<snip>
Thank you for taking the time to send us your question about the problems
that Linux users have experienced using Toronto Public Library web
products.
On consultation with our web team, I found that the workaround on the
website is still current. We are hoping that the new website redesign,
expected to be released in the next few months, may resolve some of these
issues you have experienced.
</snip>
> platinum wrote:
>
>>> http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/hel_tro_index.jsp#linux
>>
>> WOW! that works!
>>
> I asked them where they stood with the issue that makes this necessary and
> got the following response:
>
> <snip>
> Thank you for taking the time to send us your question about the problems
> that Linux users have experienced using Toronto Public Library web
> products.
>
> On consultation with our web team, I found that the workaround on the
> website is still current. We are hoping that the new website redesign,
> expected to be released in the next few months, may resolve some of these
> issues you have experienced.
> </snip>
>
Humm, they seem to have removed the workaround from the site. Okay, well
here’s what it said:
Some customers have reported slowness accessing Toronto Public Library
websites on computers running the Linux operating system. The problem is
most likely caused by Linux’s use of strict internet routing and firewall
settings. We’re working on a fix at TPL, but you can also solve the problem
on your computer. Please only attempt this if you’re familiar with the
command line and editing files in /etc/ .
First, test the fix by opening a terminal or command prompt with root
privileges and issue this command:
echo 0 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/tcp_window_scaling
This change is only effective until your next reboot. Try visiting some of
TPL’s pages. If this fix is successful, make the change permanent by
opening /etc/sysctl.conf and adding this line:
net.ipv4.tcp_window_scaling=0
Save the file and exit. The library website should load quickly from now on.
> echo 0 > /proc/sys/net/ipv4/tcp_window_scaling
> This change is only effective until your next reboot. Try visiting some of
> TPL’s pages. If this fix is successful, make the change permanent by
> opening /etc/sysctl.conf and adding this line:
> net.ipv4.tcp_window_scaling=0
and, that prescription also fixes the trailerlife site…
I’ll keep it in mind – I’ve bookmarked it. If it solves the problem for a few more questioners, then it’s worth publishing a broader HowTo on slow pages which includes this along with some other tweaks.
> liviopl wrote:
>> What about sites which don’t load on Linux (any flavour)) regardless
>> anything?
>>
>> Like http://-kol.deviantart.com/ .
>
> http://kol.deviantart.com/ loads, is there also a -kol.deviant.com ?
>
> traceroute gets me to deviantart.com where “[Router did not respond]”
> to the attempt to route to the sub -kol.
>
> and, whois says: “No match for domain “-KOL.DEVIANTART.COM”.
>>>> Last update of whois database: Sun, 20 Sep 2009 13:10:58 UTC”
>
> are you saying that you can reach http://-kol.deviantart.com/ on
> non-Linux systems???
>
Huh. That’s odd. Yes, on a virtualised windows xp the browser (both IE and
Firefox) get to http://-kol.deviantart.com/ but on the linux side no server
is found.
I wonder if this has something to do with the “-” character being the
denoter (did I just make up a word?) of parameters being passed to a
program on the command line. So if somewhere in the program when it’s
making a dns call if it’s doing something like “dns <hostname>” in this
instance it’d be getting “dns -kol.deviantart.com” and treating the
host/domain name as a parameter?
It’s just a theory and I have no idea how to ‘correct’ this. However it
would explain it working in a windows environment as the notation of a
parameter there is “/” rather than “-”.
> liviopl wrote:
>> What about sites which don’t load on Linux (any flavour)) regardless
>> anything?
>>
>> Like http://-kol.deviantart.com/ .
>
> http://kol.deviantart.com/ loads, is there also a -kol.deviant.com ?
>
> traceroute gets me to deviantart.com where “[Router did not respond]”
> to the attempt to route to the sub -kol.
>
> and, whois says: “No match for domain “-KOL.DEVIANTART.COM”.
>>>> Last update of whois database: Sun, 20 Sep 2009 13:10:58 UTC”
>
> are you saying that you can reach http://-kol.deviantart.com/ on
> non-Linux systems???
>
liviopl wrote:
> I know this workaround. But life isn’t about workarounds. I’d like it to
> be finally cleared and fixed. Or by Linux side or by dA side.
so, you go out and make all the rest of the world comply with the W3
standards…ok?
see, the site that allowed the illegal -kol. is at fault…so, tell
them to fix it…ok?