Slashdot Mirror
Slashback: Mars, Linksys, Torrent
Fork carefully or be forked preemptively. BSD Forums writes "The leader of the open-source JBoss Java application server environment said that if the group of developers that left his organization attempts to splitâ"or "fork" as it's called in the industryâ"the JBoss code base, he would sue them. Marc Fleury, president of JBoss Group LLC, Atlanta, said he is prepared to take legal action if the group of developers who left the JBoss Group to form a new company, known as Core Developers Network LLC, attempts to diverge from the JBoss code base."
They can learn in the classroom, or outside it. MVP writes "Fridrik "frisk" Skulason, of F-Prot fame (you know, that good old DOS free for personal use antivirus, up-to-date & usable for windows), has a very acid reaction against the decision of University of Calgary to start teaching virus-writing classes (see previous Slashdot thread)."
Just let me control the textbooks ... After a few stories like this one, it may please some people to see at least a partial turnaround from Microsoft on computers donated to schools without Windows licenses. Patrick Cable II writes "I got an interesting letter from Microsoft today at work. Microsoft has started a "Fresh Start" program for educational instutions that basically makes it so schools who have had computers donated to them without licenses or media can get media and a letter stating the computer is licensed to use a Windows operating system (98 or 2000). More information can be found here. Anyone think they're trying to figure out a way to deal with the whole Linux thing?"
Software in the Public Interest has yet to respond with a lower licensing fee for Debian.
More fun than "The Winds of War." For fans of Kim Stanley Robinson, space exploration and colonization, space elevators et cetera, reader Unbeliever writes with new that Hurd will soon meet Mars. "No, not GNU/Hurd, but Gale Ann Hurd. Hurd just signed a deal with Sci-Fi to produce Kim Stanley Robinson's Red Mars as a Sci-Fi 6-hour miniseries. Red Mars is the first of the Robinson's Red/Green/Blue Mars Trilogy, an 'almost plausible sci-fi' future-history approach about Colonizing and Terraforming Mars. The trilogy looks at the technological, sociological, personal, and political challenges of terraforming a different planet. Also of interest to Slashdotters in general is Robinson's ideas on the growth of multi-national corporations into Meta-Nations, and their effects on world politics."
But doesn't that make it radio their way? In the recent Radio Your Way review, our reviewer said of the device that it had "[n]o off button! As far as I can tell, once you turn the device on there is no way to manually turn it off other than to wait for it to enter sleep mode after several minutes. Very annoying."
Another reader writes with this workaround: "In any mode, hold down the stop button (a little square under the play button) for 2-3 seconds to turn off the unit. This is listed in the manual, which you are right, is a very poorly done Korean effort."
Calm down that jerking knee, then apply ice. In response a post which raised the question of whether Linksys was in violation of the GPL by not distributing, nor offering links to, the source code for the software controlling their 802.11g base stations. A representative from Linksys-PR sent in this note about the "missing" source code:
Linksys is a strong proponent of both Linux and the Open Source movement. The code within our routers is using User Space code without linking dynamically or statically to any GPL (GNU GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE) code. Any code which does not have a static or dynamic link to anything covered by the General Public License is not GPL'ed, and can be considered closed source.
We regret it took some time to respond to this posting. To assure timely responses to inquiries like this in the future, please use the following procedure which complies with the requirements of the General Public License:
1. Please put your request in writing or in an email addressed to info@Linksys.com
2. You have to request the code for the specific modules you want. It is not valid to issue a request for any "code you may be using."
3. Technically, you are also supposed to provide us with a self-addressed stamped envelope, along with funds to cover the cost of providing the code to you. But Linksys will handle requests on a case-by-case basis. Thank you."
Straight from the Tiger's mouth. Tiger Direct Executive Vice President Richard Wallet wrote to contradict Michael Robertson's claims that Microsoft was targeting Tiger Direct customers who purchased Lindows systems to offer them steep discounts on Windows XP. Wallet writes:
"TigerDirect is not selling any version of Windows for $50. We are selling Microsoft Windows XP just like any other reseller and we are in compliance with all of Microsoft's licensing agreements, no better, no worse, and no different.TigerDirect does sell low-cost systems with the Lindows operating system. TigerDirect also sells low-cost systems with Microsoft Windows XP. TigerDirect even sells systems with NO operating systems. The only parties who can tell us which products are or aren't worth selling are our customers. Neither Microsoft nor Lindows has a significant influence on what we buy and sell. We aim to serve our customers with the products they want at the very best values available and world-class customer service.
TigerDirect did in fact perform a survey of its customers as it does on a regular basis. Contrary to the author's claim, this survey was not only sent to Lindows buyers. It was sent to everybody who bought systems from TigerDirect during a specific time period. The purpose of the survey was to help us better serve the needs of our customers by getting a better understanding of what they're using the systems for, what they're running on them, and why they purchased what they did. The result of the survey is going to be to help us better align our PC product mix to increase sales."
Many monkeys make slick visuals. IamTheRealMike writes "Hi all, there is a BitTorrent of the XD2 RPMs for Red Hat 9 available, please be gentle with it. It comes as a directory that contains a readme and an ISO - make sure you read the readme first as there is a bug in the installer you need to know about. When all is done and you've read the instructions, just mount the ISO using the loopback device and point the installer at it. For all those who have been trying and failing to get it using the mirror network, this might provide a useful alternative."
JBoss is open source... doesn't the license protect the guys that walked out? Does this mean that Mr. Fleury will sue me as well if I do a JBoss knockoff?
1. Please put your request in writing or in an email addressed to info@Linksys.com
I think that you forgot something, or the post office got way more efficient.
You think that I'm crazy, you should see this guy!
BitTorrent can distribute directories of files, so why add the extra obfuscation?
What is XD2, or is this something that all the cool kids know about, and I don't, so you won't tell me, because I'm not one of the cool kids, and by the way here's my lunch money, please dont't hax0r my box, I didn't say nothing to you, please?
~ a low user id is no indication I have a clue what I'm talking about.
Speaking of which, Microsoft has decided it makes more sense to embrace schools
Kids beware, Microsoft now embraces schools. Learn to recognize Microsoft employees : they're the funny-looking people with long raincoats waiting for you outside the school.
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
So, a suit was only threatened in the case the forked version used the same name as the original (presumably on trademark grounds).
I've said this before (when the original article was posted), but I still suspect the JBoss split is related to their Sun certification troubles.
There's an interesting ZDnet article here that talks about JBoss not being 100% kosher J2EE, and the main group's ongoing dispute with Sun. I think that the breakaway group intendeds to fork JBoss to make a more easily certified version, and this Slashback seems to support that somewhat.
Vino, gyno, and techno -Bruce Sterling
Here's a revolutionary idea. Instead of posting hysterical flamebait stories to the front page, how about you do your homework before the fact? Is it so difficult to email the guy beforehand and ask him for the real story? You sit on submissions for days sometimes, so how problematic would this be?
I know that posting another "M$ is doing evil" story contributes to the bottom line with all the ad impressions and whatnot, but taken as a whole your FUD is no better than Microsoft's. And that puts you on the same ethical bandwagon.
According to guy who reported Linksys possibly not providing source code, his contact within Linksys finally responded and said the lack of source with the WRT54G was unintential. His contact also said that previously they shipped their products with source code on a CD. I found this on the lkml shortly after the slashdot article.
2. You have to request the code for the specific modules you want. It is not valid to issue a request for any "code you may be using."
Well then, what if I ask Linksys to send me any GPL code they're using ? is that valid enough ? because mething they'd have to send it to me.
As for asking what modules I want specifically, how would I know without reverse-engineering the product ?
I know the GPL allows users of GPLed code to require people to ask for the source code of whatever GPL stuff they're using, but when Linksys tells you you have to ask in writing, including a self-addressed stamped envolope, I call that bad will. It would show good grace if they provided a link to the sources on their site, and it would cost them less than processing snail mail.
So Linksys, put your money where your mouth is and show you're a real proponent of Linux and OSS. Right now, you look like freeloaders who want to make the process of getting your sources as painful as possible.
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
If you're serious, it's Ximian Desktop 2, although I find it odd that someone with such a low user id would ask in such an lame way.
That makes sense, I always thought GNU/Hurd qualified as computer science-fiction
Fair is fair; however, it is Linksys who is distributing the programs in binary form to begin with. They cannot simply provide a copy of the GPL in the documentation with their product and say that this covers "all GPL code distributed with this product" without themselves identifying what software the product contains which falls under the GPL. Here, check out the TiVO website for an example of how it's done.
-renard
The NY Times article on 'Thedeacon' had it all wrong, apparently because of a personal vendetta or simply bad journalism:
? s= ff915490517fe192403f903ca23ea861&threadid=143417&p erpage=20&pagenumber=1
http://forums.anarchy-online.com/showthread.php
I was wondering this same thing myself...I would think the University would be partly liable in a court of law, though I don't really know if it should be. They are supplying the resources the student needs to create the virus, and educating them on how to do it. Now if they can show that they took every reasonable precaution to prevent it from getting out and the student still somehow snuck it out, then they might be OK--but consider the biological parallel: it's like showing someone how to make anthrax, giving them the means to do so, and then not having a secure lab environment, thus creating a hazard to the community.
Like I said though, it ultimately comes down to the student's will to pull the trigger, but considering that the University is supplying the gun...it's shaky ground.
"I may be quite wrong." - Socrates
...and even though much of what he says is correct (most virus writers, particularly nowadays, are just script-kiddies and not particularly good programmers) I can't agree with his main point. There are very valid reasons to write viruses as learning experiments. And not just for people interested in working in security either - as pure CS there is a lot to be said for it.
He gives the impression that all viruses are harmful, but that's simply not true and he must know that. Many viruses, including all the early ones, were pure CS experiments in artificial life. They had no 'payload', no destructive nature, they just try to survive and reproduce, the basics of biological life transplanted to the digital realm.
Now writing a virus with a destructive payload and spreading it to other people's computers - that is clearly unethical, but I really doubt that's what they have planned in this class.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Friends don't let friends enable ecmascript.
As usual, the trade rag is unnecessarily alarmist and so is the referring /. blurb. The quote of interest is:
"I did think about them forking," Fleury said. "If they fork JBoss, that's another problem. If there's a new JBoss, if they fork it and call it JBoss I would sue them. There is only one version that we control."
Fleury's saying he would not sue over a mere fork, per se, but instead a violation of the JBoss trademark. In other words, if CDN forked the code but called it something other than JBoss, there would be nothing to sue about.
I'm pretty tired of programmers who think people should adapt to machines instead of machines to people. So, people don't react in an optimal way to a virus infection. Perhaps someone will have some new ideas about how to create software that either makes the behavior change required easier and less annoying than not changing behavior, or makes it completely unecessary. Software is for people. People aren't for software.
This whole section has nothing to do with the point. Sure it takes more skill to write anti-virus software, but that doesn't mean a thorough understanding of how to write a virus wouldn't be helpful. It also doesn't mean that teaching someone how to write a virus turns them into a low skill programmer.
One could argue that all the pieces of source code lying around that are designed to reproduce themselves in their output are a form of virus, yet writing them is considered an interesting intellectual challenge worthy of a serious programmer.
This requirement is predicated on the automatically assumed malicious intent of anybody who writes a virus. The school is trying to protect against accidents, not a deliberate attempt to unleash a virus on the net as a whole.
Preventing source code printouts is only a very minor deterrent against such maliciousness. So I don't think think it's worth considering putting into practice as it invites circumvention by treating the people taking the class as if they were criminals. People treated as criminals from the outset are more likely to act like criminals.
The only valid point in the entire thing.
The rest of it is all predicated on the assumption that anybody who takes the course automatically has criminal intent. I prefer not calling people criminals until they commit a crime. Writing a virus shouldn't be a crime. Releasing one into the wild should be.
The social consequences of making virus writing seem legitimate is a real consideration. Though, I have an unfounded suspicion that the attitude that it isn't legitimate tends to inhibit a-life research some.
Need a Python, C++, Unix, Linux develop
Here is the readme if you're wondering about it before downloading that 473 MB file ;-)
/mnt/cdrom for RedHat)
btw, I love bittorrent... downloading at 250-400 k/s !
--
Note!
To Install Ximian Desktop 2 for RedHat 9 (x86), please do the following:
1) Burn the ISO to a CD.
2) Mount the CD, and run installer-i386. make sure you have network
connectivity. The installer will need a file from ximian.com, but it's only
300k.
3) Select "Local Media" and point it at where you mounted the cd (usually
4) THIS IS IMPORTANT!
You'll get to a point where you verify what packages the installer will
install. LOOK AT THE VERSIONS of the packages that will be installed.
Note all the packages that do NOT have 'ximian' in the version number.
These need to be installed from RedHat 9 media BEFORE continuing.
If you see any packages that lack 'ximian' in its version, QUIT THE INSTALLER,
install the missing packages, and rerun the installer.
5) After noting 4, and installing the "missing" packages, rerun the installer.
In a few minutes, you'll be able to enjoy your new XD2 install!
Section 3 of version 2 of the GNU General Public License provides three options for those wishing to distribute GPL'ed software: (a) "Accompany it with the complete corresponding machine-readable source code [...]" (as I understand it, Linksys did not do this), (b) "Accompany it with a written offer, valid for at least three years, to give any third party , for a charge no more than your cost of physically performing source distribution, a complete machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code [...]", or, (c) an option available "allowed only for noncommercial distribution" (not the case of Linksys). So, I infer that Linksys is now trying to get close to following option (b).
The problem that I see with Linksys's claim that "It is not valid to issue a request for any 'code you may be using.'" is that without written offers that specifically identify exactly what GPL'ed software Linksys is using, and without source code to begin with, we cannot be sure that we know all of the source code that Linksys is using. For example, we don't know everything that was linked into their busybox image, and we might not even know every kernel device driver they use.
It seems that Linksys sees two different specificity requirements in the GPL. Firstly, they seem to think that a blanket offer to provide code without identifying the source code that they are referring to satisifies the written offer requirements of section 3b. Secondly, they seem to think that they are not obliged to fulfill the acceptance of that offer when it is made with the same level of specificity. Linksys seems to think that they are fulfilling the GPL's requirements if they provide an offer to do x, but refuse to actually do it if someone simply says, "okay, I accept your offer." In other words, Linksys is not providing enough information in their offer for people to fully avail themselves of it. This is similar to offering to provide source code, but providing no contact information by which people can accept the offer. I expect that under some sort of "reasonable man" standard, a court would decide that these shenanigans are not in the intended meaning of the GPL.
If I were in Linksys's shoes, I'd just dump of all of the GPL'ed source code involved into a CD image, send out CD's as needed, and also put it on an FTP site, which would probably reduce the requests for physical media to about a dozen (and, besides, the media costs less than postage and it's useful to have a mailing list of likely Linux wireless access point developers).
Personally, I am mostly interested in the 802.11g drivers, although I suspect that some useful software may have been linked into busybox, which might be helpful to have too. I am glad that Linksys is trying to conform to the requirements of the GNU General Public License. Hopefully we can help them actually achieve that.
By the way, I just sent info@linksys.com a request for the source code to the kernel and any software linked against BusyBox. I sure wish I knew what other GPL'ed software is in the WRT54G.
"In any mode, hold down the stop button (a little square under the play button) for 2-3 seconds to turn off the unit."
The CD stereo (an aftermarket Blaupunkt) in my car does something like this: to turn it off, you have to press and hold the power button for three seconds. Otherwise, it just reduces the volume significantly but continues to play. I've seen other brands do this, too.
WHY?
When I hit the power button, I want the radio to turn OFF. Right at that moment. If I'm turning off the radio, there's a good chance that I'm doing so because it's distracting me and I need to concentrate on the traffic and roads around me. Now, I'm forced to keep my hand at the radio (making it useless for steering or operating other controls, and it restricts my ability to look over my shoulders to check traffic in the blind spots) for several seconds. It's annoying.
When I look at new radios, that's the first thing I check: the power button must work instantly. (I didn't pick this radio myself--it was installed by the dealer when I purchased the car.)
If the manufacturers want to include a "mute" feature, fine, just add another button for it. Or better yet, use a volume knob; my other car has one and it works perfectly.
--RJ
Somebody help me out here..
If they aren't statically or dynamically linking to the code. Then exactly how are they linking to it? Magically? The had to compile the code to work with linux base right?
What bits did they leave in the open? Unless you disassemble their bio's there is no way to tell wether their code was in binary before it was compiled. Its really not in their best interest to just say 'See look, this is how I did it', even though they accepted the terms of the GPL in good faith. Maybe tomorrow we will find out how well the GPL will hold up.
I do believe that any company that accepts the GPL should not be allowed to turn and run the instant they drop their side of the bargain.
Maybe there should have been a GPL gurantee that starts the moment they sell a product based on linux sources. At least for commercial companies, so they can't say they didn't understand the GPL.
this sig is classified..how about yours?
Send them a polite e-mail requesting every piece of GPL software you can think of. And please post it and the response on /.
"I assumed blithely that there were no elves out there in the darkness"
So does this mean that, if they want to use the JBoss name for their independent work, Mark Fleury says to "fork off and die?"
Get off my launchpad!
It's only plausible if you still think that technology is advancing linearly, instead of exponentially, and only if you assume humans will still be stuck in our fragile biological form for a period longer than the centuries it takes to terraform a planet in the first place. So no, IMHO, I think we'll sooner end up ripping Mars apart (oh the humanity!) to make better use of its matter, than wasting space & energy by living on its limited surface area.
(Yeah, I've had a slight problem suspending my disbelief for most SF in recent years :)
I'd much rather see Iain Banks' Culture brought to the screen, though that would be just a tad bit more difficult.
--
Power to the Peaceful
Microsoft started seeing schools that were making successful switches to Free Software, and so now they are backing down. Essentially it is the same situation as a knife-wielding mugger backing down when his victim pulls a gun on him.
Microsoft can posture all it wants, but second hand computers invariably had a Windows license in some part of their career. Heck, most corporate PCs actually end up purchasing the license twice. Asking schools to purchase yet another license when the computer is given away is just ridiculous.
My TiVo box, a loyal pal,
A friend I Truly care for.
Because It guarantees I'll see,
The shows I wasn't there for.
Two thousand shows I've "taped" so far,
Each Night I "tape" a new one.
Who knows, perhaps there'll come a day,
I'll find the time to view one.
Now I have an opportunity to get behind on all that radio talk show stuff that was previously unimportant.
Good security is based upon reality and common sense. Common sense is a function of having common knowledge.
I think it is more like spreading viruses is illegal while writing viruses is unethical. And I don't think you have to actually write a virus just to know how they work either.
.bat files and that was written in DOS batch language. I succeeded. That was almost as much fun as doing the boot sector stuff.
:-) ) with which to fix it.
Hm. I just can't see that. I have written more than one virus in my time. Nobody got hurt. I played with them on isolated machines. I learnt something from doing it. It was a challenge and it was lots of fun. For example, I set myself the challenge of writing a virus that infected DOS
It turned out useful some time later when I had a non-bootable harddisk and only an assembler on a bootable floppy (a magazine cover disk
And at the end of all this, nothing got damaged. No people got hurt. I had fun watching my code wander around my systems. I played in assembler, and eventually deleted the viruses and moved on to other things, like artificial life simulations and genetic algorithms. 14 years later, I still have people oohing and ahing over the leet assembler skills I use on their embedded projects.
How was this unethical?
---
Good god, listen to yourself.
If Jackson can do LotR decently in 6 hours, I think 18 will be enough for Red/Green/Blue Mars. The first three Dune books are just as voluminous, and SciFi did them well in 12.
But it hasn't always been this way. Horror stories about lost mail and general screwups were legion. UPS wouldn't even be in business if the Parcel Post hadn't been a complete disaster for years and years.
I'm old enough to remember when the USPS was the federal Post Office Department and the Postmaster-General was appointed by the President. The job always went to the chairman of the party in power, because of all the patronage jobs. Needless to say, efficiency and quality of service were not top priorities. Most of the USPS's unfortunate reputation dates from this period.
you should read everything on the internet as if it had "but I'm probably talking out of my ass" appended to it.
I like my "fragile biological form", and if I want to live on Mars one day, how dare you suggest you're going to rip it up. As a future citizen of Mars, I regard that as a declaration of war.
In all seriousness, I have to say I think that is one of the most idiotic ideas I've ever heard. Most people like living in a biosphere. As much as I enjoy the works of Iain Banks, Ken MacLeod and Alastair Reynolds, and one day the universe probably will include many different cultures with body-changing, identity-shifting citizens, shouldn't there also be a place in that future universe for those of us who want to live on the planet of our choosing, in ways not too dissimilar from how humans have lived since the dawn of time?
If you must, use the asteroids, there's plenty to share. At worst, use a planet with much less chance of being terraformed. But stay away from Mars.
Frankly, I think you're deluding yourself if you really think technology is advancing so fast that we'll be ripping up Mars before terraforming it. Kurzweil is a prat, and most of what he says is nothing more than wishful thinking.