation. All that does not fit in the
margin of this post, so I'll leave that as an excercise.

[color=blue]
> BTW
> I also registered as a openaddict.com forum member, but that doesn't
> work for me, because everytime I want to login with my newly ceated
> account I get a page not found error. I also tried to contact the forum
> admins, without succes.[/color]

We can't help you with that. This is USENET, and has nothing whatsoever
to do with ``forums'', even if google led you to believe otherwise.


--
j p d (at) d s b (dot) t u d e l f t (dot) n l .
This message was originally posted on Usenet in plain text.
Any other representation, additions, or changes do not have my
consent and may be a violation of international copyright law.

jpd schreef:[color=blue]
> Begin <47442D23.1080809@xs4all.nl>
> On Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:05:39 +0100, Roel Neumann <neumann@xs4all.nl> wrote:[color=green]
>> I installed FreeBSD 6.2 according to
>> [url]http://dfwlpiki.dfwlp.org/index.php/Installing_FreeBSD_6.2[/url][/color]
>
> Uh, what is that? *looks* Oh, some offering of LOTS OF SCREENSHOTS.
> Cool. Did you read the FreeBSD handbook? If not, you should.
>
>[/color]

Not from beginning to end.
[color=blue][color=green]
>> I installed the daemons portupgrade, webmin and net-snmp and I
>> synchronized the time,[/color]
>
> I hope you gave some ntp servers more local to you instead of what that
> guy is documenting for himself. If not, you're needlessly sending your
> traffic across the pond. Look up what ntp servers xs4all offers their
> clients. xs4all is pretty good that way.[/color]

I used nl.pool.ntp.org
[color=blue]
>
>[color=green]
>> but then when I have to configure net-snmp I am at a loss. When I
>> execute snmp I am overwhelmed by the questions I have to answer.[/color]
>
> Yes, and you should understand what they mean, too. SNMP is an
> administration tool, and admins really should know what they are doing.
>
>[/color]

That's why I posterd to this group :-)
I was hoping to get some directions as where I can learn about snmp.
[color=blue][color=green]
>> I tried to do it once, but then, when I went on to configure
>> webmin, that didn't work so well: executing
>> /usr/local/lib/webmin/setup.sh seemd to work but then at he end it said:
>>
>> --snip
>> Running postinstall scripts ..
>> : Permission denied
>> ..done
>> --snip
>>
>> Could this have to do with the snmpconf done wrong?[/color]
>
> Inspect the script and find out. There is not enough information in
> the above for me to guess what might have gone wrong, except perhaps
> that you ran it as a normal user and it wanted root.[/color]

I ran it as root.
[color=blue]
>
> I don't use webmin as I think it's a waste of time. But then, I usually
> know what I'm doing.
>
>[/color]

Well, I am learning.

[color=blue][color=green]
>> How should snmpconf be answered?[/color]
>
> ``Appropriately''.
>
> It doesn't ask those questions because there are universal answers. It
> asks them because it needs your answers to function properly.
>
>[color=green]
>> I tried reading the snmp man file, but I don't understamd that.[/color]
>
> Well, best forget about SNMP for the moment, then. Kudos for trying,
> though. OTOH, that is only the reference manual, not an introduction.[/color]

I ran snmpconf -g basic_setup, answered all the questions (mostly default)

Next I ran the webmin setup again, withe same same result.
But now I had found after a search that this didn't matter and that
Webmin functioned anyhow, and so it did.
[color=blue]
>
> One of the basic tenets of running a server, or an anything that is
> connected to the internet, is that you're responsible for what it does.
> If you don't understand what you are doing, you are being irresponsible.
> This might be a harsh contrast to the practice of people using produce
> from a certain large software vendor, but it is how it works here.[/color]

Hey, I am sorry for trying to learn UNIX and FreeBSD on a testserver :-)
[color=blue]
>
> Start with the following: figure out what net-snmp does and why you
> would need it. If you need it for something, figure out how its
> configuration works and how to configure it for your needs.[/color]

I am going to read [url]http://net-snmp.sourceforge.net/[/url][color=blue]
>
> We don't know what your situation is so we can't answer the why for you.
> The rest is already well documented. There are plenty materials to be
> found on the 'net, and your local bookstore might have or can order you
> plenty of books with lots of explanation. All that does not fit in the
> margin of this post, so I'll leave that as an excercise.
>
>[color=green]
>> BTW
>> I also registered as a openaddict.com forum member, but that doesn't
>> work for me, because everytime I want to login with my newly ceated
>> account I get a page not found error. I also tried to contact the forum
>> admins, without succes.[/color]
>
> We can't help you with that. This is USENET, and has nothing whatsoever
> to do with ``forums'', even if google led you to believe otherwise.
>
>[/color]

I just mentioned this to let you know that I tried to ask the writer of
the FreeBSD installation pages I mentioned my questions. And I am aware
that Usenet is not a forum. I use newsgroups from before the Web existed.

Thanks anyway for your thoughts.

Roel