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Every week there is some community or tribe that critices another. Maybe this is caused by jealousy or fear.

The OpenSolaris community is not perfect, nor is the Linux community.

If we do a search for "why I left Linux" there wil l be the exact reasons critising Linux that are used here to criticise OpenSolaris. http://apcmag.com/why_i_quit_kernel_developer_con_kolivas.htm This bashdot article does not do anything positive for the IT industry. It only helps the proprietary vendors laugh and encourage the open companies and organisations to fight one another. Proprietary organisations are the only winners here, causing two like minded communities to fight, Linux and Solaris. Can Linux/Unix put it's efforts into being better than proprietary OSes e.g. Win, AIX, HP-UX etc. Making Linux and OpenSolaris fight is only good for the proprietary non-open source vendors.

Can Linus have dinner with Jonathon Schwartz what is there to be scared of, they might discover a lot in common and who the real enemy is.

Serenity Now!

That just makes this even more puzzling. Why not give them official access if they already have it unofficially? Because the story quotes them as saying it won't be available until next month.

Also, even though Microsoft has 'confirmed' that, has it been independently confirmed? I didn't see any mention of that fact in reports like this one.

Just wondering, because as you may have guessed, I submitted this and I don't believe in Imaginary Property.

*some* Linux devs don't care about the desktop... This one did, and look where that got him in the community.

Within the 'user' marketplace, Linux desktop just has to be easy to install, easy to manage and easy to get new stuff on there. No config files, GUI everything, then they'll (slowly) come.

Within the business marketplace, its stuff like this that turns the managers off. Why get into Linux when the development teams are arguing all over the place, that sounds like risk, and they don't like risk. Far safer to stick to a tried and trusted OS like Windows that has a nice support line and a stable company behind it. The adage "Nobody ever got fired for buying IBM" still applies today (except for Microsoft, not IBM).

I think, if you really want to get people working with Linux, get it running in a window on Windows in a transparent virtualisation layer, so you get all the linux apps running natively without having to give up any Windows apps. Maybe the other way round would work too, but that's more of a risk to the boss so not as attractive. Don't try to replace Windows, try to embrace it, extend it and, well you know the rest ;)

Ripping off Apple seems to be business as usual for Microsoft. Why do you think MS bought a bunch of Apple stock back in the day? If this screenshot is any indication, though, Microsoft continues its other time-honored tradition of Doing It Wrong. Ye gods! Look at the size of the dock!

http://apcmag.com/system/files/images/androidlive.article-width.JPG

I'm sorry, but it looks really fugly. Even with my dislike of thumb qwerty-keyboards aside.

"And really, don't say to me that there is no value-added way to use JavaScript on webpages" - by FST777 (913657) on Monday November 19, @10:33AM (#21407579) ----

Yes, you mean like THESE (which you also missed in your skimming):

http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2007/11/doubleclick

&

http://apcmag.com/5382/microsoft_apologises_for_serving_malware_to_customers

For example - if you follow security related news, you will see that JavaScript is the key avenue being used against you in today's attacks (even thru adbanners!

(You know - the kind of "value adds" in the adbanners that slow you down as is by loading them (ADBANNER HOSTS FILE BLOCKING TIME, lol), but also, expose you to virus/trojan/spyware/malware, as those do above)

They are NOT the only ones the past few years either, but 2 of many I could site in fact where adbanners that are javascript driven create exploits like these...

(Heck - most of the exploits plaguing browsers & email clients today? Javascripted (or, activeX but you see far more javascript ones lately in spywares)).

Yea... some "value add" there, that (no thanks, I'll stay safe & virus/trojan/spyware/malware free instead)!

----

"There are many, but they are not often used, because we have to keep in mind that a lot of paranoid sheep disable JavaScript completely." - by FST777 (913657) on Monday November 19, @10:33AM (#21407579)

LOL, sure some (that are good, for banking &/or shopping sites, 2 examples I put up in my init. post you'd be right, but... check out the two "many value adds" (not) I point out above, one is VERY RECENT (past couple days in fact)).

Plus - I addressed that already (I make exceptions sites & state it explicitly & HOW TO, as safely as possible in my init. post by using either Opera 9.24 OR Netscape 9.0.0.3 as the choices I'd use since they bear the least unpatched vulnerabilities @ 0% for BOTH)!

Again - your skimming did you in badly...

APK

P.S.=> Better luck next time, & DO read folks' posts completely thru next time ok? It'll save you some "egg on your face", but... you only have yourself to blame on that account, not I... apk

"UAC is basically SEWindows" - by ctr2sprt (574731) on Sunday November 18, @06:48PM (#21401669)

No, this is more like it (& the 12 steps it uses to make Windows 2000/XP/Server 2003, & yes, even VISTA in many of its principles, more secured):

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?s=f4b0388085f46ffe45bbc0c4acf7b358&p=500261#post500261

It works.

APK

P.S.=> It's as secure as I can make a Windows machine, & I hope you all try it (those of you that use Windows) & gain the same as I have... I would also add this onto it (stopping Java/JavaScript/ActiveX usage on the public internet since unfortunately, they are used against you @ times, even in adbanners the past few years now):

AN IMPORTANT POINT:

STOP JAVASCRIPT USAGE IN YOUR BROWSERS (along with ActiveX & JAVA) On the PUBLIC internet, PERIOD!

Why? Well, read on:

Fact is, that today? Well... Javascript's dangerous & can be used AGAINST you, as well as help you... it truly is, or can be, a 'double-edged sword'...

(For example - if you follow security related news, you will see that JavaScript is the key avenue being used against you in today's attacks (even thru adbanners!)). Some examples:

http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2007/11/doubleclick

&

http://apcmag.com/5382/microsoft_apologises_for_serving_malware_to_customers

If you MUST use Javascript (for instance, on a particular site like banking or shopping oriented ones)?

Try "NoScript" (the .xpi addon for FireFox/Mozilla/NetScape 9 etc.) & let it let YOU decide sites to use it on, & then DISABLE JAVA/JAVASCRIPT globally...

(& if you use IE, trying to do the same can be a nightmare (as IE will "nag you to death" if you turn off javascript on sites that use it)).

Opera has similar functionality, ALBEIT, built into it by default as a NATIVE tool!

I.E.-> The ability to GLOBALLY block scripting tools like Javascript, BUT... to also allow it for sites you MUST use it on as exceptions to the GLOBAL rule set in Tools, Preferences menus it has on its menubar.

Opera has the NATIVE BUILT IN ABILITY to allow you to use it on sites you visit IF you must, via rightclicks on the page & "EDIT SITE PREFERENCES" popup menu submenu item that appears.

Either way? It works, & I STRONGLY recommend this. I also recommend Opera for these reasons (less security holes period, & the 1 it had yesterday? Patched yesterday too... fast!)

SECUNIA DATA ON BROWSER SECURITY (dated 10/20/2007):

Opera 9.24 security advisories @ SECUNIA (0% unpatched):

http://secunia.com/product/10615/?task=advisories

* NETSCAPE 9.0.0.3 also qualifies here, as does Opera, with 0% unpatched known bugs/issues!

FireFox 2.0.0.9 security advisories @ SECUNIA (25% unpatched):

http://secunia.com/product/12434/

IE 7 (latest cumulative update from MS) security advisories @ SECUNIA (40% unpatched):

http://secunia.com/product/12366/

Those %'s are the latest for FireFox 2.0.0.8, IE7 after last "patch Tuesday" from MS with the "CUMULATIVE IE UPDATES" they have (see the security downloads URL I post in the 12 steps above to secure yourself), & Opera 9.24... all latest/greatest models.

So, as you can see?

Well, NOT ONLY IS OPERA MORE SECURE/BEARING LESS SECURITY VULNERABILITIES?

It's faster too, on just about ANYTHING a browser does, & is probably the MOST sta

actually, it's only Windows 2008 Server, not Vista. Bill Laing's "a server guy", and his announcement was about the server versions, but the media misapplied it to Vista. http://apcmag.com/6121/windows_server_gets_vista_version_itis

from TFA:
Pirates crack Vista

1. Install system and every program that you think is usefull for the user of PC.
2. Backup system partition. (http://apcmag.com/install/)
3. Let the user use PC for a month.
4. Restore backed-up system partition.
5. If you like the user, update all the programs, ask her what she wants to add, ... And actualize the backup.
6. Repeat from step 3.

Where did you get that impression? Do you have any references? That's not really true. 3D games were just one of the many benchmarks(as they should be). It was more about desktop responsiveness than about 3D games. Con Kolivas actually pointed out the problems and solved them. Even Linus was convinced and the new Completely Fair Scheduler (CFS) is based on Con Kolivas work and ideas(but not code).

Yet all it took was to start up an audio application and wonder why on earth if you breathed on it the audio would skip. Skip! Jigabazillion bagigamaherz of CPU and we couldn't play audio? Or click on a window and drag it across the screen and it would spit and stutter in starts and bursts. Or write one large file to disk and find that the mouse cursor would move and everything else on the desktop would be dead without refreshing for a minute.

Most of what did end up going in were changes to the CPU scheduler to improve interactivity, fairness, SMP user fairness, making 'nice' behave itself, hyperthread fairness and so on. There were lots of other minor contributions in other areas, such as the virtual memory subsystem, software suspend, disk i/o scheduling and random bugfixes.

Some changes did come about as a result of these benchmarks, but mostly on the disk I/O front. So I was still left looking at this stuttering CPU scheduling performance.

I don't think that long interview even mentioned 3D games. Way to belittle someone's hard work who has actually done work towards improving the kernel by your armchair ignorance(and getting modded up for it).

between Linus Torvalds and his minions squaring off against Con Kolivas and the mainstream Linux fanatics

Agree. The fact that Microsoft says something doesn't make it so --but people don't know that.

Earlier this month, Microsoft said that Google could not have done without them, and now they're saying that Microsoft products are no longer the butt of jokes.

They can say that just because they are a big company and people listen to them. Whether we choose to believe Microsoft is a different matter.

I remember wearing my first business suit, complete with starched shirt and necktie, early in my university years. People would take me seriously because I was dressed in business attire, no matter what I said. It was fun! Once I stood at the entrance foyer to the city concert hall with my sloppily dressed friends, and people would come up to me and ask for directions and generally assume that I was not part of that group of friends in T-shirt and jeans. I tell them some ridiculous thing with a straight face (like there were free concert tickets upstairs if they could show a McDonalds hamburger wrapper) and people would believe me. Another time I asked to see a high school friend of mine who was in the middle of some all-day meeting, just to socialize (I knew the event was boring) and they just assumed I was a university teacher.

The pranks got boring after the first few times, but it made me realize how easily we accord credibility and respect to certain people for reasons that have nothing to do with the content of their message or their position.

It takes a huge effort to constantly critically evaluate whether to believe something, whether to believe that silver-haired "doctor" on the TV commercials who says your male organ will grow by 50%, or that typical mom-looking woman in the magazine ad (cuddling her baby, no less) who says that XX works on her cold symptoms, or that bespectacled politician who says that illegal immigrants are the cause of failure to curb crime, or your friend at the bar who says, "The Linux kernel is insecure. Trust me --I write web pages for a living." (Yeah, so you know all about the Linux kernel, right?)

So, we end up picking and choosing what we evaluate critically. When we're alert and fresh, we think critically; but after a long hard day at work, or when you feel like just flaking out with a beer in one hand and the TV remote in the other, we let our guard down. That's when the TV commercials hit us, when the Bill O'Reillys and the Wolf Blitzers insinuate their messages. Similarly, Microsoft gets its message splashed across any media space available, and people will listen. It's we geeks who are best able to peel away the facade, to say, "Hey, Microsoft, [[citation needed!]]"

For all I care, next week Microsoft can go say that Microsoft has produced the best Linux for PalmPilots since George Washington invented the Internet.

Can you, or this blogger, or anyone, site some actual evidence that shows what the fuck "optimized" even means? You know, you guys go around spouting stuff about how Linux is too serveresque, but no one so far as I've seen has even defined that. A decade ago there might have been something to the complaint, although I can tell you now that I can take a Pentium 233mhz and turn it into a router running the newer kernels, and have it run like a hot damn, so I think you, like some other folks, are just spouting ill-conceived crapola.

Huh? Cite what? Have you been living under a rock? Even Linus knows the issues involved and hence is moving to CFS in the latest kernel.

The issues are complex, so no wonder your oversimplications and silly anectodes fail to make the cut. As for actual evidence, read about how Con Kolivas set about doing exactly what you asked here . Also I think you should read the CK mailing lists if you really want to get into the nitty gritty details.

Why not try to keep yourself informed instead of accusing others of spouting crapola? Or maybe everyone should take your word and stop trying to improve Linux because you "can take a Pentium 233mhz and turn it into a router running the newer kernels, and have it run like a hot damn"

All the people stating that a fork of Linux kernel is needed to support the differenced between the Desktop and Server are woefully misinformed.
Do you really believe that the Server runtime is more different from the Desktop that it is from mobile phones, retail routers, and other embedded devices? If a fork was not required to handle the embedded environment, it is certainly not needed to handle desktop.
The argument that configuration options can't support the need for different optimizations between Server and desktop is likewise misinformed. The config scripts and C Preprocessor could support building a kernel from entirely different codebases if necessary - even if you DID 'fork' the kernel, "make config" and make could handle this, up to and including applying patches to source files generated by diff-ing your new source tree and the standard kernel tree.
Con did not apparently quit because of the lack of focus on Desktop, not entirely - he did not quit until a similar scheduler patch from another developer (Ingo) was accepted*. He had some technical Which means his problem was not the core team's reaction to Desktop oriented patches, but the way he felt they acted toward him. Valid complaint or not, this is not a technical issue - it is a personal issue, and will not be solved by advocating a kernel fork.
If a person wants to fork the kernel, because they think they can do a better job of maintaining it and directing development than the current dev team, good for them. I doubt it will gain a lot of traction, but if they CAN do a good enough job to compete, good for them. But I doubt anyone who is advocating a kernel fork "for the desktop" because desktop optimization is incompatible with server optimization within the same source tree will be able to do so, because it indicates incomplete understanding about how the build and configuration process works. If a successful fork for the desktop were to be done (which I do not advocate) it would be done because someone was better at directing development for the desktop... and I think the best of these modifications would be quickly snapped up by the mainline developers.

*http://apcmag.com/6762/interview_with_con_kolivas_part_2_his_effort_to_improve_linux_performa/

Your examples totally miss the point. The CPU scheduler is a *lot* more crucial to desktop performance than swap space, memory config etc. etc.

Have you even been keeping up with the whole CPU scheduler in the kernel issue that the article mentions?

The whole point is that the CPU scheduler is NOT modular and you cannot change its behavior by much by changing kernel options. Con(along with soemone else) made patches to make it modular, calling it plugsched, but it was nixed from getting into the kernel by Linus who said something on the lines of "The scheduler is not something you see frequent changes in."

Con wanted it because desktop users can easily plug his desktop-centric scheduler into the kernel. For a lot more details read here .

What a bunch of babies.

Maybe to you. To me all the flaming and arguing, over a change that will not--apparently--have much of an effect upon the average user, means that the kernel developers are passionate about what they do. It means that, once the dust settles, we'll get a superior product. Maybe if the developers in Microsoft were this passionate Windows would be as good as GNU/Linux.

If you're not entertained by this you don't have to read the stories, just apt-get upgrade and enjoy the software. This is the way things work in the world of Free software, as Linus says: 'May the best code win!' If you want a kernel developed by boring, outsourced workers: choose Microsoft.

"I might use a HOSTS file to direct requests for that domain to 0.0.0.0 just to protect myself from any inadvertent requests I may make." - by mcmonkey (96054) on Tuesday September 11, @01:34PM (#20557241)

Agreed, 110% - & there are many benefits to doing it for the end-user, in both speed AND security no less... read on:

DOWNLOAD LINK for a good custom HOSTS file that blocks over 27,000 known adbanner servers:

http://forums.techpowerup.com/attachment.php?s=7cbf6b5496c42c57137f9a1383375223&attachmentid=6540&d=1172567412

(PURPOSE DESCRIPTIONS, INSTALLATION DIRECTIONS & EDITING DIRECTIONS BELOW)

1st of all, it's my (and YOUR) monthly bandwidth I/you/we all pay for, so I demand all of it be MINE, & not for downloading adbanner content I do not want (or, do not want to be infected by (& THIS HAS HAPPENED, via malicious script in some of them the past few years now in fact)):

Why use an ADBANNER BLOCKING HOSTS file? Here is why!

CHECK THIS, DATED TODAY 02/21/2007:

Microsoft apologises for serving malware

http://apcmag.com/5382/microsoft_apologises_for_serving_malware_to_customers

This is by no means, a first either... it's happened QUITE A FEW TIMES the past few years!

The attached custom HOSTS file here in the first URL above IS A DOWNLOADABLE WORKAROUND attached as a zipfile (hosts.zip), w/ install directions a few posts beneath that (easy) THAT SECURES YOU AGAINST THIS & ALSO SPEEDS YOU UP AS A BONUS

It also secures you against times your routers are under attack, or IF YOUR ISP/BSP's DNS SERVERS GO DOWN (per this URL from another thread here & from SLASHDOT DATA AS WELL)

Computer Routers face Hijack Risk:

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=25734

SLASHDOT - DNS Root Server under attack:

http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/06/2238225

Keep reading...

AND, sorry webmasters: Yes, I know many of you do NOT like this file of mine & others like it, but this is a BIG part of why I use one!

(Mine blocks nearly 27,000 known adbanner servers & allows users to speed up access to their fav. sites - THIS latter part though, speed up of access to fav. sites, the user has to setup, himself, but, not loading the banners does as well AND secures you against this very type of threat!)

I comment out an example of it in the file so the users have a template how to do it... & it's FULLY documented internally in my 'custom HOSTS file', on how to get around when a site changes its URL/IP equation too - very easy, ping & notepad.exe!

It is also FULLY alphabetized in addition to being organized into diff. sections, so hunting down servers that may already exist in it for blocking adbanners is easier!

(this was done via a program I wrote up for myself that is noted near the top, which automates checks for me of existing vs. non-existing servers for adbanner blocks in its content - you don't have that, but the program sorted them all this way - this is so you can add new ones easily IN alphabetical order, or find them so you do NOT have 'double entries' (no big deal, because once it is loaded by your local dns cache, it removes those, but the shorter it is, the faster it is loaded!))

* HOWEVER, THIS is an example of part of why I use this file!

That, & the fact I pay for my linetime, & want ALL the speed possible out of it... meaning no calls to DNS servers w/ fav. sites you add to it, & YOU add them, not I (takes more time than using this file by FAR) & no calling out to adbanner

... grinding that anti-MS axe.

Hey, that's not fair. I stand up for Microsoft now and then. Were those posts not helpful?

The Fine Article is about HP selling consumer desktop PCs with Linux, though. I don't what your post has to do with that but you anonymous cowards aren't getting astroturf points off of me today. Instead I'll provide informative topical discussion and foil your evil plot.

The original source for this story is apcmag. From that article:

Hewlett-Packard, the world's largest PC manufacturer, has announced it will start selling Linux-based PCs from $AU600 in Australia.

I can only hope this is a pilot, with PCs for the US market to follow. Like many of the people leaving comments on that story, I would like to buy some Linux laptops from HP here in the US. I would also like to see a choice of processors. This is a nice start though.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 Desktop also comes with OpenOffice preinstalled, Firefox for web browsing and Evolution for email.

That sounds like a full featured environment for the average user. Much better than Microsoft Works, a non-removable trial copy of Office and the usual collection of junkware that comes with a Windows PC. With compatible software vendors like this impressive list finding commercial software for your HP/Red Hat system should be no trouble. Dag has a whole bunch of free stuff available for it too. I imagine Windows users will have a hard time understanding that yes, you can just click on one of thousands of great free programs and it will install but it won't turn your PC into a spam zombie. It shouldn't take them long to get fond of it though. That's a significant change for people used to dealing with a software vendor that's proud that three quarters of a million of their customers were infested with root kits.

Windows gamers will be relieved to hear that for a measly $5/mo they can join Transgaming and play Windows games. If they have Windows programs they don't want to throw away like one of these, Wine will be a nice free addition to their Red Hat desktop. If they prefer a professionally maintained compatibility engine they might like Codeweavers' Crossover Linux which supports these programs and only costs $40.

The list of hardware known to be compatible with RHEL 5 is impressive, as is the list of systems that are certified and supported.

Disclosure - I also don't work for anybody mentioned here or sell their stuff. My opinions belong to me and I'm not getting paid to have them. YMMV, yadda yadda.

The choice of Red Hat as a partner in this venture shows just how GNU/Linux

Please take a look at this link: http://apcmag.com/3912/qantas_ban_may_extend_to_ma c_laptops

Hear, hear! Don't forget The Humane Interface . It should be a requirement for any programmer or designer.

I would also make sure Linux reads these books himself, as he seems to have the impression that thinking about the interface is "fluffy".

"Microsoft is not the "necessary evil" of the computing industry. I fervently believe that the industry has been stifled in the long run because of what Microsoft has done in being predatory and killing off competition while being a monopoly." - by HermMunster (972336) on Saturday August 11, @11:59PM (#20200179)

By them BUILDING A BETTER MOUSETRAP? That IS how they did it, after all... a more flexible, versatile, ubiquitous presence, with great OS products (especially since 2000/XP/Server 2003 & lately, VISTA, which is getting GOOD feedback on performance improvements in the next URL below, mind you):

http://apcmag.com/6929/vista_sp1_in_depth

"It used its power in a criminal way and has created a path down which we may never be able to recover. The hopes are that we can branch and have a 50-50 choice in software or even a 30-30-30. But being 90-10 is not the way to go for any industry." - by HermMunster (972336) on Saturday August 11, @11:59PM (#20200179)

See my subject line/title of my reply here to you again, please... some criminal activity! The world's made a choice & that's to use the BEST OVERALL SOLUTION FOR HOME & BUSINESS - Windows!

(95% of the world's PC's use it from the home up to the business LAN/WAN environs, for every conceivable purpose, after all!)

AND, despite what "nerds/geeks" may think?

People look around, & see different things, & make their choices & ARE NOT STUPID: They go with what just works, & with the most peripheral hardware & document formats (& again, that's Windows!)

"Only through competition with lots of car companies have we been able to produce some exceptional cars that are praised world-wide. Having only one software company essentially stifles all that." -

Man, the "hacker/cracker" types out there CREATE IMPROVEMENT in this field, for one thing, so they don't let MS "just sit there & not innovate", because in a BIG WAY, I feel they "force them to", & this works out in the long haul, excellently - with they acting as MS' biggest & best security researchers!

PLUS, I have watched Windows become FAR MORE SECURE & STABLE than it ever was in the Win9x days & prior...

----

1.) Partially due to better development techniques in use now & better tools for it, ala:

E.G. #1 - CODE AUDITING THE DEFCON WAY:

http://it.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=158231&cid= 13257227

----

2.) Partially because of security ideas & techniques becoming stronger, not only @ the perimeter defenses & server levels, but also @ the network client/single user PC level, ala:

E.G. #2 - APK "12 step program" 4 a secure Windows NT-based OS (2000/XP/Server 2003/VISTA):

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?s=3e7 8ea52bc119fb94a59e51abf7c47a5&p=375355#post375355

----

3.) Lastly/IN BIG "Partially" because of Microsoft initiating their "feedback" on crashdump analysis as well, via remote communications back to their servers with that info. & issuing patches via "Windows Update" &/or corporate homepages for direct downloads for multiuser scenarios distribution by network admins/engineers/techs.

"The good thing is that in the short and long term IP will eventually begin to stifle Microsoft because clearly their employees can only produce so much IP each year" - by HermMunster (972336) on Saturday August 11, @11:59PM (#20200179)

Not with the "hacker/cracker/phisher" types out there... they FORCE change, due to holes they find... improvements in the product result. See the above where I stated this, for examples thereof...

"The rest of the industry is producing a

"Windows XP was released with no effective firewall software, leaving users exposed in an online world. The situation was eventually remedied with the inclusion of Windows Firewall in XP Service Pack 2. This application in an of itself wasn't considered the best client firewall out there, but it did (and does) effectively stop incoming traffic"

A software filewall is next to useless as it can be disabled by the malware. You need a standalone embedded solution like what comes on the average ADSL router. Blocking outgoing traffic is also considered de rigueur as it prevents the malware from contacting its host, when the machine invariably gets infected with the next virus.

"Is it the ads that bother you? Slashdot is adware, you know." - by catbutt (469582) on Thursday August 02, @01:30PM (#20089029)

I know, BUT... that? I can EASILY control, via simple HOSTS files entries, blocking ads, which bother me because they are using MY paid for bandwidth (sorry webmasters, I pay for this stuff JUST LIKE YOU, & I don't want ads eating my bandwidth which I pay for...).

Also? I don't want malwares/virus/trojans/etc. & you name it, from them either:

(YES, it happens too).

CHECK THIS, DATED TODAY 02/21/2007:

Microsoft apologises for serving malware

http://apcmag.com/5382/microsoft_apologises_for_se rving_malware_to_customers

This is by no means, a first either... it's happened QUITE A FEW TIMES the past few years!

So has this:

Computer Routers face Hijack Risk:

http://forums.techpowerup.com/showthread.php?t=257 34

AND, THIS:

SLASHDOT - DNS Root Server under attack:

http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/02/06/223 8225

AND, again: Sorry webmasters: Yes, I know many of you do NOT like this file of mine & others like it, but this is a BIG part of why I use one!

(Mine blocks nearly 100,000 known adbanner servers currently (lately, also many sites known as badware housers, per GOOGLE data on this, which I tend to trust)...

This practice some follow, as you know, like myself, allows users to speed up access to their fav. sites as well - THIS latter part though, speed up of access to fav. sites, the user has to setup, himself, but, not loading the banners does as well AND secures you against this very type of threat!)

I comment out an example of it in the file so the users have a template how to do it... & it's FULLY documented internally in my 'custom HOSTS file', on how to get around when a site changes its URL/IP equation too - very easy, ping & notepad.exe!

It is also FULLY alphabetized in addition to being organized into diff. sections, so hunting down servers that may already exist in it for blocking adbanners is easier!

AGAIN, WHY? Well, for the fact I pay for bandwidth, & do NOT trust BIND DNS totally per the above, & want the speed I can gain blocking ads and yes, doing my own resolutions to various sites (and, I can identify when its time to comment them off if they don't respond to test if their IP changed, OR they are truly down)

ALL OF THE ABOVE? WELL, I'm just NOT with that... simple, so I want CoNtRoL of it.

Also?

As far as MS doing this? BAD DAMN MOVE & especially THIS part:

MICROSOFT BYPASSES THE HOST FILE:

http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/04/16/13 51217 [slashdot.org]

Read that... HOSTS files? They'll "bypass it"...

Which means you CANNOT control the ads period (locally stored on disk via caches or whatever, or if from online)...

I bought an OS & wares to use, not to be further advertised to, especially from a company that is ALREADY #1, but apparently, is looking for BAD PRESS via this adframework insertion & doing this to ANY of their wares!

(How long before the OS does this too I wonder)

I paid for it, right? I don't want the ads, & I won't buy ware that has them, & ones that especially limit my ability to CONTROL, period.

APK

P.S.=> Now, also? VISTA isn't going to do well, @ least before SP #1 (this is typical and cautious consumerism, & the masses are following this view largely, including business' & IT staffs making their recommendations)... It seems, like those folks? I am also going to wait out SP #1, as was

You make it sound like Con invented fair scheduling. No, this is a direct quote from Con's interview:

"I've seen many people accuse me of claiming I invented fair scheduling. Let me set the record straight. I make no such ridiculous claim."

http://apcmag.com/6762/interview_with_con_kolivas_ part_2_his_effort_to_improve_linux_performa

That's a very good question. It has been yanked off the firehose page, too.

Anyway, here's a link to TFA: http://apcmag.com/6735/interview_con_kolivas

They don't have three years left

No, of course not. Linux is where it's at, right? Except that even Windows 98 has more market share. With a combined market share of 93% for all "M$" operating systems, I can see how they're going to disappear in three years. Oh, wait. You said that in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. Oh yeah, 2008 is the year of Linux in the desktop according to you. No, really. Too bad the desktop doesn't really work. Anyone who uses Linux knows this (and many other things), but it's just too inconvenient to mention them. Instead it's so much more productive to troll Slashdot with hilarious FUD and spell Microsoft with a dollar sign.

I've always been curious twitter, do you really believe this stuff you write? Seriously? Are you just delusional or does someone pay you to preach the same tired mantra year after year?

Funnily enough MS sent me Vista for free for watching some technical videos. The high price was the #2 and #3 reason not to get it. You got it for free. That knocked 2 items off the list. http://apcmag.com/5049/10_reasons_not_to_get_vista

This worm or virus depending on who is saying it, requires Perl, XChat and write and executable access to be able to run. None of which applies to any self respecting Linux users computer. Yet another bogus Linux 'virus' article. Must be a slow day for real news.

"They are attacking the vulnerability of people's brains ", Graham Cluley, Sophos

With whispers on the wind of Windows Vienna (could be speculation, who knows) but this is starting to feel like Windows ME all over again. I for one hated Windows Millennium Edition, it was an orphan operating system, poor driver support and about as stable as a one legged drunken sailor aboard a dingy in the midst of a tornado!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_%22Vienna%22
http://apcmag.com/4357/vista_goes_gold_the_frenzy_ begins

I pose the question, is Vista just another tide Microsoft over till they release the next real XP Upgrade? Is the public going to be fooled again? I don't know, but I don't forget things that easily and history has a funny way of repeating itself.

I'm quite aware I'm going to have to support it as an operating regardless and it will most likely drive me up the wall just like Windows ME did. But for me personally I will be sticking to Ubuntu for my workstation and Windows XP for my gaming rig (well at least until I can game on Linux.. Yes I'm allowed to dream!).

If MS stops XP sales and forces a Vista change over then just waiting for other muppets to sort things is not a workable strategy.

These incompatabilities run deep. Even some Microsoft stuff does not work with Vista. eg. Platform Builder (used for Windows CE development) is XP only.

XP also got two service packs and other patches besides. XP did suck when it came out but I was sorta there. XP then didn't suck as badly as Vista does now. Vista Service Pack 1 is going to be out later this year ( http://apcmag.com/5098/microsoft_kick_starts_vista _sp1 ). That it is coming out so soon means even MS knows that they pushed a flakey half-baked product out the door.

At my workplace, there will be no Vista until Service Pack 2. At that point, we figure MS will be releasing the product they should have put out in the first place.

Any chance you, or some Anonymous Coward, would like to provide a link or other information about that? I'm really curious since I've never heard of a crack being open-sourced before.

Cracking groups always seemed very -- at some points almost comically -- secretive about their source code and method of exploits; I'd sooner expect a crack dealer to give you the name of his wholesaler than for a cracker to distribute source.

Kinda makes me wonder if perhaps the number of trojans disguised as cracks have been the push necessary even to push the 'black' areas of coding into open source.

and the exploits being sold? No, I don't know either, but if they're going for amounts like $50,000, my guess is that they are current, effective and soon to be widespread. In any case http://apcmag.com/5098/microsoft_kick_starts_vista _sp1 vista has "high impact issues" including security issues according to Microsoft.

Keep in mind that this is only an estimate of the AU pricing. Also, from the same site: "However, the upgrade pricing of Home Premium at an estimated $267 is substantially cheaper than the price of XP Pro at $345. This shows that Microsoft has recognised that many home users prefer XP Pro over the artificially hobbled Home version and it has taken this into account in its Vista range and pricing strategy." http://apcmag.com/node/3109

...Amit Singh from IBM and kernelthread.com (slashdotted 16 times for excellent technical articles on various bits of internals of Apple hardware and Mac OS X) has his own legacy boot solution as well. From a rejected submission:

It appears that Amit Singh of IBM Almaden Research Center, of kernelthread.com and author of Mac OS X Internals, has devised a method to allow legacy, or BIOS-based, booting on Intel-based Macs, which they're calling "BAMBIOS". This means operating systems that currently only support legacy booting, such as many Linux distributions that don't yet support EFI, or things like Windows XP and the forthcoming Windows Vista (the 32-bit version of which will lack EFI support), will now be able to run on Intel-based Macs without modification (and completely legally). There is also another solution from "narf2006", described here and shown in this flickr set of photos. narf2006's solution is awaiting verification by Colin for the $12,000 pot. Time to get that MacBook Pro you've been waiting on for the best of both worlds, everyone...

So even if narf2006's solution isn't real, Amit's solution most certainly is, since he has a great deal of credibility. One way or another, we'll all be able to boot Windows directly on our Intel-based Macs.

This will be great news for people interested in Windows gaming on an Intel-based Mac (who really need the direct video access) and/or people who just want to do it NOW; however, a virtualization solution running under Mac OS X, such as VMware or Parallels, will be the real holy grail for most users. Most people don't want/need/care about the highest graphics and I/O performance; just the ability to run Windows side-by-side with Mac OS X at a speed that is more than usable, and to also have some capability to seamlessly share things like clipboards and files between the environments (as a nice VM environment would most certainly do). Not to mention not having to reboot.

In any case, even dual booting will be a welcome capability. It remains to be seen how convoluted the process is...

Also, I just spoke with Colin Nederkoorn (the guy running the contest) moments ago, and narf2006's solution has NOT been submitted to him yet. He said that narf2006 said he's "cleaning it up" and will be submitting it "later this week". So, no one, including Colin, has actually seen this solution working yet. Also, he apparently hasn't been in communication with Amit on the BAMBIOS solution as yet...

Didn't I just read this announcement? But read something about "initial release" and not for 32 bit! and not until Longoverduehorn? Let's all read something besides the dot! http://apcmag.com/apc/v3.nsf/0/E666E4A0A303D9AACA2 5712C008166C4/

From that Intel link:

Intel® Precision Cooling Technology is available on selected Intel® Desktop Boards and is OS-independent; it works on Windows* or Linux* based systems. Here are just a few of the advantages of Intel® Precision Cooling technology:

• Fan speeds adjust real time according to system temperatures
• Reduces unnecessary noise & energy consumption
• OS-independent - not affected by a software failure or virus
• Separate thermal zones for CPU & system temperature
• Default setting programmed into BIOS
• Controlled by an advanced management ASIC

The statement makes absolutely no sense. It's like saying that if I buy an FTP program and use it to uload viruses, then the maker of the FTP program has authorised me to do so and can be found liable. It's also clear from the article that the judge invovled here is knows nothing about technology and doesn't seem to be very interested in learning. In my eyes this should disqualify him from the case due to incompetence.

I once thought as you. I mean, really, how can Sharman be held responsible for what the users share on the network, I mean sure it is their network, but anyone can access it right? How are they to blame?

Sharman lost this case not because the Australian record industy had a tight case against them, but because they were idiots and they lied.

Kazaa: We are not resposible for what people put on the network, we can't stop people searching for copyrighted material

ARIA Lawers: But you can influence the search result

Kazaa: Nope, we can't do that

ARIA Lawers: But you do, with these "Gold Files"

Kazza: Ah, but that's so we can make money and boost the exposure of certain files, we can't manipulate what people search for, nore can we block it.

ARIA Lawers: so people can download Child Pornography from your network?

Kazaa: oh no, we would never allow that, we attempt to block that

ARIA Lawer: so you can filter search resuls and block files

Kazaa: nope, we can't do that...

and this was how it went for the ENTIRE case. Kazaa were idiots, they lied to the court about what their software was capable of, there were monitoring files even though they told the court it could not be done. they shot themselves in the foot repeatedly.

Judge Wilcox was a very good choice to hear this case, I don't think that he had any lack of understanding, he had many meetings with both parties to understand what the technologies in this case were about. But Kazaa lied, changed their arguments, ran around in circles. They lost because they were interested in one thing only, MONEY. and they had a massive infrastructure built around new ways to make money. problem was, that this very infrastructure could be used to do all the things that Kazaa said they couldn't do.

I had hoped that Kazaa would win this case, but after reading the reports from the case I can assure you they had no hope whatsoever

Read about it for yourself here . These reports are written in a comical manner, but I believe that this is the best way to view this, it makes the story a little more palatable

act is not a synonym for legal action. In the fictitious example you cite, the appropriate response would be to inform the ACCC that this "Linux OS" is being falsely presented as Linux. Remember that as a result of this trademark decision, Linux is now equated with an Operating System that uses the linux source code. It is precisely this wide definition that would provide the legal justification for the ACCC shutting down an OS that was clearly not being described properly.

A less emotive example would be a manufacturer attempting to produce cardboard tissues. It doesnt matter whether Klennex has a trademark or not, cardboard is not a good material to wipe noses with.

Less obvious abuses may require an advertising campaign or a peaceful protest outside of the offices of the offender; the actions required will depend on the situation the LUGs see as unacceptable.

Now that the law is no longer involved, common sense can now fill the void, and Linux companies can keep their money, and pay the wages of the people that put their sweat into the quality of the name. In 10 years time, someone who attempts to slander "Linux" will be ridiculed on the front pages of APC.

Why is the CEO, CIO and every other person involved with Kazaa and in Australian courts and having their houses raided and this bloke gets in on the BBC. Its interesting to see where things go. These guys are being hauled through Australian courts and this bloke is no where to be seen. Check out http://www.apcmag.com/apc/v3.nsf/0/412A621F4556A65 FCA256E77001DD222 and http://www.apcmag.com/apc/v3.nsf/0/7CC596EF71F41B3 4CA256E77001E31D0 for some information (they're a bit old, but do the trick)

Why is the CEO, CIO and every other person involved with Kazaa and in Australian courts and having their houses raided and this bloke gets in on the BBC. Its interesting to see where things go. These guys are being hauled through Australian courts and this bloke is no where to be seen. Check out http://www.apcmag.com/apc/v3.nsf/0/412A621F4556A65 FCA256E77001DD222 and http://www.apcmag.com/apc/v3.nsf/0/7CC596EF71F41B3 4CA256E77001E31D0 for some information (they're a bit old, but do the trick)

The timing is sadly coincidental, but not wrong. Kazaa was pulling their hijinks with the Red Cross before Christmas; you can read the dispatch from Christmas eve which covered it at the time.

Yeah, the tsunami happened a few days later. Yes, it was sad, and yes, the Red Cross stepped in to help. But that was a coincidence -- Kazaa could not have known that this would happen. The portion you quoted uses the word "coincided" which is another form of "coincidence." And, sometimes coincidences happen.

And setting up a phony relief fund for a significant catastrophe which will occur IN THE FUTURE is another different matter still...

"Piracy" as in "dumping a megaboss nuke on the seafloor from a ship in order to use the resulting humanitarian catastrophe as a smoke-and-mirrors shield to squirrel away your loot?". Or how else could they have known two days beforehand, if they "didn't do it" ???

Why is South East Asia investing billions in a sophisticated tsunami early warning system? Wouldn't it be much cheaper just watching the con-artists scene: as soon as you see the rats prepare to set up phony trust funds, you have 2 days to run for the hills!

(Hint: look at the dates...)

Hey, this reminds me about the 911 stock market rumors. At least those were vaguely plausible (terrorist could have been dumping the stocks). However, in the Kazaa case, I don't really think that Sharman had the resources to set up an underwater undetectable nuke...

If you want to know more about how the trial went, please check out apcmag.com's coverage. It's entertaining, descriptive and insightful. It covers each day of the Kazaa et al. trial. For some reason, links to the other 15 or so articles are missing from this URL (I'm certain they were there earlier). Just search for "kazaagate" on the site, and you'll see all the articles.