Pirate Banned From Using Linux

dsinc writes "A guy who uploaded the latest Star Wars movie got arrested, pleaded guilty to 'conspiracy to commit copyright infringement' and 'criminal copyright infringement' and got jail and home confinement. As part of his home confinement, he agreed to install some tracking software on his computer. The problem is He's an Ubuntu Linux user and the gov't doesn't have any tracking software for Linux. So he's been told that he must use Windows for the term of his confinement. Looks like a case of cruel and unusual punishment to me"

Comments

Re:So? Can't he use a Windows box to route?

[ajs]

One presumes that he has been required to surrender his hardware (all of it) to the authorities for the installation of the tracking software which phones home to indicate what he's doing (at whatever level of granularity it tracks such things).

He could probably get away with VMWare or the like running Linux under Windows, but that would just run the risk of landing him in jail.

His best bet is Cygwin, the suite of open source tools for Windows that includes everything you need to essentially subvert a Windows desktop and make it think it's a Unix-like OS. It's not 100% perfect, but it's a far cry better than pure Windows. I regularly use a Windows laptop with X running under it, ssh to my office with X-forwarding and several gnome-terminals running on my work desktop.

Other than that, the only native Windows apps I use are Firefox and Thunderbird, so it's often hard to tell what OS it actually is.

Linux is my life man

[kentrel]

"It isn't the fact that I have to be monitored that bothers me, it is the fact that I have [to] restructure my life (different OS, different software on that OS)"

In jail for 5 months and he thinks changing Operating System needs more of a life restructuring.

Perhaps, this sentence will give him the perfect opportunity to finally find a life outside of his linux box.

Re:Why...

[gad_zuki!]

>are they even allowed to do this? "Oh, well, we can't be bothered to make a system for your operating system, so we'll just force you to use something else!" Duh...

No, the taxpayers cant be bothered to pay for more coding software. Hell, considering his crimes it just be better to not allow him computer use during probabtion, if he doesnt like that he cant spend those 5 months in prison. I know what I'd pick. Incredible how we coddle our criminals. Whats next a personal butler and compensation for jail time spent? Hot chocolate?

Re:Why...

[SCHecklerX]

installing software is the wrong way to go about this anyway. The gvt. should have an appliance that they stick between his router and the ISP connection. Have that box run whatever it is they want for monitoring and reporting. It'd be easy to make sure it isn't tampered with, and is always running that way too.

Hmm...I wonder how lucrative starting such a business to provide these things to authorities would be, seems like a fun project.

Re:So? Can't he use a Windows box to route?

[Crayon Kid]

If you'll RTFA you'll notice they pretty much don't give a rat's ass about his personal situation. He's unemployed and unemployable and they're making him buy a Windows copy. It's like a fine thrown on top of the jail and home confinement. If he didn't have the hardware it would just be the same. He can sell a kidney and pay for Windows or he can stop using the Internet for all they care.

Re:Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

[bigstrat2003]

Mandating operating system *is* an arbitrary term (regardless of their excuse) It really isn't. They don't have monitoring software, except on Windows, so he uses Windows. That's not arbitrary at all, that's merely a necessary consequence of the tools they have available. I'm glad they're making him use Windows, too, because I'd rather not have my tax dollars wasted on development of new ones just so criminals don't have to use an OS they don't like.

Re:Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

[sepluv]

This power, to selectively enforce the law, is used more often than you might think. I'm sure everyone here is aware that it is used a lot. That doesn't itself make it a good thing and you don't seem to have presented any valid arguments why it is a good thing.

Maybe the parent was suggesting that it might be good to move towards a concept called equality before the law. If laws had to be enforced equally, the legislators would have to get rid of the plethora silly minor offences on the statute books that criminalise stuff that everyone does (including those same legislators). Then the police might have to spend their time going after real criminals as opposed to selectively enforcing such statutes against people they don't like the look of. I can see how that would be a terrifying dystopia..uhhh...wait

Re:A better solution

[wjsroot]

Or he could use an ubuntu live CD...