Topic: Q re: Web Admin on v4.1 "fresh test install"

[Tim Chipman]

Hi all,

sorry if this is terribly obvious but it is driving me up the wall.  I've been meaning to try E-smith out for quite a while, and with the recent release of 4.1 I finally got around to doing a test install with a friend who had some spare gear laying about (A P-133 packard bell, 4x cdrom drive, ~1gig HD, and enough PCI slots open for two cheapo generic PCI 10/100 NICs to be used).

The install process went quite smoothly, and after a little while we had the machine up and running. Due to Linux / Solaris influences, I went with a "console login screen" for the server rather than an "admin console". Internet access is via 100mbit switched ether & the DHCP server in the office where we did the test setup.

After figuring out the internal vs external interfaces by "trial and error", a slave machine was chained onto a hub attached also to the internal interface of the Esmith 4.1 test box.  "winipcfg" with a release / renew cycle was done and the client machine was successfully assigned an IP by the Esmith box and was able to access the outside world.

The tricky part:  First, figuring out what the actual admin interface URL really *WAS*. This didn't exactly jump out of the "documentation". Digging through this site we eventually got to

http://192.168.1.1/e-smith-manager/

after authentication as root, we got to the lovely little web admin page. Only one thing missing: All the buttons in the frame down the left edge of the window.

I tried different web browsers (IE5 first, then netscape 4.7 - no avail).

Fought a bit more and eventually found the location on the Esmith server filesystem (as root on console) for the text-based  manager application. Ran it, and was able to do a few config things. This didn't appear to help make the Web admin gui work any better though.


So: Am I missing something really obvious? Is there another URL, and I've been fooled by the first one (which appears to actually be running on a separate instance of apache, listening on a different port - 807 or something like that, I forget right now?)


If someone can please email comments to me, I would VERY much appreciate it.  So far I'm very impressed but I am unclear where the break in the link is right now ...


Thanks,

Tim Chipman


tdcmailandnews.com

[Des Dougan]

Tim,

Do you mean you don't have the frame at all? The contents of the frame are not buttons, but text menu links under headings of Security, Configuration, etc. The IP address should be the local interface's, rather than the external - it's not clear which IF your http://192.168.1.1/e-smith-manager/ represents. The port is 980, BTW.



Des Dougan

[hanscees]

notice that this is the same problem i am having

hc

[Tim Chipman]

Sorry for the confusion.  The problem is (more clearly stated):

-access to the admin web page using the "internal IP address" of the e-smith server from a machine on the internal interface network appears to "work". EXCEPT that there is **ABSOLUTELY NO** content of any kind in the left-hand frame,except for a large gif that links to the e-smith homepage.  There are no other links (text or otherwise) for any kind of configuration options.

-The same problem persists if I use LYNX to text-only web-browse to the admin web interface from the e-smith server itself.

So: It clearly gets me to authenticate. It is clearly a HTTPD running on a different port (the admin port / interface). It definitely has no appropriate content.

Based on the other posting which appears to have a similar problem, I am wondering if this is a "bug" ?

--TDC

[Charlie Brady]

Tim Chipman wrote:

> Based on the other posting which appears to have a similar
> problem, I am wondering if this is a "bug" ?

If you feel that there is a bug, then send a detailed report to bugs@e-smith.com. Include all detail that you think might be relevant.

Regards

Charlie

[adam]

Me too I noticed that after installation the the  left hand frame was completely deviod of an interface anybody have any ideas

[Jim]

The problem I believe is that you are logging in as "root."  You need to log in as "Admin."  This will bring up the left hand menu.

[Tim Chipman]

Arrgh! BINGO is a word that comes to mind.  I am *definitely* logging in as "root" in all cases, since this is the only account that exists to my knowledge.  I guess I should have had a look at /etc/passwd

I'll try this tomorrow (login as "admin") and see what gives.

I'll post feedback once it is done - either a "yea" or "nay".

Thanks!



Tim

[Charlie Brady]

Tim Chipman wrote:
>
> Arrgh! BINGO is a word that comes to mind.  I am *definitely*
> logging in as "root" in all cases, since this is the only
> account that exists to my knowledge.  I guess I should have
> had a look at /etc/passwd

Or you could try the manual:

http://www.e-smith.org/docs/manual/4.1/admin.html

Charlie

[Allen Rapini]

Tim
Don't feel bad. I sheepishly admit to the same mistake. I also made a test install, and being bold logged in as root...This should probably go to the wish list, but a simple page when logged in as root that said something to the effect :

"Hey Dummy, login as ADMIN if you want to see something besides the e-smith logo, Loggin in as root is dangerous!!!"

Anyways, something other than a blank page might be helpful

Still a great product. 4.1 is making me a believer

Allen