2. Not so Frivolous background information


2.1 Who are we - comp.databases.informix

The Informix mailing-list/newsgroup is a forum for the discussion of Informix database management software and related subjects. Topics include all aspects of using and supporting the various Informix offerings, from C-ISAM to Wingz, and other products designed to operate in an Informix environment.

Membership in the list is open to anyone, including end-users, vendors and employees of Informix Software, Inc. The list is unmoderated, so members are solely responsible for its content. All contributions are welcome, so long as they emphasize substantive information.

c.d.i has a split personality. It exists (obviously) as a Usenet Newsgroup and also as a mailing-list, for those folks without easy access to the comp.databases.* news hierarchy. They are the same thing.


2.1.1 How do I join the list or unsubscribe?

If you have access to comp.databases.informix on Usenet, you do not need to join the list since all information posted to that newsgroup is automatically sent to the list, and vice versa.

Send an e-mail message to mailto:informix-list-request@rmy.emory.edu for information on how to join. Do *not* send to "informix-list" at that same site. That will cause your message to be sent to the entire list.


2.1.2 How can I search the newsgroup?

There are a number of search engines capable of searching historical postings to comp.databases.informix.

http://www.altavista.digital.com/
http://www.dejanews.com/
www.iiug.org/members/search_cdi.html

2.1.3 How should I post a problem to the group?

On 26th May 1999 kagel@bloomberg.net (Art S. Kagel) wrote:-

It is almost always more productive to post your problem, with as much information as is reasonable (ie don't post onstat -a output unless someone asks for it but if relevant a particular onstat report and your versions, platform, and onconfig file usually help) RATHER than to post a question or propose a solution and ask our opinions on it in a vacuum.

So how to determine what is the problem and how to fix. Post the following:

ONCONFIG file
onstat -m or last 20 lines of message log if online down
onstat -p  (same as for -F need 1/2 days stats here)
onstat -d
onstat -D
onstat -F  (at least 1/2 day after the last startup or onstat -z)
onstat -R  (preferably shortly before an expected checkpoint)
onstat -l  (again shortly before an expected checkpoint)
onstat -k  (just the first 20 and last few lines)
onstat -g glo  (same as for -F need 1/2 days stats here)
onstat -g iov  (same as for -F need 1/2 days stats here)
onstat -g iof  (same as for -F need 1/2 days stats here)
onstat -g ioq  (same as for -F need 1/2 days stats here)
onstat -g seg

contents of any af.* files produced

On 15th Sep 1999 djw@smooth1.demon.co.uk (David Williams) wrote:-

This of course applies to Online. Whatever the problem you should being it with the following information:-

E.g. I am using Informix Online 7.23.UC1 on a Sun E450 server running Solaris 2.5.1... or I am using Online 7.30.TC1 on a Dell PC running NT 4.0 with Service Pack 4 installed.. .

On 21st Sep 1999 kagel@bloomberg.net (Art S. Kagel) wrote:-

Also do not:

o Post HTML - many of us use UNIX based text only mailers
o Post BASE64 encoded messages

Try, as far as it is possible, to:

o Post in English - this is not chauvinism, most of us are English 
  speaking and so you will take advantage of the most resourses.  If one 
  does not speak English, post whatever you have to, we'll give it a try.
o Post in Latin/Roman characters - like above, posting in Cyrillic,
  Chinese, or Japanese character reduces your audience.

Sorry you caught this diatribe, Howard, but periodically we have to remind 
newcomers how to help us to best help them.

2.3 What's the Consensus on Job Postings?

Given the geographic distribution of the readership I'd've thought such postings were of interest to very few people (even excluding the Rest of The World, the USA is *vast*).

That aside, SHORT postings which mention Informix by name don't seem to attract much adverse reaction.

Jack Parker (jparker@hpbs3645.boi.hp.com) clarifies:

In general it is ok to post job announcements or requests for candidates to fill a position in this group. After all at any given time some small percentage of us are seeking employment elsewhere. At the same time there are quite a few people who are not looking for work who find such posts annoying, especially since they receive all posts to this group through their mailbox and have no desire to pay extra to download them. Currently we see from 6 to 20 such posts a day.

Therefore we ask that you follow certain guidelines in these posts, to wit:


2.4 Other User Groups

The definitive list of Informix User Groups, Worldwide, can be found at www.informix.com/informix/corpinfo/usrgrups/usrgrups.htm

2.5 Other Mailing lists

The Fourgen Mailing List

To subscribe to the mailing list for Fourgen developers, send email to: 4gen-list-request@garpac.com

with the command: subscribe <our email address here>

and you will automatically be subscribed to the list.

The address for the mailing list is:

4gen-list@garpac.com If you send a message to the list, you will automatically be subscribed to the list.

This list is maintained by Clay Irving (clay@panix.com, http://www.panix.com/~clay)

The Informix Linux Digest Mailing List

This is a READ-ONLY daily digest of the Informix Linux Mailing list. For more information, send e-mail to "owner-linux-informix-digest@iiug.org".

An Informix Universal Server Mailing List

Seth Grimes (grimes@magnet.com) writes:

I've started a new mailing list:

The ius-users mailing list is a public discussion list for the Informix Universal Server, and other related technologies. The list is open to the public, but you can only post if you are a subsribed member.

To subscribe, send mail to Majordomo@magnet.com with "subscribe ius-users" in the BODY of the message.

For any questions, please send mail to ius-users-owner@magnet.com.

An Educational Users Informix Mailing List

On 18th Dec 1997 forrey@wsu.edu (Dale Forrey) wrote:-

I am pleased to announce a new listserv aimed at universities, colleges, research institutions, and schools who use Informix products. The list (called edu-users) is designed to bring this part of the Informix community closer together. It is hoped that the list will provide a forum to exchange ideas on how Informix products are being used in educational and research settings.

To subscribe to the list send an email to: mailto:majordomo@iiug.org

In the body of the note insert the following:

subscribe edu-users