Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1999 00:50:30 -0600 (CST)
From: 
To: lwn@lwn.net
Subject: PIKT, Problem Informant/Killer Tool, v1.8.0 released



          PIKT, Problem Informant/Killer Tool, version 1.8.0

    HIGHLIGHTS:  Ported to AIX & IRIX.  Added several security
    enhancements:  random timing values for alert scheduling; the
    $checksum() family of functions for computing BSD, SysV, POSIX,
    MD4 & MD5 checksums; several new file attribute functions; the
    #random() function; tcp_only mode for client-server communications.
    Made a number of other fixes and improvements.

    "This is by far one of the most interesting/powerful tools I have
    seen for Linux administration... an extremely interesting tool."
    --Kurt Seifried, Linux Administrators Security Guide
      (https://www.seifried.org/lasg)

PIKT, an innovative new paradigm for administering heterogeneous networked
workstations, is a multi-functional tool for monitoring systems, reporting
and fixing problems, and managing system configurations.  PIKT is quickly
gathering potential as a serious security management system.  PIKT comprises
an embedded scripting language with unique, labor-saving features; a
sophisticated script (and system config file) preprocessor, scheduler, and
installer; and other useful tools.  Like a Swiss Army Knife, PIKT is a
category buster with many, many different uses limited only by your
ingenuity and imagination.

PIKT is distributed under the GNU General Public License.  Available now
for GNU/Linux, AIX, FreeBSD, HP-UX, IRIX, Solaris, and SunOS.  For more info,
and complete source code, documentation, and data files (all 50,000+ lines of
it), please visit the PIKT Web site at:

                      http://pikt.uchicago.edu/pikt


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Robert Osterlund, Unix Systems Manager                berto@gsbrgo.uchicago.edu
Grad School of Business, U of Chicago                       phone: 773/702-8898
1101 E. 58th Street, #309, Chicago, IL 60637, USA             fax: 773/702-0233