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How Long is Too Long to Update?
StWaldo asks: "I'm sure everyone knows the story about the life expectancy of an fresh, un-updated PC, once it's connected to the internet. What about a PC which just hasn't been updated in a while? I've been deployed in Iraq for the last 9 months, and haven't been able to hook up my laptop to the internet to get updates (I do HAVE access, just can't hook up a personal laptop, gov't only). Before I deployed, I would update my software (system, anti-virus, firewall, anti-spyware, etc) regularly, but as I get closer to coming back to the States and my broadband connection, I'm beginning to wonder what the life expectancy of my PC will be. What's the lifecycle of a security exploit, hack, virus, etc - between discovery/release, propagation, and extinction (or a state approaching extinction)?"
...if your update comes out before the next version of the Slashcode.
> I'm beginning to wonder what the life expectancy of my PC will be.
Around 5 years, but hard drive will probably fail sooner.
What kernel version are you running? Even on an old OS, if you do not expose any unnecessary functions to the Internet (such as BIND DNS), you should be relatively safe.
I have an old Redhat 8 system running on a AMD K63-500. It hasn't been rebooted in 4 years (yes, the kernel is horribly out of date... but there are few outside services, and no untrusted users). I'm afraid to upgrade such an old beast... I can't imagine Fedora Redhat and the QA folks spending much time on these ancient chipsets.
You aren't running Windows, are you?
For the love of bob
Microsoft Bob?
-everphilski-
man... you are in Irak...just think about YOUR life expectancy
Wouldn't you just do what everyone else does?
su
emerge sync
emerge -pv world
emerge world
??
While there may not be any virus or exploit that can get to you with this method, your laptop may still have contracted some nasty bacteria while abroad. I recommend boiling it for at least 1 hour before using it.
HighSchoolForever.com
If you don't have an hour try 15 minutes in a microwave.
Just make sure you take any cd you might have in the cd-rom drive out first. We've all seen what happens to cds in a microwave. Pretty nasty stuff.
HighSchoolForever.com
Good catch! You wouldn't want to ruin an important CD!
Actually, you've left one important require. If you disconnect the power cord (from both the computer and the electrical outlet) you can be more confident that your machine will be safe.
Just in case, you might also remove the hard drive and the CPU as stray electrical currents might cause these components to receive signals from "them".
Course not. How else would Sony infect my machine????????
Understanding the scope of the problem is the first step on the path to true panic.
Wow... you wrote all those words without even attempting to support the idea that "the Iraq war protects the freedoms of Americans." You rambled about US citizens have a lot of freedom. You asserted that military action, in general, was needed to make it this way. You used words like "overall." But the only military action anyone mentioned was the one in Iraq, about which you said absolutely nothing. Thanks for playing the internet: insert coins to continue.
A slashdotter who didn't build his own computer is like a Jedi who didn't build his own lightsaber.