if you're using KDE from CVS, the fix is inside or you can wait to next week for KDE 3.0.3 (which will have more fixes for KDE 3.0). Thanks to Waldo bastian for the blazing fast fix (95 minutes since it was reported). I wonder when MS will release a fix.
Considering it takes an entire afternoon to compile KDE 3 I'm pretty sure that ZERO testing went into this so called fix. Wow what a great job by the Open Source community. Its bad when MS releases a Service Pack that BSODs your box, but its okay when some developer without half a brain uploads a fix that he obviously didnt even bother to test.
The funny part is that its in CVS and that means about 0.00001 % of all KDE users are going to upgrade to it before there is an official release. Somebody please point out the easy to install hotfix binary so I dont have to redownload and recompile the entire KDE suite.
Ooppps! I guess ya can't can you? I guess that means that for all intensive purposes neither MS or KDE have a widely available fix for this yet. Another victory for Open Source!
J
(1) Why isn't every single member of Worldcom's Board of Directors in jail right now? So its okay to throw some kid in jail for cracking some piss poor encryption on a PDF file - but its not so okay to throw some suit in jail that knowingly stole billions upon billions of dollars from investors?
(2) Why hasn't Worldcom's stock been delisted? I mean comeon now - I think its about time to hang up the saddle and go on home because this horse isn't getting back up.
(3) Why is Worldcom being allowed to write off 50 billion dollars (as mentioned earlier) in addition to the 7 billion they already stole? I think Bernie Ebbers and friends better get out to the street corner and start "sucking it up" so he can play these people BACK.
(4) And once again - WHY AREN'T THESE FSCKING IDIOTS IN JAIL? If I bounce a check for 100 bucks I'm sure to face the consequences - yet if they "steal" 7 billion dollars its okay?
J
This is the absolute stupidest thing Ive ever hear
on
Shattering Windows
·
· Score: 4, Insightful
Look... I'm in no hurry to defend Microsoft but being as I develop for their OS on a daily basis - its common knowledge (or should be) that anybody who runs a service under system privileges that presents a GUI to any old user - is a fucktard that simply needs to die. Yes this problem can be fixed by MS using the 2nd option indicated in the paper and yes it would mean these crappy designed apps written by third parties would have to be rewritten.
Microsoft specifically reccommends that you do not run services and allow them to interact with the local desktop. Doing so is security suicide. Thats how VirusScan was running. Therefore its a McAfee issue since there are about a bazillion better ways to write this app.
My retort to your comment is that OSX does nothing for linux on the desktop. All OSX proves is that *nix CAN be easy for a regular user while Linux serves only to disprove that point.
It may be possible (as proven by OSX) for *nix to be made useable for the average person - but not for linux. It's too geek driven at all the wrong places. Don't get me wrong, I love KDE and GNOME 2 but the lack of system wide integration really begins to show after while of using them.
The answer to your second question is no. As I said before, Linux is too geek driven to care about the needs of the "average" user. Yes there are distro companies out there that want to take linux down this road - but considering the fact that nearly all of them are about to go out of business any day now... any develops made towards linux on the desktop will have to be made by the geeks.
With all of these conflicting stories coming out of NewsForge today... I would have to question the integrity of their editing staff. I mean comeon guys, in the last two days we've gotten:
(1) Lindows is shipping on Microtel PCs at Walmart! (2) Lindows/Walmart back off on Windows compatibility claims (3) Walmart is now going to ship PCs with Mandrake.
This is either really poor reporting or Walmarts Board of Directors has started freebasing. I think the choice here is obvious so I will leave it to you.
J
P.S. In case you were wondering, Walmarts Board of Directors is smoking the weed - they haven't started freebasing quite yet.
Maybe we will start seeing Lindows run some "switch" commercials kind of like Apples. The difference would be that the whiny little idiots would complain that Windows/Mac was too "clunky and that I couldn't figure out how to move things around". Maybe they will also thrown in that, "Lindows just works more like my Brain does."
Speaking of which, are't those people the biggest idiots you have ever seen? Somebody should smack them all silly. My personal favorite is the Windows Admin who says that he just wants to come home to computers that "work". Perhaps he should seek a new area of employment if he's unable to get his Windows machines to work...
Given your opinion on this matter I would assume that you also believe:
(1) AOL should be allowed to cut off clone AIM clients because its THEIR network.
(2) MS should be allowed to cut off clone IM clients because its THEIR network.
(3) MS should be allowed to modify Exchange server to keep the Ximian connector from functioning.
(4) ISPs should start banning the use of Linux because its THEIR network.
Look pal I know my comments here are coming off as krass and I understand how you feel in regards to/. editors and the panic button of theirs, but just consider that for one minute they actually may have a good point here, okay?
Of/. is going to handle this in the wrong way as has been demonstrated by all of the "Im going to steal WC3" comments. The reason Blizzard is concerned about BnetD is because it makes piracy that much easier (you cant really play pirated versions of their games on the real Battle.NET).
Its going to end up just like the DeCSS thing were/. screams to high heaven about the poor 16 year who wrote the thing getting locked up - yet Taco is still more than happy to almost single handedly run AnimeFu - a site devoted to Anime on DVD (my my isn't he in serious need of a life?)
The hypocricsy has always been here and it will continue to stay here until the day these baboons close up shop. But until that time - I suggest you either learn to live with it (as I have) or leave well enough alone.
Strike 3. This is not a argument of the GPL - the GPL makes no arguments, it states conditions under which copying may be done, or a derivative work may be created. The issue of whether a work which incorpoates all or part of another work is a derivate is a question of copyright law, not specific to the GPL; and to that issue there is no general solution.
So given the provided situation are you actually trying to tell us that all of the software wouldn't be considered GPL? If I included 10 lines of GPL code in a closed source app of 500,000 my 500,000 lines of code suddenly come under the GPL license. The GPL stipulates that compiled binaries derived from GPL code must have the modified source provided with them in distribution.
Now if I simply keep the software to myself - its really not an issue. But if I choose to distribute that software I'm suddenly compelled by the terms of the GPL license to include the source code. To alot of program-for-pay programmers (which includes most programmers I know including myself) that essentially destroys all profit motivation since anybody can copy and redistribute a better version of your original work that costs a fraction as much.
You can find more information regarding my feelings on Open Source at my site http://www.jaylittle.com (Note: Some of my software is actually Open Source but it is distributed without a license of any kind. My reasons are fully explained.)
Well it is/. afterall... but I think you also raise an excellent point. See my post later regarding the other arguments brought to light with this paper and their signifigance in the future of Open Source.
Its interesting that/. claims that ADTI takes money from Microsoft when its clearly not stated on their site or from any reputable source. I think the real source of FUD is this situation is/. as this whitepaper presents a large number of GPL related issues that you all would do well to think about.
For instance:
With most free software when you have a problem, you may have access to some online forum to discuss that problem in a chat room
with tech types, but is that of interest to the average consumer? But the problem is yours to fix, that's beyond most consumers. In the end, the free software could end up awkward and costly to the consumer. This point cannot be ignored.
I think he raises a valid point regarding the future viablity of Open Source products in a consumer focused marketplace. Needless to say - Windows is still light years easier to use than Linux. Afterall most people will never have to find out their system even has a commandline interface.
Heres another good one:
There does not appear to be any method for the open source software method to identify and respond to the needs of nontechies...Moreover, because opensource software tends to be written for use by IT professionals, there are few incentives to smooth out the rough edges and make software easier to use.
Yes would some of the supposed experts here like to counter this seemingly valid point? Most people here (without even having read the original whitepaper) have gone off on the "Microsoft Funded FUD Machine" (without any real evidence) bandwagon without even considering the issues brought to light here.
Keep in mind that if you cannot look yourself in the mirror objectively - how can you expect anybody else to? The FUD has to stop and it needs to stop here before it stops anywhere else.
Its truly a sad commentary on the community as a whole here isn't it? Most of us could read C, C++, Bash Script, or even PERL and tell you exactly what it was doing - but we still cannot even read a measly article...
Yet when Microsoft patches something the same day as the vulnerability is announced they get raked over the coals but its great that Opera does the same thing. Now this may not apply to you personally - but your comment does seem a bit hypocritical considering the comments that are normally posted on such subjects here.
Being that this consitutes a majorly braindead security hole (allowing the value attribute on a file field to be filled in by the webmaster?!?!?!) I think its safe to say that all browsers in existence are lacking on the security front.
Is why everybody seems surprised by this. Did the readers here actually think that GPLed code was immune to being hijacked by commercial interests? Specifically thats not whats going to happen here - but its pretty close.
Version 1: United Linux creates a Distribution that uses mostly open sourced code available to anybody on the net. This doesnt sell well except for the few coporations who like their support options.
Version 2: United Linux creates alot of inhouse closed-source configuration and system management apps that give it the leg up on the open source only competition. The appearance of increased system integration with none of problems associated with Windows Systems is appealing to alot of IT departments. Some more will jump on the UL bandwagon - most will wisely wait for it to mature a bit more.
Version 3: The Windows 2000 of the UnitedLinux distribution. This time UL will get it right. By leveraging their point and click configuration utilities and by "borrowing" the efforts of the Linux community to update core system components (kernel 2.6, gcc 3.0+, KDE 4, Gnome 1.5) they will have a product unmatched in the corporate Linux arena.
Eventually guys we knew somebody would figure out how to accomplish the above. Maybe UL won't succeed, maybe they will. Eventually somebody is going to pull it off though. Not to mention the fact that while free distributions such as debian will always exist, eventually their will only be one corporate distribution.
Some Linux people will be able to live with this and they will stick with the operating system they helped build. Most however will probably move to some other fringe OS like AtheOS, OpenBEOS, QNX, or most likely a BSD variant.
Some of UL's methods may be questionable - but Linux really needs this kind of kick in the ass from a standardization standpoint. I guess you've got to take the good with the bad though. Either way it will interesting to see how this all plays out.
Why didn't they show us any Quake III comparison benches? We all know that at lower resolutions the processor drives Quake III and that its extremely sensitive to memory bandwith capabilities. Anyway it appears that RDRAM 1066 is a definite improvement over RDRAM 800. Its good to see that Intel is still continually raising the bar.
Also I believe there were some initial benches (better ones) on http://www.tomshardware.com
It sounds to me like the update is really just allowing Windows to be shipped with third party applications links on the desktop. I guess Microsofts packaging tools used to remove these links (which would suck no doubt) and part of SP1 will change that "functionality".
As for it making Windows more modular - thats a load of crap. I love how the editors and the submitters around here intentionally embelish just so they can get more pageviews and comments. Oh well I guess they suceeded today...:-)
Whats really going to rock in SP1 for XP is the new Mira technology stuff. If you dont know what that is - I suggest you cruise on over to http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/mira_preview. asp and take a long hard look at some of the cool shit MS is doing.
This is probably because his program appears to be a.NET program and those 23 megs include the.NET framework which is required to run those kind of apps.
For finally showing slashdot what it takes to create a real news story. While I do find it amusing that slashdot engages in the same practices that you seem to rebel against here, I think its actually quite impressive that:
(1) Actual research was done by a slashdot employee for this article. Roblimo actually took the time to call a CNN employee and allow them to confirm/deny the allegations at hand.
(2) Roblimo doesnt appear to jump to any "off the wall" conspiracy conclusions as some editors here have been known to do. He leaves that for the comment posters to do:-)
(3) The article is very balanced all in all. I think Roblimo is attempting to present both sides of the story and give the reader a chance to make up his own mind. Now that is true journalism.
In short thank your Roblimo for helping to raise the bar here at/. I can only hope that the other editors learn from your example and attempt to follow suit.
Considering thats its being posted on a site that routinely engages in actions similar to these. I mean how many times have we caught the editors modding down hundreds of posts in single threads to -1 just because they were critical of the way things were down here at slashdot?
How many times have we seen articles mystically updated and changed here without any mention of the revision on the actual article? Now some of you may attempt to argue that slashdot isn't a real news site and isn't subject to the same standards as the likes of CNN and Foxnews - but I contend that this is not the case.
Slashdot provides "news" and information to hundreds of thousands of eager eyes on a daily basis. To deny this is to simply deny the effect that slashdot has on many members of the tech community. By default they are subject to the same standards no matter their origin. Taco can scream and whine all day about how this is "just his hobby" but as long as (a) hes getting paid for it and (b) society believes that people are responsible for their own actions - he is just as open for examination as everybody else.
Thanks for the laugh Roblimo - I guess you havent kept up with the slashdots frontpage lately huh? I mean they actually posted 6 Anti Microsoft stories in a SINGLE day on Monday. This is truly pathetic.
Slashdot Mirror
/. is well on their way to accomplishing that every single time they shell out for the PS2 Linux kit.
J
P.S. Anybody see the irony here?
(1) Why isn't every single member of Worldcom's Board of Directors in jail right now? So its okay to throw some kid in jail for cracking some piss poor encryption on a PDF file - but its not so okay to throw some suit in jail that knowingly stole billions upon billions of dollars from investors?
(2) Why hasn't Worldcom's stock been delisted? I mean comeon now - I think its about time to hang up the saddle and go on home because this horse isn't getting back up.
(3) Why is Worldcom being allowed to write off 50 billion dollars (as mentioned earlier) in addition to the 7 billion they already stole? I think Bernie Ebbers and friends better get out to the street corner and start "sucking it up" so he can play these people BACK.
(4) And once again - WHY AREN'T THESE FSCKING IDIOTS IN JAIL? If I bounce a check for 100 bucks I'm sure to face the consequences - yet if they "steal" 7 billion dollars its okay?
J
Look... I'm in no hurry to defend Microsoft but being as I develop for their OS on a daily basis - its common knowledge (or should be) that anybody who runs a service under system privileges that presents a GUI to any old user - is a fucktard that simply needs to die. Yes this problem can be fixed by MS using the 2nd option indicated in the paper and yes it would mean these crappy designed apps written by third parties would have to be rewritten.
Microsoft specifically reccommends that you do not run services and allow them to interact with the local desktop. Doing so is security suicide. Thats how VirusScan was running. Therefore its a McAfee issue since there are about a bazillion better ways to write this app.
J
My retort to your comment is that OSX does nothing for linux on the desktop. All OSX proves is that *nix CAN be easy for a regular user while Linux serves only to disprove that point.
It may be possible (as proven by OSX) for *nix to be made useable for the average person - but not for linux. It's too geek driven at all the wrong places. Don't get me wrong, I love KDE and GNOME 2 but the lack of system wide integration really begins to show after while of using them.
The answer to your second question is no. As I said before, Linux is too geek driven to care about the needs of the "average" user. Yes there are distro companies out there that want to take linux down this road - but considering the fact that nearly all of them are about to go out of business any day now... any develops made towards linux on the desktop will have to be made by the geeks.
And thats just not going to happen.
J
With all of these conflicting stories coming out of NewsForge today... I would have to question the integrity of their editing staff. I mean comeon guys, in the last two days we've gotten:
(1) Lindows is shipping on Microtel PCs at Walmart!
(2) Lindows/Walmart back off on Windows compatibility claims
(3) Walmart is now going to ship PCs with Mandrake.
This is either really poor reporting or Walmarts Board of Directors has started freebasing. I think the choice here is obvious so I will leave it to you.
J
P.S. In case you were wondering, Walmarts Board of Directors is smoking the weed - they haven't started freebasing quite yet.
Maybe we will start seeing Lindows run some "switch" commercials kind of like Apples. The difference would be that the whiny little idiots would complain that Windows/Mac was too "clunky and that I couldn't figure out how to move things around". Maybe they will also thrown in that, "Lindows just works more like my Brain does."
Speaking of which, are't those people the biggest idiots you have ever seen? Somebody should smack them all silly. My personal favorite is the Windows Admin who says that he just wants to come home to computers that "work". Perhaps he should seek a new area of employment if he's unable to get his Windows machines to work...
:-)
J
Comeon Dude - you have to already know what everybody was going to say, right?
One Word:
ANTI-TRUST
Or another:
MONOPOLY
J
Given your opinion on this matter I would assume that you also believe:
/. editors and the panic button of theirs, but just consider that for one minute they actually may have a good point here, okay?
/. is going to handle this in the wrong way as has been demonstrated by all of the "Im going to steal WC3" comments. The reason Blizzard is concerned about BnetD is because it makes piracy that much easier (you cant really play pirated versions of their games on the real Battle.NET).
/. screams to high heaven about the poor 16 year who wrote the thing getting locked up - yet Taco is still more than happy to almost single handedly run AnimeFu - a site devoted to Anime on DVD (my my isn't he in serious need of a life?)
(1) AOL should be allowed to cut off clone AIM clients because its THEIR network.
(2) MS should be allowed to cut off clone IM clients because its THEIR network.
(3) MS should be allowed to modify Exchange server to keep the Ximian connector from functioning.
(4) ISPs should start banning the use of Linux because its THEIR network.
Look pal I know my comments here are coming off as krass and I understand how you feel in regards to
Of
Its going to end up just like the DeCSS thing were
The hypocricsy has always been here and it will continue to stay here until the day these baboons close up shop. But until that time - I suggest you either learn to live with it (as I have) or leave well enough alone.
J
So given the provided situation are you actually trying to tell us that all of the software wouldn't be considered GPL? If I included 10 lines of GPL code in a closed source app of 500,000 my 500,000 lines of code suddenly come under the GPL license. The GPL stipulates that compiled binaries derived from GPL code must have the modified source provided with them in distribution.
Now if I simply keep the software to myself - its really not an issue. But if I choose to distribute that software I'm suddenly compelled by the terms of the GPL license to include the source code. To alot of program-for-pay programmers (which includes most programmers I know including myself) that essentially destroys all profit motivation since anybody can copy and redistribute a better version of your original work that costs a fraction as much.
You can find more information regarding my feelings on Open Source at my site http://www.jaylittle.com (Note: Some of my software is actually Open Source but it is distributed without a license of any kind. My reasons are fully explained.)
J
Well it is /. afterall... but I think you also raise an excellent point. See my post later regarding the other arguments brought to light with this paper and their signifigance in the future of Open Source.
J
For instance: I think he raises a valid point regarding the future viablity of Open Source products in a consumer focused marketplace. Needless to say - Windows is still light years easier to use than Linux. Afterall most people will never have to find out their system even has a commandline interface.
Heres another good one: Yes would some of the supposed experts here like to counter this seemingly valid point? Most people here (without even having read the original whitepaper) have gone off on the "Microsoft Funded FUD Machine" (without any real evidence) bandwagon without even considering the issues brought to light here.
Keep in mind that if you cannot look yourself in the mirror objectively - how can you expect anybody else to? The FUD has to stop and it needs to stop here before it stops anywhere else.
J
Try playing Morrowind on that box and get back to me. Even better try playing Doom III on that box when it comes out. You will be eating your words.
J
Its truly a sad commentary on the community as a whole here isn't it? Most of us could read C, C++, Bash Script, or even PERL and tell you exactly what it was doing - but we still cannot even read a measly article...
How pathetic
J
"SuSE denies attempting to turn a profit in an effort to save their dying business. Story at 11."
Translation: Could anybody really blame them for trying if they were going to do that? They aren't going to be around much longer otherwise...
J
Yet when Microsoft patches something the same day as the vulnerability is announced they get raked over the coals but its great that Opera does the same thing. Now this may not apply to you personally - but your comment does seem a bit hypocritical considering the comments that are normally posted on such subjects here.
J
That all these people seem to feel Opera is so teribbly secure - yet not a one of them know about this major security hole discovered last week:
0 75 S.html
http://www.securiteam.com/windowsntfocus/5YP0O2
Being that this consitutes a majorly braindead security hole (allowing the value attribute on a file field to be filled in by the webmaster?!?!?!) I think its safe to say that all browsers in existence are lacking on the security front.
J
Is why everybody seems surprised by this. Did the readers here actually think that GPLed code was immune to being hijacked by commercial interests? Specifically thats not whats going to happen here - but its pretty close.
Version 1: United Linux creates a Distribution that uses mostly open sourced code available to anybody on the net. This doesnt sell well except for the few coporations who like their support options.
Version 2: United Linux creates alot of inhouse closed-source configuration and system management apps that give it the leg up on the open source only competition. The appearance of increased system integration with none of problems associated with Windows Systems is appealing to alot of IT departments. Some more will jump on the UL bandwagon - most will wisely wait for it to mature a bit more.
Version 3: The Windows 2000 of the UnitedLinux distribution. This time UL will get it right. By leveraging their point and click configuration utilities and by "borrowing" the efforts of the Linux community to update core system components (kernel 2.6, gcc 3.0+, KDE 4, Gnome 1.5) they will have a product unmatched in the corporate Linux arena.
Eventually guys we knew somebody would figure out how to accomplish the above. Maybe UL won't succeed, maybe they will. Eventually somebody is going to pull it off though. Not to mention the fact that while free distributions such as debian will always exist, eventually their will only be one corporate distribution.
Some Linux people will be able to live with this and they will stick with the operating system they helped build. Most however will probably move to some other fringe OS like AtheOS, OpenBEOS, QNX, or most likely a BSD variant.
Some of UL's methods may be questionable - but Linux really needs this kind of kick in the ass from a standardization standpoint. I guess you've got to take the good with the bad though. Either way it will interesting to see how this all plays out.
J
Why didn't they show us any Quake III comparison benches? We all know that at lower resolutions the processor drives Quake III and that its extremely sensitive to memory bandwith capabilities. Anyway it appears that RDRAM 1066 is a definite improvement over RDRAM 800. Its good to see that Intel is still continually raising the bar.
Also I believe there were some initial benches (better ones) on http://www.tomshardware.com
J
It sounds to me like the update is really just allowing Windows to be shipped with third party applications links on the desktop. I guess Microsofts packaging tools used to remove these links (which would suck no doubt) and part of SP1 will change that "functionality".
:-)
. asp and take a long hard look at some of the cool shit MS is doing.
As for it making Windows more modular - thats a load of crap. I love how the editors and the submitters around here intentionally embelish just so they can get more pageviews and comments. Oh well I guess they suceeded today...
Whats really going to rock in SP1 for XP is the new Mira technology stuff. If you dont know what that is - I suggest you cruise on over to http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/mira_preview
J
This is probably because his program appears to be a .NET program and those 23 megs include the .NET framework which is required to run those kind of apps.
J
For finally showing slashdot what it takes to create a real news story. While I do find it amusing that slashdot engages in the same practices that you seem to rebel against here, I think its actually quite impressive that:
:-)
/. I can only hope that the other editors learn from your example and attempt to follow suit.
(1) Actual research was done by a slashdot employee for this article. Roblimo actually took the time to call a CNN employee and allow them to confirm/deny the allegations at hand.
(2) Roblimo doesnt appear to jump to any "off the wall" conspiracy conclusions as some editors here have been known to do. He leaves that for the comment posters to do
(3) The article is very balanced all in all. I think Roblimo is attempting to present both sides of the story and give the reader a chance to make up his own mind. Now that is true journalism.
In short thank your Roblimo for helping to raise the bar here at
J
Considering thats its being posted on a site that routinely engages in actions similar to these. I mean how many times have we caught the editors modding down hundreds of posts in single threads to -1 just because they were critical of the way things were down here at slashdot?
How many times have we seen articles mystically updated and changed here without any mention of the revision on the actual article? Now some of you may attempt to argue that slashdot isn't a real news site and isn't subject to the same standards as the likes of CNN and Foxnews - but I contend that this is not the case.
Slashdot provides "news" and information to hundreds of thousands of eager eyes on a daily basis. To deny this is to simply deny the effect that slashdot has on many members of the tech community. By default they are subject to the same standards no matter their origin. Taco can scream and whine all day about how this is "just his hobby" but as long as (a) hes getting paid for it and (b) society believes that people are responsible for their own actions - he is just as open for examination as everybody else.
Thanks for the laugh Roblimo - I guess you havent kept up with the slashdots frontpage lately huh? I mean they actually posted 6 Anti Microsoft stories in a SINGLE day on Monday. This is truly pathetic.
J
It works fine - so please attempt to come up with a better anti MS troll next time, okay?
J
Yes but that 26% accounts for about 24 million dollars. That sounds like squashing it like a bug to me.... :-)
J