Admitedly when I started writing my book (Automating UNIX and Linux Administration) I had barely used cfengine and it was going to be just a small part of my book, but it turned out that I liked it so much that it became one of the major focuses in the book.
I think that even with as few as 5 systems it is worth the effort... especially if the systems are largely similar.
I hope you are not right. I have both a Tivo and a Dish Network PVR. The Dish Network PVR is a complete piece of crap. It frequently locks up, randomly reboots, etc. It has none of the season pass features that makes the Tivo so great. It doesn't even let you give labels to your "manual timers". It is a big, glorified VCR that crashes more often.
Not only that, it doesn't record shows sometimes. A had a period of time where every show was recorded for only 1 second. I had to delete and re-create all of my manual timers.
You may be right about the ACLU's position on gun ownership. Unfortunately, they are in conflict with the founding fathers and what they wrote in the constitution. The did not grant the right... they just recognized the right to bear arms. Now it sounds like you consider it a privelege... quite different than a fundamental right.
Have you ever stopped to consider that the reluctance of many honest citizens to own, no less carry, a firearm might be part of the reason for this increase in violent crime? This reluctance is caused by both laws and the general attitude about guns in this country. I have not heard of many criminals that are reluctant to carry and use weapons.
There are not many people that think shooting arbitrary people is protected by the second ammendment... definitely not any sane people. Shooting somebody is clearly a violation of their right to life and/or their pursuit of happiness. Anybody that causes you to have to dodge bullets or look down the barrel of a gun also violates your right to liberty. Any of these people are lawbreakers and should be arrested and severely punished.
I carry my handgun almost everywhere I go yet have never even taken it out in public. If the government takes away my right to carry a gun they are taking away part of my liberty. If I get killed by somebody and there is even a.0001% chance that if I still had my gun I would still be alive then the gun control laws just became an accomlice to my murderer.
At one point the publisher wanted at least a chapter on this in the book. But they figured that Unix people wouldn't want it in the book and that Windows people wouldn't buy a Unix book.
Personally, I really feel for anybody who has to manage more than two windows machines. But I do think there are methods that Microsoft will be sure to sell you.
I agree -- and this is just what I say in the book, and why I picked it as an example here. If you want bash on all of your systems, it is easy to do. The book even talks about such a task.
But, if for some reason you don't want to use bash, none of the examples are so complicated that they couldn't be converted to any other language.
Very little of the book is only applicable to Linux, and even less is only appicable to Red Hat Linux. Basically, one appendix is on Red Hat Linux. RPM is covered more than other package managers (but RPM is also the most common package manager to use across different Unix variants). Solaris patches are also covered to some degree. Everything else is pretty generic.
The book is aimed towards all Unix variants (as is Cfengine, which is a big part of the book). But I prefer Linux and use Linux for many of the examples... but all that usually means is it begins with #!/bin/bash at the top instead of #!/usr/local/bin/bash or #!/bin/sh.
One appendix is on RPMs (which is used on other systems besides Linux) and another is on Red Hat Linux specifically.
The only way Linux, FreeBSD, and all of the other operating systems that have appeared over the years were possible is because of the lack of government regulation. Once the government steps in, it will only stifle creativity and limit consumer options.
Who is best to deal with government regulations? Microsoft.
Thanks, but no thanks. This issue will work itself out. We are in our growing stages. The government is not a solution to everything... actually, not much at all, really.
Thanks for the great post. You have thought about Economics too much though... everybody knows everything the government "gives" you is "free"!;)
Sadly enough, something like this would be free for the 45% of income earners who don't actually pay any income tax. But even for them there are bound to be strings attached.
Regardless, it would cost a fortune, be a complete disaster, be morally wrong (taking money from people all over the country to create software most of the people wouldn't care to you), and unconstitutional (not like that matters much any more).
Very nice comment. I agree -- the government should only pay for software it needs to pay for. Therefore, if open-source software exists, they should use it. If it doesn't exist or lacks features they need, they should create it.
I do think that all government-created software should be open-source (with reasonable exceptions for security purposes).
I also think that using proprietary data formats is a bad move for any entity with a long expected lifetime... which definetly includes the government.
It is an output filter -- i.e. after the air has been through the pre-filter-screen, the pre-filter, and the electrostatic filter. I haevn't changed mine yet and it doesn't appear to be dirty, but it will eventually stop removing odors.
If you have a subscription to Consumer Reports, they did some tests of air filters. Contrary to other replies to this post, they found the Ionic Breeze to be next to useless. Maybe their test environment did not properly represent the real world, or maybe they are right.
In any case, they said that the Friedrich C90A removed more dust than any other air filter that they tested. It operates with electricity like the Ionic Breeze, but has a powerful fan and more filter stages. No filters to buy, but it is definitely bigger and less attractive than the Ionic Breeze.
you are absolutely right about the television...sure i'd give away ALL of my possessions before taking a life.
You are much more forgiving than I am. If you break into my house, you have forfeited your life to me. I will have my gun on you as soon as I can. If you do exactly what I say you will live until the cops get here. If you spook me or make a move or don't listen, you are dead.
If somebody breaks into my house, I'm not going to sit around and wait to see if they want to just steal some stuff, rape my wife, kill both of us, or just cook himself some macaroni and cheese.
I will not shoot right away, unless the intruder has a weapon visible.
I'm guessing you haven't killed too many people. Neither have I, but I understand that it is quite messy... even with a gun. Sure, it is easier/cleaner than a knife, but there are definitely other options if you want clean.
The thing is that this will never happen. Every homeowner will never have a handgun. The criminal doesn't know what you do and don't have. But, they know that (in America) you very well may have something. This is why they don't like robbing occupied homes.
There is also the fact that burglary is one thing, but armed burglary is much worse. This is where we have the advantage. If I was a burglar, I would do it without a weapon (in case I get caught) and pick targets where I think nobody is home and it is very unlikely that they have a weapon (maybe New York City).
You don't see too many people burglarizing with shotguns or assault rifles. They are heavy, bulky, and don't serve any real purpose. Handguns are the best weapon for the job.
PS - ranking an assault rifle as better than a shotgun for use inside of a home is incorrect. Shotguns are better, unless the assault rifle is full auto maybe.
Sure. Except for the children bit, of course. The danger of a child hurting or killing himself or someone else accidentally is too great, even when compared to the chance that your child might use your gun to stop an intruder. The math on that one just doesn't add up.
I wouldn't make such a blanket statement. There are plenty of children aged 12 and older that are completely competent with a gun. I wouldn't want my 5-year-old to touch my gun, but if somebody is killing my family, and my 12-year-old knows how to shoot, they had better use it!
In close quarters, at night, like in your house you are probably better off hand to hand or with a knife
This depends on who "you" are. Having read books by self-defence experts, I realize that a knife is a very poor self defense weapon unless you are strong and skilled with its use. I wouldn't pull out a knife on somebody, and I definitely wouldn't want my wife to do so.
Stabbing somebody with a knife is tough. You have to get very close. There is a good chance it won't stop them right away. With a gun, on the other hard, you can put several rounds into the person in no time with no effort and from as far away as possible.
Thank you! One of the many problems with this device. It might fail when you need to use it. Alternatively, people may just leave their gun loaded and laying on the dresser. Hopefully the system works okay when your kid picks it up.
Admitedly when I started writing my book (Automating UNIX and Linux Administration) I had barely used cfengine and it was going to be just a small part of my book, but it turned out that I liked it so much that it became one of the major focuses in the book.
I think that even with as few as 5 systems it is worth the effort... especially if the systems are largely similar.
I hope you are not right. I have both a Tivo and a Dish Network PVR. The Dish Network PVR is a complete piece of crap. It frequently locks up, randomly reboots, etc. It has none of the season pass features that makes the Tivo so great. It doesn't even let you give labels to your "manual timers". It is a big, glorified VCR that crashes more often.
Not only that, it doesn't record shows sometimes. A had a period of time where every show was recorded for only 1 second. I had to delete and re-create all of my manual timers.
Excellent post all around. Thanks!
You may be right about the ACLU's position on gun ownership. Unfortunately, they are in conflict with the founding fathers and what they wrote in the constitution. The did not grant the right... they just recognized the right to bear arms. Now it sounds like you consider it a privelege... quite different than a fundamental right.
.0001% chance that if I still had my gun I would still be alive then the gun control laws just became an accomlice to my murderer.
Have you ever stopped to consider that the reluctance of many honest citizens to own, no less carry, a firearm might be part of the reason for this increase in violent crime? This reluctance is caused by both laws and the general attitude about guns in this country. I have not heard of many criminals that are reluctant to carry and use weapons.
There are not many people that think shooting arbitrary people is protected by the second ammendment... definitely not any sane people. Shooting somebody is clearly a violation of their right to life and/or their pursuit of happiness. Anybody that causes you to have to dodge bullets or look down the barrel of a gun also violates your right to liberty. Any of these people are lawbreakers and should be arrested and severely punished.
I carry my handgun almost everywhere I go yet have never even taken it out in public. If the government takes away my right to carry a gun they are taking away part of my liberty. If I get killed by somebody and there is even a
Yes, but when you consider that a well-armed population could have prevented the tragedy, that particular law becomes much more disturbing.
At one point the publisher wanted at least a chapter on this in the book. But they figured that Unix people wouldn't want it in the book and that Windows people wouldn't buy a Unix book.
Personally, I really feel for anybody who has to manage more than two windows machines. But I do think there are methods that Microsoft will be sure to sell you.
I really should have looked at this man page before writing the book... I could have saved a year of my life! ;)
I agree -- and this is just what I say in the book, and why I picked it as an example here. If you want bash on all of your systems, it is easy to do. The book even talks about such a task.
But, if for some reason you don't want to use bash, none of the examples are so complicated that they couldn't be converted to any other language.
Disclaimer: I'm the author of this book.
Very little of the book is only applicable to Linux, and even less is only appicable to Red Hat Linux. Basically, one appendix is on Red Hat Linux. RPM is covered more than other package managers (but RPM is also the most common package manager to use across different Unix variants). Solaris patches are also covered to some degree. Everything else is pretty generic.
Disclaimer: I am the author of this book.
The book is aimed towards all Unix variants (as is Cfengine, which is a big part of the book). But I prefer Linux and use Linux for many of the examples... but all that usually means is it begins with #!/bin/bash at the top instead of #!/usr/local/bin/bash or #!/bin/sh.
One appendix is on RPMs (which is used on other systems besides Linux) and another is on Red Hat Linux specifically.
The only way Linux, FreeBSD, and all of the other operating systems that have appeared over the years were possible is because of the lack of government regulation. Once the government steps in, it will only stifle creativity and limit consumer options.
Who is best to deal with government regulations? Microsoft.
Thanks, but no thanks. This issue will work itself out. We are in our growing stages. The government is not a solution to everything... actually, not much at all, really.
Thanks for the great post. You have thought about Economics too much though... everybody knows everything the government "gives" you is "free"! ;)
Sadly enough, something like this would be free for the 45% of income earners who don't actually pay any income tax. But even for them there are bound to be strings attached.
Regardless, it would cost a fortune, be a complete disaster, be morally wrong (taking money from people all over the country to create software most of the people wouldn't care to you), and unconstitutional (not like that matters much any more).
Very nice comment. I agree -- the government should only pay for software it needs to pay for. Therefore, if open-source software exists, they should use it. If it doesn't exist or lacks features they need, they should create it.
I do think that all government-created software should be open-source (with reasonable exceptions for security purposes).
I also think that using proprietary data formats is a bad move for any entity with a long expected lifetime... which definetly includes the government.
It is an output filter -- i.e. after the air has been through the pre-filter-screen, the pre-filter, and the electrostatic filter. I haevn't changed mine yet and it doesn't appear to be dirty, but it will eventually stop removing odors.
Here is a link to purchase it: Friedrich C90A
If your parents had a "Smart Gun" would it have stopped you?
You are much more forgiving than I am. If you break into my house, you have forfeited your life to me. I will have my gun on you as soon as I can. If you do exactly what I say you will live until the cops get here. If you spook me or make a move or don't listen, you are dead.
If somebody breaks into my house, I'm not going to sit around and wait to see if they want to just steal some stuff, rape my wife, kill both of us, or just cook himself some macaroni and cheese.
I will not shoot right away, unless the intruder has a weapon visible.
I'm guessing you haven't killed too many people. Neither have I, but I understand that it is quite messy... even with a gun. Sure, it is easier/cleaner than a knife, but there are definitely other options if you want clean.
The thing is that this will never happen. Every homeowner will never have a handgun. The criminal doesn't know what you do and don't have. But, they know that (in America) you very well may have something. This is why they don't like robbing occupied homes.
There is also the fact that burglary is one thing, but armed burglary is much worse. This is where we have the advantage. If I was a burglar, I would do it without a weapon (in case I get caught) and pick targets where I think nobody is home and it is very unlikely that they have a weapon (maybe New York City).
You don't see too many people burglarizing with shotguns or assault rifles. They are heavy, bulky, and don't serve any real purpose. Handguns are the best weapon for the job.
PS - ranking an assault rifle as better than a shotgun for use inside of a home is incorrect. Shotguns are better, unless the assault rifle is full auto maybe.
I wouldn't make such a blanket statement. There are plenty of children aged 12 and older that are completely competent with a gun. I wouldn't want my 5-year-old to touch my gun, but if somebody is killing my family, and my 12-year-old knows how to shoot, they had better use it!
This depends on who "you" are. Having read books by self-defence experts, I realize that a knife is a very poor self defense weapon unless you are strong and skilled with its use. I wouldn't pull out a knife on somebody, and I definitely wouldn't want my wife to do so.
Stabbing somebody with a knife is tough. You have to get very close. There is a good chance it won't stop them right away. With a gun, on the other hard, you can put several rounds into the person in no time with no effort and from as far away as possible.
Thank you! One of the many problems with this device. It might fail when you need to use it. Alternatively, people may just leave their gun loaded and laying on the dresser. Hopefully the system works okay when your kid picks it up.
What about people who don't have kids? Why should we be forced to have a security device?
The sad thing is that the lawsuit may be filed against the gun manufacturer, when it should really be filed against the State.