I notice two statements off the bat that not only are both wrong, but they contradict each other.
First they say there is no single place to get all the updates. Since they are running RedHat, that is wrong, because they could get them from ftp://updates.redhat.com/
Second they say that if you want to keep up with the security updates, your only choice is to run autorpm, but that's a bad idea because it installs software without you knowing what is going on. Leaving aside the fact that this contradicts the first statement, it's also dead wrong. If you set one configuration variable in autorpm, instead of installing the updates, it will just download them, and send you an email advising that they are downloaded. Then you can pick and choose which ones to install using "autorpm --apply", which will show you what the package is, where it got it from, all the rpm info, and let you choose to install, defer installation for now, or remove it from the queue. It doesn't get any simpler than that.
Would you rather get your security patches the day after they are available, or would you rather wait for Microsoft to bundle several security patches up into a Service Pack CD?
Now that Q3Test has proven to just be a warmed over version of Quake 2 death match with better graphics, what are you planning to do to make first person shooters interesting again? Any thoughts about adding team play like Team Fortress Classic or Tribes?
AFAIK no other palmtop has this feature, even now (but I haven't been paying too much attention...)
I've had a Sharp Zaurus for nearly 5 years now. It's the only palmtop I know of with a decent sized (not lap-top sized, but it will do) keyboard, and a PCMCIA slot. I have the cheezy 2400bps modem that plugs into the side, but you can plug any PCMCIA modem you want into the thing. The built-in vt100 emulation isn't bad - I frequently run elm and mutt and trn over it.
Yeah, and I run autorpm and so I get my RedHat security fixes installed automatically the very night the fix hits the mirror sites. So what's your point about how wonderful dselect is?
The guy has as one of his points in favour of Solaris "runs on 64 bit SPARC platform (Intel doesn't even have a 64 bit platform yet)", implying that Intel's failure is Linux's failure. Obviously the guy hasn't done his homework, and he doesn't realize that Linux runs on at least two different 64 bit platforms, SPARC and Alpha. And correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Linux running on 64 bit Alphas before the 64 bit SPARC even came out?
I tried the rvplayer 5, I tried 2 different versions of the G2 player when they came out, and I tried this one. Every single one has just flashed up an initial window and then core dumped. This one is a major improvement over the others, because it actually plays one note of the initial tune before it core dumps.
Wait a minute, I've developed a *lot* of Java code, and in every case I've compared jikes produces smaller class files that run faster than the same java files compiled with javac. In some cases, the speedups were incredible. And given the compile speed of jikes, and the fact that it gives *much* better diagnostics, and it implements the language spec better than javac, the extra speed at runtime is just gravy.
Why do you feel you have a right to.com? You're outside of the US, so register a national domain. You'll be keeping your money out of the US, and supporting the registrar in your own country.
As for taxation without representation - I've been living in the US for 5 years now, taxed and unrepresented. What makes you think anybody but the founding fathers give a flying fuck about that tired old catch phrase?
See my earlier post where I predicted somebody would make some moronic remark about "if they can patent foo, then I can patent something else". Looks like I didn't have to wait long.
What is it about Slashdot readers and their inability to comprehend patents? This has got to be the 8 billionth time I've read on Slashdot "so-and-so patented foo, even though foo has been around for a long time". Read the freaking patent - it doesn't claim a patent on wheel barrows, it claims a patent on a cam mechanism for lowering the end of the wheel barrow for loading and unloading. In other words, it patents a new invention that applies to wheel barrows.
Given the past performance of Slashdot readers, I now expect some bright spark to say "well, if he can patent the wheel barrow, I'm going to patent the wheel and demand payment from GM".
Since I don't *want* another damn free email account, but I don't want anybody else to have it either, I intend to change the password to some random string of characters and then promptly forget it.
For the third time in the last 4 years, I find myself without my PDA (a Sharp Zaurus). I've had Sharp PDAs for the last 8 years or so, starting with a ZQ6300M. Back then, I lived in Canada, and the two or three times the ZQ failed, Sharp fixed it quickly, once getting it back to me 4 days after I'd shipped it to them FedEx! But since I've moved to the US, the service has been TERRIBLE. They don't do the service themselves, they use designated service centres, and these service centers don't seem to realize that some of us run out business lives on these things. The last three times something has gone wrong, I've had to wait over a month for the repair. And it's cost over $150 each time.
The promise of a cheap but powerful PDA like these means that instead of paying $150 each time for repairs, I can just buy a new one! And because it has hot sync, I probably won't lose as much information as I do with the Zaurus because I only back it up once or twice a month.
How about a "root" account that can't be logged into (you know, with "*NOLOGIN*" in the password field). Then if they wanted to do root stuff they would specifically have to boot it into single user mode. If you can only run as root when it's in single user mode, then script kiddies can't create root shells remotely.
You give up remote administration, but most users don't need it.
Wait a minute, Relic is obviously stolen directly from that guy on that show I hate that used to come directly after the Simpsons. Shit, I forget the name, but the main character sold propane. And his next door neighbour looked exactly like this "Relic" character, and he was a gun-fanatic survivalist conspiracy kook.
without ever having to worry about someone getting root.
Yeah, you don't have to worry about someone getting root, because once they're on the box, they *are* root. They can delete the system folder, install software, anything. I bet there's not sandbox for CGI either - one buffer overrun and you can trash the operating system.
Slashdot Mirror
No, autorpm is a third party program. I've been using it since RedHat 4.2.
You can get it from ftp://ftp.kaybee.org/pub/redhat/RPMS/noarch
I notice two statements off the bat that not only are both wrong, but they contradict each other.
First they say there is no single place to get all the updates. Since they are running RedHat, that is wrong, because they could get them from ftp://updates.redhat.com/
Second they say that if you want to keep up with the security updates, your only choice is to run autorpm, but that's a bad idea because it installs software without you knowing what is going on. Leaving aside the fact that this contradicts the first statement, it's also dead wrong. If you set one configuration variable in autorpm, instead of installing the updates, it will just download them, and send you an email advising that they are downloaded. Then you can pick and choose which ones to install using "autorpm --apply", which will show you what the package is, where it got it from, all the rpm info, and let you choose to install, defer installation for now, or remove it from the queue. It doesn't get any simpler than that.
Would you rather get your security patches the day after they are available, or would you rather wait for Microsoft to bundle several security patches up into a Service Pack CD?
Now that Q3Test has proven to just be a warmed over version of Quake 2 death match with better graphics, what are you planning to do to make first person shooters interesting again? Any thoughts about adding team play like Team Fortress Classic or Tribes?
AFAIK no other palmtop has this feature, even now (but I haven't been paying too much attention...)
I've had a Sharp Zaurus for nearly 5 years now. It's the only palmtop I know of with a decent sized (not lap-top sized, but it will do) keyboard, and a PCMCIA slot. I have the cheezy 2400bps modem that plugs into the side, but you can plug any PCMCIA modem you want into the thing.
The built-in vt100 emulation isn't bad - I frequently run elm and mutt and trn over it.
Isn't a "BEOPALM" where you masturbate with both hands?
Yeah, and I run autorpm and so I get my RedHat security fixes installed automatically the very night the fix hits the mirror sites. So what's your point about how wonderful dselect is?
The guy has as one of his points in favour of Solaris "runs on 64 bit SPARC platform (Intel doesn't even have a 64 bit platform yet)", implying that Intel's failure is Linux's failure. Obviously the guy hasn't done his homework, and he doesn't realize that Linux runs on at least two different 64 bit platforms, SPARC and Alpha. And correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Linux running on 64 bit Alphas before the 64 bit SPARC even came out?
I tried the rvplayer 5, I tried 2 different versions of the G2 player when they came out, and I tried this one. Every single one has just flashed up an initial window and then core dumped. This one is a major improvement over the others, because it actually plays one note of the initial tune before it core dumps.
Wait a minute, I've developed a *lot* of Java code, and in every case I've compared jikes produces smaller class files that run faster than the same java files compiled with javac. In some cases, the speedups were incredible. And given the compile speed of jikes, and the fact that it gives *much* better diagnostics, and it implements the language spec better than javac, the extra speed at runtime is just gravy.
Why do you feel you have a right to .com? You're outside of the US, so register a national domain. You'll be keeping your money out of the US, and supporting the registrar in your own country.
As for taxation without representation - I've been living in the US for 5 years now, taxed and unrepresented. What makes you think anybody but the founding fathers give a flying fuck about that tired old catch phrase?
It's written in Java, but it doesn't support Java development. Oh well, I've never found an IDE I like as much as gvim.
See my earlier post where I predicted somebody would make some moronic remark about "if they can patent foo, then I can patent something else". Looks like I didn't have to wait long.
What is it about Slashdot readers and their inability to comprehend patents? This has got to be the 8 billionth time I've read on Slashdot "so-and-so patented foo, even though foo has been around for a long time". Read the freaking patent - it doesn't claim a patent on wheel barrows, it claims a patent on a cam mechanism for lowering the end of the wheel barrow for loading and unloading. In other words, it patents a new invention that applies to wheel barrows.
Given the past performance of Slashdot readers, I now expect some bright spark to say "well, if he can patent the wheel barrow, I'm going to patent the wheel and demand payment from GM".
...is will they dream of electric sheep?
Red Hat Linux, By Appointment To Her Majesty The Queen.
...doesn't mean anybody will actually do it. The patent office doesn't rule on practicality or marketability.
Since I don't *want* another damn free email account, but I don't want anybody else to have it either, I intend to change the password to some random string of characters and then promptly forget it.
For the third time in the last 4 years, I find myself without my PDA (a Sharp Zaurus). I've had Sharp PDAs for the last 8 years or so, starting with a ZQ6300M. Back then, I lived in Canada, and the two or three times the ZQ failed, Sharp fixed it quickly, once getting it back to me 4 days after I'd shipped it to them FedEx! But since I've moved to the US, the service has been TERRIBLE. They don't do the service themselves, they use designated service centres, and these service centers don't seem to realize that some of us run out business lives on these things. The last three times something has gone wrong, I've had to wait over a month for the repair. And it's cost over $150 each time.
The promise of a cheap but powerful PDA like these means that instead of paying $150 each time for repairs, I can just buy a new one! And because it has hot sync, I probably won't lose as much information as I do with the Zaurus because I only back it up once or twice a month.
It's MDW. You obviously weren't reading alt.fan.warlord back in the glory days.
This guy seems to hang out with a better class of people, rather than the bizarre and unsavoury characters I've seen Matt hanging around with.
This guy dresses better.
How about a "root" account that can't be logged into (you know, with "*NOLOGIN*" in the password field). Then if they wanted to do root stuff they would specifically have to boot it into single user mode. If you can only run as root when it's in single user mode, then script kiddies can't create root shells remotely.
You give up remote administration, but most users don't need it.
Wait a minute, Relic is obviously stolen directly from that guy on that show I hate that used to come directly after the Simpsons. Shit, I forget the name, but the main character sold propane. And his next door neighbour looked exactly like this "Relic" character, and he was a gun-fanatic survivalist conspiracy kook.
Do we ever get to see more of you than just the boots? Not that I'm complaining about seeing the boots, mind.
without ever having to worry about someone getting root.
Yeah, you don't have to worry about someone getting root, because once they're on the box, they *are* root. They can delete the system folder, install software, anything. I bet there's not sandbox for CGI either - one buffer overrun and you can trash the operating system.