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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"
And have Linux boxes behind it?
You could've hired me.
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...
Show this to your friends and family that don't know what a real hacker is
[NT]
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
VMware. . . done. Done.
-CR
"So is the BSD licence even more 'free' (than GPLv2)? Yes. Unquestionably." --Linus Torvalds (TinyURL.com/2vugzl)
He can run Linux in a virtual machine, I hope. That will not only get him back to using his favorite operating system, but might get him around the government's silly monitoring so he can get back to uploading the movies you and I enjoy.
technical writing / development
Use VMware in Windoze. All the fun of Ubuntu while still meeting the terms of the punishment.
I'm glad my tax dollar are so hard at work protecting the poor corporations. I was worried there for a second.
I would tell them i could use Wine or Windows on Xen... or just to stop fucking jokes
United States Magistrate Judge Carla Woehrle: After pleading guilty, you are hereby sentenced to confinement at your house ... ... and to serve up to 6 months jail time ... ... and to install government monitoring software on your computer ... ... that only runs on Windows.
Marc Hoaglin: No change in lifestyle there.
Judge Carla Woehrle:
Marc Hoaglin: Sure, why not? I'll get a chance to lift some weights.
Judge Carla Woehrle:
Marc Hoaglin: I guess that's only fair.
Judge Carla Woehrle:
Marc Hoaglin: DO NOT WANT!!!
My work here is dung.
This is clearly a Ninja plot.
I read comments on here about video cameras in the UK and why don't we stick up for our rights. Here is a case of someone being sent to to jail for pirating a movie. This is not an offence worthy of jail time at tax payers' expense. When are you guys going to say enough of this bullshit?
In this world nothing is certain but death, taxes and flawed car analogies.
The problem is He's an Ubuntu Linux user
And here I was hoping God used Mac OS X (yes, I'm sure there's a "daemon" joke in there, but I'll leave it at one bad joke per post).
You will install MS Vista and install tracking software; you will also pay $300.00 licence fee to MS. You will also install MSOffice2007 _and_ also pay the licence fee. Once this is done, you will ALWAYS vote yes for ooxml.
Come on you people, he got caught doing something illegal and now he is being punished. I don't think it's the FBI's responsibility to make sure that their monitoring software works on all platforms.
Get Over It!!!
Keep passing the open windows...
See, if I was the judge, I'd say he wasn't allowed to use a computer, period, for the duration of whatever sentence is being carried out.
Sounds like the latest "Catch a Hacker" episode of Dateline NBC. Ace investigative reporter Michelle Madigan uncovers a new operating system used by hackers, pirates and cybercriminals to go on an internet crime spree. What is Ubuntu and why is the government helpless to stop it?
"Linux: The only operating system the NSA doesn't 0wn."
--
Toro
This looks like a job for a rootkit!
Quick, someone call Sony, maybe they can help!
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.
Or are they going to buy a legit copy for him?
Are they that dumb? Sure, I'll run windows, I'll just partition the drive but leave the windows bootloader intact, and install grub to a boot floppy to just switch the compy to linux. Pull the floppy, compy loads windows.
BRILLIANT!!!
/* oops I accidentally made a comment, sorry */
He could simply not use a PC. Allowing him to use a PC if monitoring software is installed is a concession.
AAARRRRRRRRRRRRGH! Forcin' 'im to use Windows be harsher than a keel haulin'...
"Nature bats last..."
Being forced to use Windows again is punishment enough.
Oh well, the dude's a hacker, can't he buy another crappy pc with Windows to run the gov't spyware, and just use another box to run Linux?
Hmm, probably violate the terms of the probation.
Shameless plug alert: Game server control panel
(Office firewall doesn't like the site)
What I really wonder . . . how is this conspiracy and *criminal* copyright infringement . . . aren't these usually civil cases? What's different here?
By `indirect' I mean things like not being able to get a good job, being shunned/tormented/killed by people merely because you're a registered sex offender, etc.
By `direct' I mean going to jail, paying fines, probation, even having to register as a sex offender.
of all these linux newbs. jeez, you guys, l2wine already! kthxbye.
(note how i resisted the urge to point out the wine-whine pun. wait...dammit!)
The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.
-Oscar Wilde
I started wondering what you have to turn off to get the windows box pwned....
:O
hehe, turn down the firewall (is that even a required step?) and start testing free cursors/themes/screensavers til you find something that feels like your old system...throw in some free porn...probably want to skip the hacked programs tho!
Battle of the rootkits
If the punishment was truly cruel and unusual the judge would have sentenced him to use Gentoo.
This message was not sent from an iPhone because Peter Sellers really was a deviated prevert without a dime for the call
...should simply be changed to make him actually watch Episodes 1-3 every day for the next few months.
It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
He'd run the tracking software under wine.
Did the feds just announce that they can't track Linux distros?
Did torrents for Ubuntu just start spiking in Baghdad and Tora Bora?
Watch Redmond stop the presses and do a nationwide ad campaign on this one...
I can see it now "Reformed Cyber-criminal chooses Vista over Linux - claims he has 'seen the light' (on his shiny new ankle bracelet)".
Hope is the currency of fools
Forcing somebody to pay money to a third party (ie somebody completely unaffiliated with the victim of the crime) sure seems like an unusual punishment to me. It also seems unjustified (unless you count "government laziness" as adequate justification).
I think (and I expect most libertarians would agree) that the government should never have the power to force a citizen to do business with any corporation, especially when that corporation is an unregulated abusive monopoly.
and run all three OS's on the same box.
Just use SSH+Xwin to connect with your linux box. I would use the windows xlivecd: http://xlivecd.indiana.edu/
The judge should just ban him from using the network if that was his intention. The half way thing isn't going to do anything but create a headache for some guy who has to read through all his logs. Anyway the case is copyright, so this should be in civil not criminal court and we all know how well the RIAA is doing there...
bash-2.04$
bash-2.04$yes "Don't you hate dialup connections?"| write USERNAME
So, this "spyware" only runs on Windows? And here I thought I had to be worried about government tracking . . .
I still can't decide if this is either appropriate, disturbing, or a little of both.
I'm not tense. I'm just terribly, terribly, alert.
It's called a joke.
in which Cory Doctorow reminds us that he, too, uses Ubuntu Linux.
Anyone but me very amused by the fact that we have a 'illegal to use linux' leaning slashdot entry for a story that is really rather obvious and self explanatory?
A story about a guy who was caught doing something illegal, told that he could not use the internet without the monitoring software being present, and finding that he'll have to use windows as the monitoring software isn't linux compatible. It takes a pretty big stretch to get that to 'banned from using linux' I think.
How many years ago was that? And this guy's only now getting in trouble? Sorry, I can't RTFA since it's torrentfreak and my network admin has it blocked...
I think (and I expect most libertarians would agree) that the government should never have the power to force a citizen to do business with any corporation, especially when that corporation is an unregulated abusive monopoly. Defendant isn't being FORCED to PERFORM any activity. If defendant wishes to purchase a product, that is voluntary. As a condition of parole defendant is barred from ENGAGING in CERTAIN activity--the use of Linux software. Where did parent get the idea I said anything about unusual? My post asked for an explanation as to how this punishment meets the 8th Amendment definition of cruel.
signature pending slashdot approval
By `indirect' I mean things like not being able to get a good job, being shunned/tormented/killed by people merely because you're a registered sex offender, etc.
By `direct' I mean going to jail, paying fines, probation, even having to register as a sex offender.
yeah i agree with that. sex offender is vague, but because of the big issues with this, it means a minor offence is treated as if it's the worst possible.Why UNIX?
Also, has this person never considered that there are alternatives? (cygwin, wine, xen & other vms?)
No tracking software for Linux? I should consider switching over from Windows.
Surely, somewhere within the bowels of redmond, there remains a copy of "Microsoft Bob" . . .
hawk
In a country which fails to recognize EXECUTING PEOPLE as cruel and unusual, you're right, I don't think this one's going to fly.
Forcing someone to use windows is cruel. It is also unusual. What else do you want?
Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
Ordered by the court to use Windows? Hell, if it was me, I'd rather they lock me and be some 400 pound gorilla's bitch before that happened.
"ENGAGING in CERTAIN activity--the use of Linux software" can be interpreted as "not allowed to use a computer unless he pays some money to Microsoft for a windows license". That sounds pretty cruel & unusual to me.
...if they can't track what he's doing on Linux - who's to say they can track that he is actually not using it?
...and being "assigned" to Windows is NOT being "banned from Linux", it's being banned from everything other than Windows. Please do not ever think that Windows and Linux are the only OS people use.
http://losangeles.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel06/l a012506usa.htm
The funny scrabbling sound you hear is the MS marketing department springing into action to produce their press release, "Linux user switches to Windows, gains freedom". The whole "jail thing" will be notably absent.
It's still unfair. I mean, he got jail for distributing that star wars fluff, while the pirates of the vastly superior space 1999 still can use linux whenever they please!
---- MISSING MISCELLANEOUS DATA SEGMENT --- [sigdash] trolololol
run the government software on WINE?
The insanity continues.
---- Booth was a patriot ----
He's employable; he can work at the fast food establishment of his choice.
Moderating "-1, Disagree" is simple censorship. Have the guts to post your opinion.
So he decides to break down and install Windows. After he's finished, he calls up the FBI and says "OK, I've installed Windows. How do I install the monitoring software?" and the operators says "OK. Here's what you've got to do..." and gives a loooong list of instructions. So the guy says "Holy crap! I've got to do all that?!" and the FBI operator says, "I'm just kidding. It came with the OS. Have a nice day."
Doesn't Linux run on Pirate Ships?
"Since the host OS is MS; the government can always log into his box via terminal services and check the apps he has installed."
That assumes they also have control of his gateway firewall/router (if he has one) that should be blocking TCP, port 3389 or whatever it is.
The monitoring is essentially voluntary. By that I mean that there is no software that can be placed on his PC that he cannot disable. And, given that he has physical access to the PC, disable in a manner that cannot be tracked. He's not some clueless guy who would not be able to get around the software. The most obvious means being a live CD.
Assuming the s/w sends out the monitoring info reat time, he could easily put his PC behind a router, such running a modified version of OpenWRT, or DD-WRT and have it drop certain packets.
He might just as well keep a log of his activities on paper and submit that to his probation officer.
The real "Libtards" are the Libertarians!
NT phone home...
Science advances one funeral at a time- Max Planck
Whatever the merits of the argument, it doesn't look good for Linux to be linked to piracy. Imagine if FOSS advocates protested and the media got ahold of this: they would probably label Linux the "Pirate's OS". The guy broke the law; making him use Windows is the least of his punishments. Let this one slide.
His problem is he's a Ubuntu user? I'm sure he more concerned with having to spend the five months in home confinement.
No, wait. He's a nerd. He probably won't even notice that he's locked in the house.
Well, one of the tests for cruel is "that a punishment must not by its severity be degrading to human dignity,". Using windows counts as being degrading to human dignity. :-)
When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
All of which would probably be considered a violation of his parole.
Ie: You are not allowed to use a computer if we cant see what you are doing with it.
The point is not that he cannot do it. The point is he is not allowed to do it. He is probably not allowed to get a linux shell somewhere else either.
When the parole officer inspect his computer and see his VMware installation with a linux VM, they would probably put him back in jail.
But hey it could be worse, they could forbid him to use any computer. He probably should anyway, and try something else.
because windows sucks ass! ;)
oh and screw the 8th amendment
The Windows cracking community often creates thin shims that convincingly emulate the Windows runtime environment and change its behaviour. For example, a relatively little-known framework called 'VXmon'. This is the basis of a lot of the 'loader' style cracks, that mess with API calls and responses, to fool a shareware program into thinking the trial period lasts forever, or disabling nag screens and other trialware behaviour.
It shouldn't be too hard to put together a 'loader' for this monitoring program to make it turn a blind eye to certain classes of network access. That is, if such a loader hasn't already been written. But if not, that'd be a good assignment for the various 1337 cR4ck1ng Cr3\/\/z out there.
Of course, the shim would need to heavily disguise its own existence. If the guy got caught using it, he'd better order a healthy supply of KY Gel ready for a holiday in Club Fed.
-- In the beginning was the WORD, and the WORD was UNSIGNED, and the main(){} was without form and void...
You're missing the biggest issue here, is that now he can't look at porn. At least, not without someone knowing about it.
Isn't the REAL requirement here to make sure he's not sending malicious signals? If so, the government only need ban him from using VPN or encrypted paths except when dealing with his or trusted banks, real estate, and other trackable/fiduciary institutions.
As for PERSONAL surfing and development and collaborative works, the government ONLY need to make sure he's not tunneling or handling 'evil content'. The so-called NSA, FBI, and other "experts" need only run protocol analyzers and flag/kick his ass IFF and only IFFF he's connecting to malicious sites AND moving traffic of a questionable volume, as in up/downloading evil content.
To BAN him from using Ubuntu just signals how STUPID/IGNORANT the lawyers, judge, and others involved are. Besides, ISN'T the OS just another LAYER in the topology? If they can nail him on what he sent & received, then they can discriminate between and overlook by intention what is NOT offensive activity.
Finally, it is THIS kind of ineptitude or knee-jerk reaction by low-level functionaries and lawyers that shows why many countries are kicking the US' amnesiac/ego-driven ass.
Sheesh. Our tax dollars NOT at work...
Goddammit, this kind of hamstringing is inexcusable, in this era of tech.
Previously: "Linux... Toward the Sunrise..." Now: "Linux... Toward the-- No, now, part of Every Sunrise"
If he doesn't want spyware on his computer he could just go back to jail instead of having the privilege of probation.
He should be lucky, there have been cases of hackers, phreakers, etc being banned entirely from operating any form of computer equipment, modem, teleco equipment, etc as the terms of their probation.
Convicted drunk drivers are often not allowed to drive during their probation except to and from work, if at all. And occasionally are prohibited from drinking between certain hours of the day or at all.
As a non-windows software engineer I would have to find a new career if my choice was jail time or use windows. same as if my choice was jail time or don't use any computers.
You might think that pirating videos and what not is okay, or that the punishments are excessive. But if you're smart you won't go and piss off the people with all the power, money and lawyers.
“Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
If he violated laws or the computer fraud and abuse act or whatever, why not just BAN HIM from using electronic devices all-together. They do this allot... to skript1 k1dd13z and all... whoever gets dragged before court for violating some techno-taboo.
Mind that Moka5 would be a good option as it uses the free VMWare Player, and lets him have a distribution run within Windows.
Twitter supports and protects racists - by smearing their critics with the "Hate Speech" label.
Twitter supports and protects racists - by smearing their critics with the "Hate Speech" label.
Can you quote the part of the judgement that said that? Of course you can't, since he wasn't. That the government was lazy and just created/bought Windows software to do the monitoring is a totally different matter.
... and he got busted downloading a Star Wars film? Insult to injury. Too bad it wasn't a good film. :)
Okay, the last one was alright, but not great. Could have been worse. At least it wasn't a Jar Jar blooper reel, a Lindsey Lohan movie or something.
Sure.. It's just like when you are being robed at gunpoint.. you *choose* to give them your money instead of getting shot.. so its ok right? They are not even forcing him to go to jail.. he has the choice to fight the cops when they come to take him, and in that case the cops will kill him. It's all his *choice* ya see.
--
Lesson: Coercive force *is* force.
Bringing liberty to the masses. - http://freetalklive.com/
A guy caught pirating is a FOSSie?
That's pretty hard to believe. I thought all FOSSies only wanted to crack DVDs to watch them on teh Lunix. That's what they've been saying all these years...
Next thing you know, the Feds will try getting me to buy the BS claim that people using console mod chips aren't only doing so to use homebrew.
He plead guilty.
Hes a fool anyway.
---- Booth was a patriot ----
The problem with this is not that a convicted criminal is having his rights infriged. This is of course ignoring whether or not whatever he/she did should be a crime with such a punishment.
The problem here is that in enforcing this sentence the govt/courts/whatever are supporting Microsoft's monopoly on desktop operating systems and proprietary software in general. I.e a goverment agent is interfering in the market, in a way they probably shouldn't be.
Not to mention the fact that trusting the client to report on itself is stupid. If you really want to monitor someone put in firewall that you control and make them use a very limited HTTP proxy for web access and block everything else off.
... no liberty of choice anymore ! ;)
The cost of a Windows OS would get you a processor. Maybe. Windows costs about $100. Also, cost comparison is done with subtraction, not division.
"16MB (fuck off, MiB fascists)" - The Mighty Buzzard
So he runs a Windows OS, does that mean he can have a remote X session to another box? Doesn't sound like there's any restrictions on networking... or encrypted tunneling for that matter. Of course they probably record his keystrokes and network traffic. Sometimes I wonder about the FBI though. I worked at this net cafe that someone posted information to a NRA message board about a cop killing that happened the day before in a neighboring state that was not known to the public. So the FBI shows up to copy all our HDDs. First it was 2 people, then it was 8, 1 person working, another helping and 6 drinking coffee. They all stood around using some weird disk copy program I never saw before that took 6 hours to copy a 20gb hdd. Then they took the copies and left us the originals. I woulda thought they'd keep the original disks. At least they paid us for tying up 6 computers all day.
Deltron 3030 - Virus (music video)
The Court order also requires him to eschew alcohol and other intoxicants. I agree, though, in general, if you have to use Windows, it is much better to do so drunk.
I mean, I understand it's really up to the FBI how they want to do this -- after all, a convict has no rights.
I also understand that automotive analogies are lame.
However, supposing he was allowed to leave the house, would they restrict him to one brand of car?
I think what this shows, more than anything, is how stupidly incompatible software is. Java had the right idea (but a poor implementation). Software should be platform-agnostic -- perhaps enough so that the FBI could force him to run their own OS, and he'd still have all his favorite software.
Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
Never upload your pirated stuff from your own systems or networks, use the neighbor's.
How often does someone make a victim put a robe on while they point a gun at them where you live?
Here, someone might get robbed at gunpoint. I like your version better...
I'll see your Constitution and raise you a Queen.
LiveCD? He's confined to his house, and his Windows activity is monitored. How's he going to get a copy of that LiveCD without his parole officer noticing?
Modified router? Same problem. Assuming the government has confiscated his router, he's stuck with stock. Depending on how detailed their monitoring software is, they might see him trying to mess with it.
About the only way out is to just unplug the cable, thus removing any real incentive for him to use his computer un-monitored in the first place.
Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
I wonder if apple have an ad in the works where pc-guy, wearing blank-and-white stripes, is talking about windows as a condition of his incarceration....
Why is this article tagged "linux"? I thought that the guy was banned from using linux.
Please tag "!linux"
Knowledge is power. Knowledge shared is power lost.
It says that he is free to leave his home during certain hours. What's to prevent him from using someone else's connection or going to an Internet cafe?
There's 10 types of people in this world, those who understand binary and those who don't.
Oh, lord. Paying MS money is now considered cruelty? Not being able to access the Internet is now considered cruelty?
Do you even remember a time when you didn't have Internet access? You sound like a spoiled brat who thinks that the nation should serve at your convenience.
they claim he has to install the Spyware app that monitors him on his computer.
Just use two computers. One is a low end Windows box, install the spyware trojan on that one. Use it to browse Wikipedia, Slashdot, and other approved sites. The other is a Linux box, he can do whatever he wants to on that one.
Either that or dual boot the hard drive. Install Windows on a spare partition, and put the Spyware trojan on it, and just boot into Ubuntu when it asks for an OS choice. That way he has the spyware trojan on his system, but can still use Ubuntu. He hasn't broken the agreement, and they never said he couldn't have two operating systems installed on his hard drive, just that he had to have Windows installed with the spyware trojan on it.
Remember, Slashdot does not have a -1 disagree moderation, and no, troll, flamebait, and overrated are not substitutes.
Brilliant. Your advice to this guy is turn a lightly supervised probation into a spanking-new charge of parole violation - playing against the two felony convictions already on his record?
Go directly to jail, do not pass Go, do not collect $200.
Free as in freedom.
I think forcing him to use windows could actually be illegal.
They're using their grammar skills there.
That's the best news for nerds I've ever seen reported on Slashdot.
--
make install -not war
No worries he can just get a copy off of bit torrent... no but on a more serious note, whats from stopping him from setting up this windows machine and just to use some cheap linux box that he has hidden away?
Next time I find myself in jail I'll be sure to request the Presidential Suite. Hopefully it has a thermostat on the wall so I can turn up the heat when it gets cold. Oh, and no roommates. I don't get along well with some people. I'd like a nice fridge and microwave in case I need to heat up a yummy Swanson breakfast or a Hungry Man dinner. Yeah, and cable TV, none of this satellite crap, unless I can get all the hockey games. Gotta see hockey.
I don't know why our criminals feel so entitled. You don't get punished in the U.S. anymore, you're coddled and pampered. God! It's so damn frustrating!
You can make the argument that it's cruel, if you want, but "unusual" isn't going to fly. Execution is, in fact, a pretty common punishment for first-degree murder. A punishment which is cruel but not unusual passed the "cruel and unusual" test. So does a punishment that is unusual but not cruel.
Of course, I won't buy the argument that capital punishment is cruel, either. The closest thing a murderer has to the value of the life he/she took is his/her own life (I say closest because the victim's life was of greater value than the murderer's), and thus should be compelled to surrender his/her life in payment for the crime. Consider what murderers put victims through, it would be cruel to not execute them.
A reporter asked Jessica Lunsford's dad if he would attend Couey's execution. He gave the same answer I would give: "I'd hold the syringe if they'd let me."
As for Scott McCausland, yeah, it sucks to have to choose between using Windows for five months and not using a computer at all. Not sure which way I'd go on that. Of course, it sucks to go to jail for five months, too. However, maybe he should have thought about that before he did it.
Of course, the argument could be made that what he did shouldn't be illegal. The argument could be made that he was engaging in civil disobedience. (I wouldn't buy it, but the argument could be made, and probably will be, by some.) The trouble is, people engaging in civil disobedience not only fully understand they may be jailed or fined for their actions, they fully expect to be. That's why they do it, to be a catalyst of change by their example. Scott McCausland is none of that. He's just a guy who caught violating copyright.
To put that in perspective, if Microsoft got caught violating copyright by incorporating GPLed software into some of their products and the people who were responsible for the violation were sentenced to five months of jail + five months of monitoring their computers, many people in this forum would be complaining that it was a slap on the wrist, because we expect those copyrights to be honored. We can't have it both ways; if we want copyright to be honored, we have to honor copyright. Are copyright terms too long? Absolutely. Should copyright be abolished entirely? Some people think so. We could have national debate on that. But in the meantime...
This seems ludicrous to me, not that he has to use Windows, but that they are depending on a program under his complete control to monitor him. What's to stop him from subverting the monitoring...sending back 'all clear' messages to the government and doing whatever the hell he wants? If they really want to monitor him, they should install some kind of locked packet-trapping box on the line coming in to his house...anything less than that is simply untrustworthy, especially considering the person has already shown an ability to do stuff with computers that they'd rather he didn't.
Stasis is death. Embrace change.
being forced to purchase Windows when he is unemployed so I suggest he just use a pirated version of it and voila, problem solved.
this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom. -- Lincoln, Gettysburg Address
how he got a hold of the movie before its release. I wonder if his source was arrested and convicted?
this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom. -- Lincoln, Gettysburg Address
They're not forcing him to patronize a specific company. Besides, do you think the alcohol interlocks appeared out of thin air?
Slow Down, Cowboy! It's been 60 minutes since you last successfully posted a comment.
Luckily for him Ubuntu is a LiveCD Distro. He can leave it in the drive and if anyone asks, he can say he was installing Firefox. Problem solved.
He might as well have pirated wordstar.
Let me help you Scott: and that they would require (force) me to purchase software while I a currently unemployed and relatively unemployable with the 2 felonies that I inflicted upon myself Maybe he should go ask someone from New York who was convicted for a DUI and had his car impounded and auctioned off and is now left with no vehicle and a $20,000 car loan to pay off (not kidding, it happens) what they think of his sentence. To be honest, I think he should just be happy that they didn't take and auction off his computer.
And where would that be? International Copyright Laws don't apply where you live?
Or did you forget to post AC?
"No freeman shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson
I wonder what the tracking software does exactly.. is it a full desktop monitoring software? like a vnc session type thing? or does it simply monitor web activity? i'm curious to see if he could get away with some sneaky ssh'ing and tunnelling.. i'm sure he'll figure out a way around their tracking regardless.. there's always a way ;)
*plays the Apogee theme song music*
Clearly you haven't considered the case were the extra-terrestrial life isn't using Free Software (tm). RMS would probably show up at the alien prime ministers door and demand a meeting. I mean, alien software should be Free(tm) man, Free(tm). It is unethical for alien programmers to implement space ship software for alien money. ... Course, the counter-troll is to assume that by definition, an advanced civilization has to be using Free Software (tm). Clearly if they were using Non-Free Software (tm), they'd never be able to fly over to earth in the first place. ... And the counter-counter troll is to ask why they always crash into our planet if their alien Free Software (tm) was so good.
Which whatever. There's many things said person might do. All of them will leave traces. All of them are likely to be poorly received by by whoever is going to assess compliance. Any sign of fiddling is probably going to be deemed as wilful violation of conditions and maybe result in a Mitnick style prohibition. The goal is not to prevent the behaviour.
"Everything is adjustable, provided you have the right tools"
Home confinement? For piracy?!
I thought the worst that could happen was being sued for a bunch of money by the MPAA/RIAA?
heh - no, just kidding
What are you talking about. Of course Steve Jobs uses Mac OS X.
Hacker: "Your honor, I've ported the monitoring system to Linux so you pigs can watch me not hack but also not have to deal with the fucking animated dog when I want to search for files."
Judge: "Actually, we're just moving you to Vista..."
Anti-Globalism
was for Windows Server 2003. On Slashdot?!? If the marketing guys at M$ saw that, they would laugh their pants off.
You are absolutely right. If our legislature is not fulfilling the will of the people by putting laws on the books that we want, and getting rid of the ones that we don't then we have no use for them and they should be replaced.
Well put.
$diff terrorists hippies
$
$rm -rf *terrorists *hippies
subject. ..use another computer on the same network ..if they implement tracking routerwise, use the friendly neighbourhood wireless spiderweb.
$diff terrorists hippies
$
$rm -rf *terrorists *hippies
What if his shiny new windows gets rooted and turned into a bot ? Will he get accused of doing all the attacks himself ? They'd better install a logging appliance between his PC and the Net and let him use a more secure OS!
I would perefer death sentence ;) :P
Be like shadow in the light or darkness.KMZ
Run or run not. There is no try.
To boldly use to and too two times and get it right too! They're not gonna believe their eyes when they see it there!
Why not use a windows based network bridge and run the monitor software on that? Then he could connect via the bridge, using Linux or whatever he'd like.
This is a strangely titled article... By the same logic, he's banned from BeOS and DOS too. ;)
Property is theft.
Seriously, what's the point of the article? If a /. user posts such a remark it gets flagged as flamebait, but it seems it _is_ ok to put it on the front page.
I use Windows (W2K) and Linux (Ubuntu Feisty) on a daily basis as development machines and have (minor) annoyances on both. Both will do weird stuff and crash. YES I consider the shell crashing also a crash from a user point of view, restarting it is sometimes as painfull as rebooting, it is actually worse than my W2K box (which crashes maybe once a year?) YMMV of course.
So in that regard, I would say forcing him to use windows may be a good learning experience for a linux user to get to know windows intead of laughing about it without ever using it.
Now go and tag this as flamebait....
Why did this guy plead guilty in the first place?
He was convicted according to the ACT act which even at its title equates filesharing with theft, which is fundamentally wrong. He should plead not guilty on the basis that 0's and 1's cannot be owned and that the copyright owners so far has failed to prove conclusively that an illegal download costs revenue in any way, shape or form. As this never can be proven beyond any doubt, filesharing will be legal from then on.
"For every complex problem, there is a solution that is simple, neat, and wrong." -- H.L. Mencken (1880-1956) --
first install VMWare
2nd Install FreeBSD since he isnt allow linux.
2nd Method Have a friend fork ubuntu change the title and fork the kernel and call it something else as well. There for it is no longer ubuntu linux
"The guy did steal, he is being punished, and he is confined to home, but they make him purchase Windows? This is what I really find objectionable, how the hell is somebody who is unemployed supposed to purchase Windows?"
Come on, do you mean to tell me a pirate won't already have a load of warezed copies of Windows? Sheesh.
F_T
YET, but fast forward 10 years, to a time when Ubuntu will own the desktop everywhere. Won't that suck THEN!?!?
I hold very few opinions. I hold information based on observation and fact. If you wish to disagree, please use facts.
MS marketing department announced today in a bit to prove MS reputation as a socially conscious company a series of public service messages. The series includes as an example messages titled "Buying software is being American" and "Communists are evil terrorist". As an example on what to come, the MS public service team, previously known as the marketing, gave us a quick preview on one of their new public service messages. Here it comes!
"Hi, I'm sk0t. I'm a bad person and an convict. I wasn't always like this. My family was an all around good honest hard working church going your typical American family. My life was just good and I had all good things coming at me. Then one day it all changed. I met some new people over the Internet and as I were very naive back then, I trusted them and thought they were like me, loving god fearing persons,, but I was very wrong! They talked a lot about this thing called Linux and how it was better and more free than Windows. As then I was an freedom loving American I thought that having more freedom would be good, and listened them and tried this Linux. Oh boy, if I had known then what I know now, I newer would have done that. As soon as I started using Linux and listening more of these people, my life took an more deeper turn down to a hell. My family and friends tried to stop me, they intervened and read the holy bible to me, but it was too late, I was too deep in the world of sin, that there was no going back. No, the only way for me was down, down to become an dirty criminal stealing peoples hard earned work for my own pleasure. Finally my career as an professional criminal master mind became to an end, the police got me, and I was brought in front of the law to answer for my sins. I just crumbled then, my life flashed in front of me, I saw my family and all the good that god had gave me, and I saw all the harm and wrong I had done. I repented! I confessed my quilt and throed myself in mercy of justice. Luckily for me, the good judge saw that there was still some good in me. I did some time in jail, it was good, I deserved that. After jail time I was allowed to go back home. They even were so decent that they made me install Windows back to my computer. It feels so good. Every day when I'm using Windows, it feels like that I'm becoming a better person, and I feel that I'm liberated from my wicked ways. This is my story. I hope you have learned something from this and if you haven't I have just one thing to say: kids don't do jail, don't use Linux. Thank you for your time.
And next up we have a story about Slashdot readers having too much time in a friday.
Survey research tool for commercial and scientific use
This is what they call justice?
Normally I ascribe all life to intelligent design, but in your case I'll make an exception.
Of course, the gov't would probably force him to.
I, personally, love when I make an ISO of a game I've bought. I'm irresponsible, and I know it, so I file the backup copy with my old source code CDs "Just In Case". Then when I scratch or lose said CD and need my backup copy to install or play the game, I get the following: "This is not the correct CD, please insert the CD that matches the CD key you entered!", or something to that effect. This is followed by loud noises and the shattering of the first object within my reach, which usually ends up being the original copy of another game I own whose backup copy will cause the cycle to start again.
If I mod you up, it doesn't necessarily mean I agree with what you've said, sorry.
Damn that's slow, why not build a live Flash drive & run that. Not only do you get all the advantages of a live CD, you can actually update it as patches come out without having to completely reburn it and it's shitloads faster than a CD.
Does court have the right to force use of Windows? Person violated the law, but they are not puting him in jail and violating his right to choose software that he wants to use.
Not only that, but he could keep the Windows virtual machine perfectly pristine, so the tracking software is always reporting data that shows he's being a good boy, even if he's doing other things in the base Ubuntu system or other virtual machines...
Of course, if he gets too cute with his setup, the feds will find an excuse to show he violated his parole, and back to prison he goes... We do have to keep in mind that parole officers probably search his place at random.
Meldroc, Waster of Electrons
First of all, this guy is not banned from using linux. Under the terms of his probation he has to install monitoring software or not use a computer, you could just as easily say that he is banned from using a Macintosh.
Second, he's lucky he's not just sitting in jail for the next five months. He committed a crime and now he has to face the consequences, boo-hoo. Am I supposed to feel sorry for this guy? Here's a tip. If you don't want to go to jail for copyright infringement, DON'T PIRATE STUFF!
Quick quiz, how many people get killed on the road by drunk drivers vs how many get killed by amateur copyright infringers. You can round it down to the nearest thousand.
Oh, absolutly nobody has even been killed by reckless torrenting or filesharing under the influence of kazaa.
Since the two offences don't compare, why do you think you can compare the sentences? How about this, somebody gets his hand chopped off for stealing a loaf of bread, he shouldn't complain because another guy got his head cut off for murder?
A drunk driver is a dangerous person who thinks his/her pleasure outweighs the safety of every other road user. This guy is just someone who shared a movie. Big deal, is George Lucas or anybody else in the poorhouse because of this guy? No, they are all filthy rich. So where is the harm?
yes, it is still a crime, but in any civilized society the punishment of a crime should reflect the harm it does to society as a whole, not what some small subgroup thinks. Even the germans realize this. When the germans are more humane then you, you got a problem.
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
He could always use an internet cafe, perhaps get access down the local public library (many of these are free access these days).
If this dude lived close to me I'd swing by and drop off my collection of LiveCDs, so he doesn't have to DL them and risk getting caught.
Fucking anti-piracy laws, they treat these people like murderers.
Internet: Serious Business
He Can download a current copy of windows from Bittorrent...
Zanthor
Soooo, he's going to get a Windows that monitors everything he does, spies on all his activities and phones home about them.
How is this any different from Vista?
Why do they even need to install a piece of software for this? Couldn't they just subpoena Microsoft for all this info?
Never attribute to malice what can be adequately explained by ignorance or stupidity. -Isaac Asimov
Put him on dialup for the duration.
-- Stephen.
The point is that he can keep using Linux for his daily tasks by running it in, say, a VMware window, which I've done in the past and is quite comfortable. Your objections are based on a misinterpretation of what I and others have posted, and probably apply elsewhere.
technical writing / development
You deal with circumventing the duty (being monitored) by running wine, cygwin, vmware and the like. That's not the point. There is a confinement rule, and the question is: is it fair? He claims costs (buy windows) and being punished to use windows. The cost argument isn't changed by running wine, cygwin or vmware. And he might not be interested in using a technique, which brings him straigt back to jail, if he is observed to circumvent the monitoring software. Those advices aren't helpful - they just show, that all you experts know vmware, wine and cygwin. Congratulation. So is here a skandal of unfairnes? Do you expect judges to be informed about linux, and that you can't simply run a monitoring software written for MS-Xme2kista on a linux system? How does a judge work? Someone suggests running a monitoring software, the judges agrees - amen. Btw.: slashdot doesn't report, but here http://torrentfreak.com/bittorrent-admin-monitored -by-us-government-forced-to-dump-linux/ you see, he was convicted for "uploading 'Star Wars: Episode III' onto the internet hours before the theatrical release".
Not the common fair-use dvd-ripper, or sometimes-torrent-user.
Of course I would prefer 5 months in jail with ubuntu instead of 5 months in the MS-jail.
But I guess a equivalent Linux-monitoring-software would have been accepted by the judge.