* Dr. Internet columnist Steve Blass offers advice on configuring Apache servers to display long file names * Help Desk columnist Ron Nutter offers advice on upgrading Cisco switches
* Apache configuration directives
By Steve Blass
Q: We use the directory index listing feature to display the directory of our document archive on an Apache Web server. Long file names are getting chopped off by Apache in the generated Web pages. Can we configure the server to show the entire file names in directory index listing pages?
A: Yes – Apache Versions 1.3.2 and later can use configuration directives provided by the mod_autoindex module to customize the appearance of automatically generated directory index listings. To do this, use the NameWidth option available as part of the IndexOptions directive.
To read Steve’s response in its entirety, please click here.
* Upgrading Cisco switches
By Ron Nutter
Q: I recently joined a company that has Cisco switches throughout the network. My boss has told me that my first task is to upgrade the switches to the latest available firmware. I have been around Cisco switches some but haven’t done this particular task before. Can you give me an idea of the best way to do it?
A: Carefully, very carefully.
After you get the login information for the switches, I would get an inventory of each switch. Be sure to note the model number of each switch, the amount of DRAM and flash memory for the switch and the current firmware that the switch is currently running on. Then, go to Cisco’s Web site. If you don’t already have a Cisco CCO login, now would be a good time to have one. If your department has a “departmental” login, get that information and log in to the site. Download the latest firmware for each switch. Depending on the switch, you may find that there is either a .tar or a .bin or both type of files. I would suggest getting both.
To read Ron’s response in its entirety, please click here.
