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Using a UPS with Linux

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I have been fine tuning the setup on my Fedora 11 File server.

I have a PrOffice (yes it is spelt with one oh) Upsonic UPS that does not come with software but had a peice of paper with a link to download the Windows version of the software. Now that I am using Linux I did a search and found the Linux version (they even had an AMD64 Linux version). Google is your friend!

This works fine (it looks like a Java application and looks identical under Linux to how it does under Windows). I had lost the serial number but my "friend" provided the answer. Why is software that is tied to a particular type and brand of hardware protected by a serial number? Especially a serial number that was supplied on a small, loose, piece of paper that was probably lost five minutes after the first time the software was installed and is probably thrown away in the box nine times out of ten!

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