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Microsoft Releases Windows Server 2003 SP1
Masq666 writes "Microsoft has wrapped up development on the first major update to its Windows Server 2003 operating system and released it for download, The company said that Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 is currently available for download via Microsoft's site and will soon start showing up on new servers. Among the primary benefits of the free update is the inclusion of security enhancements similar to those added to Windows XP with last year's Service Pack 2. News.com.com has more details and commentary."
1) They are easy to crack remotely with default installs.
2) Weekly if not daily patches are required.
So, Microsoft comes out with SP1 and people are already whining.
1) What is the "no inbound connections by default" stuff going to help?
2) The length of time between Windows 2003's release and its first service pack.
C'mon people, put it together.
It could be that many libraries were completely re-compiled with a better compiler that automatically closes some holes (like data overflows), so the whole shebang needs to be reapplied, even if there were actually no code changes.
This is different from Linux packages how, though? RPM doesn't do deltas. DEB doesn't do deltas. Every time there's a patch to one piece of the kernel, you have to download the entire kernel package again. Mandrake 10.1 has gone through at least three full RPM releases of KDE 3.2 for bugfixes -- that's not a fun set of downloads, let me tell you.
It's a valid criticism for everyone, not just MS.
If some of the security updates are related to compiling with different options (like the buffer overflow detection changes Visual C++ has been making), then every binary would be affected.
Are you kidding? 2k3 server makes for a far better desktop than XP. All the annoying crap is off by default.
No bubbly playskool theme. No MSN Messenger popups. No product activation. No "take the tour!". No windows media player intruding into everything. IE is crippled by default -- ripe for Firefox installation.
It feels a lot more like if you took 2000 Pro and added the few GOOD things about XP.