Hi!

Joachim Schipper <jdNoOtSPAMschipper@math.uu.nl> wrote:
>Tammy Lyn <Tlyn@notformail.com> wrote:
>> 1...My sound card is detected and works, however programs like
>> Xmms/Amarok will not allow me to use their volume controls, I'm
>> limited to the speaker volume controls. Both programs play and work
>> fine but I can't use the programs volume/equalizer controls.

>This is sound card specific, if I remember correctly. I'm pretty sure
>someone will be along to help you with this; if not, try posting a
>dmesg.

Right, for my sound card, mixer controls work (it's a "Ensoniq
AudioPCI97"). I usually control them with xmix (I'm old fashioned, you
see).

You get the relevant lines by opening /var/run/dmesg.boot, looking for
the line "audio0 at ..." (or if you have multiple audio cards, it might
also read audio1 at ... etc.). Then look backwards for the device name
following at.

My example is:

audio0 at eap0

Ok, looking backwards for eap0 at ...:

eap0 at pci0 dev 15 function 0 "Ensoniq AudioPCI97" rev 0x06: irq 11

ok, I can look forward after eap0 for a few bits of additional
information: the next two lines read like this:

ac97: codec id 0x43525913 (Cirrus Logic CS4297A rev 3)
ac97: codec features headphone, 20 bit DAC, 18 bit ADC, Crystal Semi 3D

In this case, the manual page (eap(4)) doesn't explicitly say that mixer
controls are supported quite well.

I used to have a gus(4), where mixer controls wouldn't work, volume
controls were at maximum always and I had to control the playback volume
at the stereo amplifier the soundcard was connected to.

>> 2...Xorg is listening on port 6000. I don't need or want that. How to
>> disable?

>It doesn't actually accept data from anywhere unless you change things
>with xhost(1) and the like. In short, this is harmless.

>The way to stop this is passing -nolisten tcp to the X binary (see
>Xserver(8)). How to do this will likely vary depending on how you start
>X (usually xinit or startx). This might break stuff, though.

I don't think it will, but I don't bother either.

>If you're really paranoid, you're better off configuring pf to block
>access.

I did:
block in quick on $ext_if proto tcp from any to any port 5999 >< 6011

(In a policy that allows only selected ports below 1024, blocks selected
ports >= 1024 and allows everything else >= 1024).

>> 3...'netstat -an' is showing my computer is listening on several ports
>> by default. How to disable sendmail etc?

>sendmail(8) doesn't accept data from outside either, at least not by
>default. See afterboot(8), under "Sendmail".

Dito, for being doubly safe, pf helps.

>sshd(8) is also listening; make sure you either have a strong password
>for all relevant accounts or disallow password logins altogether.

*nods* And sometimes it's useful (together with dyndns) :-)

>[...]

>P.S. What's with wrapping at 113 columns or some such nonsense? A
>classical terminal is 80 characters wide, so wrap at 72 columns or less
>to allow for some follow-ups.

The maximum line length of the original posting was 78 (question 2) in
my eyes. Not optimal, but not 113.

>[...]

Kind regards,

Hannah.