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eXeem Lite Public Beta Released
TheKarateMaster writes "Just days after the release of eXeem Open Beta comes eXeem lite 0.19 Public Beta. Much like with KaZaA, the official version of eXeem comes chock full of spy/adware -- specifically, cydoor. eXeem lite is spyware free and free of bloat -- and free. Version .20, which should fix a few minor bugs, is expected 'in next coming days.' (read: soon)"
Whilst this is excellent news indeed, I fear only the so called "computer savvy" will reap the benefits of this (ie no spyware). There are a lot of people out there who seemingly click at random through the World Wide Wreckage, completely and utterly naive of the dangers they face. And there are others who just can't be bothered to protect themself from spyware, data loss, scams, identity theft, etc.
Does this sound familiar:
Clueless user: Hrm, that looks like a good idea. Click. Install. Now why is my computer slow and always crashing? Better call my tech boy genius neighbor!
Tech boy genius neighbor: OMFG what did you do!?
I commend the software venders that do their best to protect those who need protecting the most. Even Microsoft is looking into integrating Spyware search and destroy tools into Windows. It pays to get with the times!
Which is only good news as the poliferation of spyware is just a waste of everyones time and and invasion of privacy.
----
Somebody please write an Azureus plugin for Exeem!
To be fair, they kind of screw themselves over asking for donations, given that their users are exactly the people too cheap to pay for music/tv/games/whatever.
From the FAQ There are currently no versions of eXeem(TM) for Linux or Mac. No way to install spyware on my Linux box? Awwww, what a shame!
eXLax - Exeem without the crap.
Looks like you might want to read the two articles.. this one is the lite version eh...
Mod me down im a newf (wiki)
It is now known that slashdot editors don't read slashdot.
That was the official eXeem release, the one with spyware.
This is eXeem Lite, which is supposed to be spyware free.
How long until the eXeem makers either sue or try to ban lite users from the network?
quidquid latine dictum sit altum videtur.
If only Bram Cohen would had licensed the original bittorrent under the GPL (rather than the MITL), people would not be able to profit so easily from his work.
Granted, the trackerless protocol surely took some work, but the base BT protocol (and its implementation) was the revolutionary thing.
I hate companies providing adware software like Kazaa or Exeem, that promise you heaven on earth, and actually offer subpar programs, that would have much more quality as an opensource project (see eDonkey vs eMule).
the official version of eXeem comes chock full of spy/adware -- specifically, cydoor
Can this above comment be explained? I downloaded and installed eXeem, it did not appear to include any spyware whatsoever. It certainly did not come packaged with Cydoor. What's the deal here?
eXeem Lite is not developed separately from eXeem. They take eXeem and hack it, they aren't creating anything new. If eXeem lives, eXeem Lite lives. If eXeem Lite lives, it means eXeem is still around. eXeem Lite won't substitute eXeem, so it's not in competition with eXeem and it's not an improvement either. It's just a mod. If someone thinks eXeem is based on a good idea, he should start his own development of an eXeem-like network, he SHOULDN'T hack eXeem. That's pointless.
Surpnova asked for donations yes, but eXeem is unrelated to suprnova for all but publicity purposes - it was an existing development project which latched on to the recent publicity surrounding SUprnova (with its apparent approval).
If any of you had bothered to read the content of the two eXeem stories you would realize that one says, "Open Public Beta" while the other says, "Just days after the release of eXeem Open Beta comes eXeem lite 0.19 Public Beta."
Doh!
Easy fix, easyer than DLing and maintaining a differant client...
:)
Delete files in c:\windows\system32\AdCache
Set all user permissions on folder c:\windows\system32\AdCache to deny (no access)
block/deny:
*cydoor.com/*
*cms.com/*
It doesn't complain if the ads are not comming in, it just throws them up
...
Another thing, I can't seem to tell what the differences between the two versions are aside from the fact that one has spyware and the other doesn't.
I'm confused. I have the official Exeem 0.20 installed and Cydoor is NOT on my machine. Does it only install if you select the install ie toolbar option? Do we really need a hacked installer just for that?
i can modify/create a hosts file myself, thank you.
Have you not seen what lowkee did at LokiTorrent?
He raised 30k last month and 10k this month.
If it's because you want to take advantage of the # of users, have you considered that they are primarily the type of users that install spyware-ridden software on their PCs? Is that the type of user community you want to get files from, and share with?
What good reason is there to use eXeem? If you want to use a popular program that a lot of people use, what problem does eXeem solve that Kazaa doesn't?
Is eXeem supposed to be considered the second coming strictly because Suprnova shut down? Anybody who relied strictly on Suprnova for torrents was a fool, anyway, considering the wake of Napster and the obvious fate of any popular centralized source of illicit IP.
If you like the BitTorrent system... keep using it, eXeem offers no real advantages. If you have no integrity or circumspectness whatsoever, then just use Kazaa. I don't see what niche eXeem fills.
the official version of eXeem comes chock full of spy/adware -- specifically, cydoor.
Check your sources.
eXeem does not come with a bunch of spy/adware. It comes with exactly one: Cydoor. Which is adware, only displaying ads.
Stop making that big face!
eXeem lite is spyware free and free of bloat -- and free
This isn't Free (libre) software, so while it is nice that it doesn't cost anything, neither does the official eXeem, so it is not better in that respect.
As for the claim that the official version comes with spyware and that this "lite" version doesn't - several posters have already said they couldn't find any spyware after installing eXeem.
As for eXeem-lite, if I can't see the source, why should I believe the site that claims it is spyware-free? Because the say so?
I learn from all my mistakes, I intend to be a genius at the end of my life.
the same with me.
i noticed a little white area in the program windows, and it seems thats were ads are supposed to be shown, but cydor isnt present.
maybe thats one of the bugs that need fixing...
HI O WISE PRINCE. WHT TOOK U SO DAM LONG?
Sure, it is much HYPED app. But I've yet to hear about how great it actually is. Who even said it will catch and deliver? Why eXeem lite and not X lite, when X can be any ad-sponsored program on ZeroPaid?
And while we on it. Why so many Slashdot articles on this? Promote it when eXeem is worth it.
In my language(danish, but it's probably the same n swedish and norwegian) eXeem is pronounced 'eksem' - which means 'Rash'.
Seems like they chose an appropiate name.
except. they aren't dupes. one is a lite version and the other isn't. the one that is lite is free from spyware. the one that isn't lite is loaded with it. this new article is about the release of the lite verson. the one you linked to is about the one that is not "lite"...so how is it a dupe?
how the official eXeem tells its users how important it is to have the ads, saying that 'without them we can't afford to exist' or something along those lines.
Do they honestly not know their audience?
you can neuter most cydoor apps using the dummy cd_clint.dll files from here. Using these, the apps will still run but no more ads! My boss had installed a GRE word prep program and it didn't work after I cleaned up with AdAware (kept saying cd_clint.dll not found or something). I replaced it with this and everything was a-okay!
The protocol is already being analyzed and various details are already reverse engineered. If this information is known then a programmer can easily add functionality to Azureus (which is more or less similar to eXeem already, but uses Java hence is actually cross-platform). Only drawback is that it'll take a little while and your favorite client might not have it first. I'd say: no worries on this one.
WE DON'T NEED NO BLOG CONTROL.
Wait... if they have the ability to 'ban (lite) users from the network', then they have the ability to 'ban individuals engaging in the act of distributing copyrighted works without prior permission to do so'.
Which means that they would become a prime target for whichever media copyright maintenance agency applies to them.
Unless I'm missing something.
... the official version of eXeem comes chock full of spy/adware -- specifically, cydoor ...
This is the reason why I don't use P2P clients. It's very nice of them to release a "lite" (spy/adware free) client. Sheesh...
I've read on here that you can remove cydoor with Spybot S&D and exeem will run as normal albeit with no spyware.
I work tech support for a company that provides internet in hotel rooms across the country. You're not wrong. Generally people tend to be very relieved when they get a "computer guy" on the phone, and will bug them about anything and everything because hey...i called you about my computer, right? Meanwhile i've got 3 other people on hold. Ugh.
once you go slack, you never go back
Are you sure? I've looked around after some folks have said things about the privacy statement and some of the spyware removal tools. There's something very odd because I do not have anything to block it from installing Cydoor and I do not have Cydoor installed after installing it. I've grabbed a few of the mentioned removal apps to check and they do not find it nor do the dlls or registry entries exist. The only possible option to change the installation other than a freak bug (what spyware company would ship with a bug that prevents it from installing, really) is the toolbar option. I would submit that it is indeed that toolbar option as the privacy statement does quote:
"Ads that might appear outside Exeem.com and eXeem™ application are Opt-out ads, that you have a chance to uninstall. Outside Exeem.com and EXeem™ application is eXeem's Toolbar LookSmart."
eXeem is NOT related to Bittorrent in any way. It does not use the Bittorrent protocol nor an extension of it. It is yet another P2P application/network that is trying to captilize on an already popular application/network/protocol. Considering that it is closed source, Windows only, spyware stricken, and leeching off of Bittorrent's popularity, it would be wise to boycott eXeem.
If you want to use a P2P application that combines the swarming of Bittorrent with distributed indexing, searching, and tracking, try one of the eDonkey apps such as aMule, eMule, eDonkey2000, etc. Many of them are open source, spyware free, and run on multiple platforms. Since the eDonkey network has been around for a long time, it is filled with a variety of content. However, Bittorrent is still the fastest P2P protocol for raw data transfer, so don't drop it, just find a few good torrent sites.
Spyware infested and binary only... Why do i even want to touch it?
Does it increase my anonymity? Does it increase available downloads?
Really.. why do i care about such a beast when there are 'safer' alternatives ( for both my computer and my actions )
---- Booth was a patriot ----
Yes, the very latest updated and all. I've been trying to prove myself wrong about this issue since this article was posted. It seems that starting Exeem does trigger something internal that creates the adcache directory, but nothing is ever put into that directory. Before trying to detect it, there has been NO blocking of programs or servers on my network or on my local machine to stop it from downloading ads if it did have Cydoor working. As far as it goes, this machine isn't used a lot so it's fairly easy to see what is and isn't going on. It should also be a prime target for spyware since before now it did not have any protection for spyware installed. As far as Exeem goes, I see a white box in Exeem that I assume is for ads, but it doesn't actually display any.
Spybot will find and remove it - only for eXeem to put it back next time you run it.
I think you may be right - I have K-Lite installed, and Cydoor didn't come on my system either. I'm going to reinstlal Exeem WITH the Internet Explorer toolbar, and see if it goes on my system then.
But if it dosen't, it must be the K-Lite fake DLL that does the trick.
eXeem uses libtorrent as the basis for the file downloads itself, which is a library to ease implementation of BitTorrent systems.
However the tracker behaviour has been changed. It pretty much is a modified closed-source BitTorrent client now.
Stop making that big face!
One of BitTorrent's strengths was that it was very difficult to spoof content. IE - If you trusted the tracker, you knew exactly what you were downloading. Given eXeem's new "everyone's a tracker" marketing, is it now vulnerable to spoofing? If a user posts a malicious file under an alternate name, what's to prevent everyone from downloading it? Are there safeguards to protect the network from being flooded with invalid files?
Functionally, how is eXeem different from other P2P clients? My idea of what goes on is; You do a search across all files shared on the eXeem network, pick a file you like, and start downloading from peers. That's roughly the same thing with Kazaa, etc. What's the advantage of using eXeem?
If I were developing something like exeem, I'd have seen this coming a mile away and taken action from the very beginning of the design phase. Given how likely this neutering was, wouldn't it have made sense to put some obvious spyware in and then write a custom component, less blatant, that'd get shipped along with any 'lite' version once the obvious danger had been removed? In any case, I wouldn't want any program I had to fight with in order to make not attack me on my computer in the first place. Just one more person who's not going to touch this thing.
Everything will be taken away from you.
someone mod this down, it's a pay to view forum (lame/spam)
Runnin' On Empty
..until I can recompile it myself.
nobody wants to see a crowd of sweaty homosexuals in spandex tights and padding prancing about trying to hump each other. That's disgusting. Here, have a pr0n
With a simple DNS block in my router (which I made for the KaZaA ads), the ads get replaced by black blocks. Cydoor is in the optional searchbar only.
. --- If you're looking for free e-mail you won't find it here! http://www.noemailhere.com
Soon they will be charging for ExeemLite. You just wait. Earlier copies won't connect probably, you will have to upgrade.
A slew of exeemlite.tk style sites will replace the old sites, advertizing free legal movie downloads when you *buy* their product. The earlier versions of ExeemLite will get harder and harder to find. And even when you do obtain a copy, all the mp3 files you find shriek distortion though your hi-fi system that you connected to your pc.
And in the meantime, the original Exeem will release news that there latest edition does not install Spyware without user's *consent*, even though the EULA states the adware nasties are to be installed for delivery of advertizing.
... The wikipedia definition of Cydoor...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cydoor/When running the MS Antispyware tool, I found Cydoor tried to edit my hostfile when eXeem lite was being installed. I'm staying away from this program for good.
Often shady versions can be more reliable than legit stuff. How the thing is, for most people, this is in the same category as OSS. It's realeased by a group of people on the net, who knows their motivations? People love to scream about the safety of OSS but 99.0% of the people doing the screaming are doing it with their head in a bag since they either lack the ability to check the source, or just don't take the time. They are taking it on faith that the source is clean of bad shit, and that the binary on the site is a faithful compile of that source.
Well, of course, you would tell me that you don't have to check it, because others have. Lots of other people have taken the time to check it carefully, so you don't have to worry. If there was something nasty in the source, they'd tell the world, and they've verified that the binaries are faithful productions of that code.
Same thing applies here. People will install it, check it with virus scanners and anti-spyware utilities. Run an install logger that will tell you every file it installs and where, every registry change, etc. Then they'll look at that to see if there's any spyware. If not, they'll declare it to be ok. As with the OSS, it's a bunch of random strangers you don't know telling you it's ok. At a certian point, you fighure they can't all be lying.
However you don't know for sure any more with OSS than you do with something like this. In both cases you are relying on experts you'll never meet telling you something you can't personally verify. I mean I trust people when they tell me Linux is safe. I trust that there aren't any backdoors. But how do I really know? Maybe there's a backdoor, along with a note in the source to come join the cabal that rules the Earth, and that's why no one has revealed it. Hell it could be that there's a backdoor in the compiler (http://www.acm.org/classics/sep95/) that exists only in the binary form, never in source. You don't really KNOW.
So, as with many things in computers and online, you put your faith in the masses. You assume that competent people will check this out and will tell the truth about it. You assume if there is spyware in it, word will spread and you'll know. You assume it to be safe because it hasn't been proved unsafe. Bad method, maybe, but we use it all the time.
I think many of you fail to realize something. This is just me talking, but I don't think Bram Cohen gives a damn about GPL, or open software, or anything. He made BitTorrent as a resumé. He wanted it as widespread as possible, which includes having it as part of closed source projects as well. I don't imagine Cohen expected it to be this wildly popular, but his intent was to hopefully get a job in a bad job market. Feel free to correct me.
I hate grammar Nazi's.
its most probably due to the fact that since i use firefox i locked down IE (disabled absolutely every feature etc i could) for both internet and local zones, then put the only sites i had to go to in IE as trusted sites.
as a result it seems cydoor is no longer able to sneak itself onto my system hiding with other programmes installers, which is a pleasant side effect indeed.
eDonkey was a closed protocol, the eMule folks reverse engineered it and now we have a slew of wonderful open source clients for that network. In fact I don't know of anyone that uses the "authentic" eDonkey client.
Trolling is a art,
Just curious...STSN?
"Creativity is allowing ones self to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep" - Scott Adams
From suprnovaforums.net:
"Hello everybody,
It is with great sadness that I have seen this forum degenerate into a place for fighting and flaming between people about exeem and other things, well it stops right now.
1. Exeem is history as far as this forum is concerned, this forum is about community above all else, that community will not be destroyed by infighting.
2. Any topics regarding exeem will be locked or deleted, there is to be no more discussion of this app on this forum, period.
3. As angry as I am about the flaming and insults I have seen normally level headed individuals partake in I will not be mass banning people. You have an amnesty for your words, from now on though you will not be so lucky so consider yourselves warned.
4. The normal rules still apply, no links to torrents, torrent sites, cracks etc etc.
This forum is no longer affiliated with exeem in any way shape or form, forget that and move on. Let peacefulness and playfulness reign (sic). Seriously though everybody just step back and think for a minute, the reason you are part of this forum is because we are the best, most informative, fun place to be. We are also the largest Invision board in the world, something you should all be proud of.
All exeem forums are deleted and the word is filtered, normal service is now resuming."
Privacy begins with