Laptop screen energy saver. When my laptop goes into screensaver I just have a black screen. But it doesn't turn off the backlight, it just goes black. I've found no way to make this work. Not saying there isn't a way, but this is the kind of thing that drives me crazy... let alone someone who just expects everything to work.
Actually, it probably does; you just don't know about the powersaving stages:
Active (displaying images)
Blanked (goes black)
Off (screen turns off)
It looks like you wait until stage 2 (black) and then worry about it going to stage 3. Generally, unless you've manually config'ed X, I'd expect DPMS (the system that tells your monitor/LCD to shut off) to be enabled under X. If it's not, we can set that up manually. From my stock gentoo, it generally takes about 15 minutes to shut off, and only about 3-5 to go blank (Not sure of exact times). Rest assured you can change the timings. I recommend using whatever GUI config came with your distro (it might be in the screensaver advanced settings); it should be easy. Here's how to do it the hard way:
You will need to edit the/etc/X11/XF86Config-4 file (XF86Config, if there's no XF86Config-4). You will be editing or insterting options in the ServerFlags section. The following is pasted from the XF86Config manpage under Gentoo (should be found under 'man XF86Config' or 'man XF86Config-4' on your system):
Option "BlankTime" "time"
sets the inactivity timeout for the blanking phase of the
screensaver. time is in minutes. This is equivalent to the
Xserver's `-s' flag, and the value can be changed at run-time
with xset(1). Default: 10 minutes.
Option "StandbyTime" "time"
sets the inactivity timeout for the "standby" phase of DPMS
mode. time is in minutes, and the value can be changed at run-
time with xset(1). Default: 20 minutes. This is only suitable
for VESA DPMS compatible monitors, and may not be supported by
all video drivers. It is only enabled for screens that have the
"DPMS" option set (see the MONITOR section below).
Option "SuspendTime" "time"
sets the inactivity timeout for the "suspend" phase of DPMS
mode. time is in minutes, and the value can be changed at run-
time with xset(1). Default: 30 minutes. This is only suitable
for VESA DPMS compatible monitors, and may not be supported by
all video drivers. It is only enabled for screens that have the
"DPMS" option set (see the MONITOR section below).
Option "OffTime" "time"
sets the inactivity timeout for the "off" phase of DPMS mode.
time is in minutes, and the value can be changed at run-time
with xset(1). Default: 40 minutes. This is only suitable for
VESA DPMS compatible monitors, and may not be supported by all
video drivers. It is only enabled for screens that have the
"DPMS" option set (see the MONITOR section below).
Note that I lied; there are more stages; but the overall gist of it is the same. You can add or modify the options listed above to change the lengths of time you have to wait for the various powersaving features. Finally, you will need to add the following in each Monitor section of your XF86Config file:
Option "DPMS"
If you're not sure what "sections" and "options" are, please read the manpage and seek geeky Linux friends (or post questions below this, and we'll see what we can do.) But first and foremost, try to find your distro's GUI tools. I recommend starting with the screensaver advanced settings, since I recall the configuration info being there. Barring that, check with your GUI X config tool.
But Microsoft does not have a monopoly in the virtual PC market.
No, but they leveraged their monopoly rents from Office and Windows to purchase a technology. Then they limited the technology unnecessarily (after all, VirtualPC did it, no?) They also leveraged the fact that lots of businesses are currently running Windows and might look at running Linux. The best way to test Linux is to run it without changing your current setup--a virtual PC is optimal. This avenue is now blocked, unless vendors switch to another software. However, this software will not be as well-integrated with Windows, nor will it have the proprietary information on how to best make a virtual PC work under Windows..
End result, they've upped the bar for businesses and users to switch to Linux, and they're actively leveraging Windows as a host or as a guest, since nobody but Microsoft has the complete internal documentation on how to make Windows work best with virtual PCs.
They are not hindering other products, because they can just run natively.
True, they can run natively, but this involves monkeying around with disks, downtime while things get installed, and a whole lot more hassle than simply testing out Linux.
And additionally, you can't be running multiple versions of one OS natively (at least, not without extra work).
Remember how a large portion of Microsoft's userbase got there: it came already installed for 'em and it was Good Enough (IE, Media Player, etc.) Even small changes in the adoption bar can have a huge impact.
Actually, from what I've read, it's extremely similar to Qt. I've not actually programmed it yet, though, so I am basing this on what I've read.
That means most Linux GUI development tools and applications won't work on it and you have to pay big bucks to TrollTech if you want to develop anything commercial.
If you aim to develop a GUI app, and it's not already written in Qt, then yes, you'll likely have a big rewrite in front of you. If it's in Qt, it'll likely be an easier change.
Note that the Z also comes with Jeode, a Java VM, so it can run mobile Java apps. A definite plus.
Note also that you added the commercial clause. If you're developing OpenSource apps (or maybe just Freeware), you can download the Qtopia development environment for free.
Not with the Sharp 3.10 ROM. Dumb-arse Sharp won't give us one. Windows-only my backside.
Oh, and for those complaining about battery life on the Z: definitely try to upgrade to 3.10 if you can (if you're a Linux user, you're currently stuck until someone can reverse-engineer the sync stuff; of course, you can always use the backup app, but that's not very similar). I seem to be getting much more battery life out of it, likey because it has an applet which shuts off the WiFi card. Otherwise, decrease screen brightness and decrease the time before it powersaves. It works pretty well for me atm. Except for not ^%#&# sync'ing with linux.
Why should Microsoft spend development money to ensure that their competitors product runs correctly.
Because once a business captures a certain percent of the market, the rules change. That's why we have anti-trust legislation; to make sure they play by the new rules. (And we have this because companies have abused such a position in the past. See also, "Robber Barons") In a completely laissez-faire economy, of course, there are no rules, but, as with Robber Barons, a completely free market has certain instabilities (e.g. monopolies, collusions, etc.) That's why we institute new rules when a company gets too much marketshare; money and marketshare both have a tend towards being exponential when you remove enough competition.
While certain things (bundling, etc.) might just make good business sense, when one company has enough clout, it's verboten.
Could Apple do this? Certainly, but they lack the monopoly rents (70-80% profit margins) to be able to buy companies outright, and they lack the clout with hardware/software developers and users to force things since they don't have enough marketshare.
It is sad, we have arrived in a day and age where it seems as though every new technology that comes around the block needs to make it big in the first couple years , or it is considered a failure.
Tablets have actually been around for a while. I remember lusting after the Linux tablets several years ago. Then Microsoft came in with its billions in marketing, and I've not heard of Linux tablets again (though I think they're starting to resurface).
Repeat with me: Just because Microsoft does something doesn't mean that Microsoft's the first!
And why does Firebird (and Mozilla) create a profile within a profile?
It is a security feature. Mailer viruses, for example, count on being able to find an address book in a certain location. Problem with doing this with Mozilla is that the location on the machine is random. In a similar vein, a malicious website that can exploit a vulnerability could sniff off, for example, your stored passwords or address book, except that the path to this is random.
Mitigating this security is that an app running on the system could read a certain file which stores the various profile directories and then schnarf up the info.
But it definitely raises the bar a bit, security-wise. If you're trying to push settings around, you can read the file.
Don't know what to tell ya about the Windows integration. I'd assume, from their side, that the user config is built to be cross-platform. All of the stuff you described there exists solely on one platform. Note that Mozilla stores user information in one of the locations IE does, namely in the users' Application Settings folder. This should be propogated around like IE's, so I'm not sure what the problem might be, other than uniformity under Windows.
Inductance. An AC (alternating current) electric line will generate a changing magnetic field (magnetic field first goes in one direction, then the other).
You have a changing magnetic field. You create a circuit (albeit one at several megaohms) when you touch the light like that. Indeed, you make a big loop.
You can find the equations for inductance in any elementary physics book. Essentially, the faster the change in magnetic field, the larger the loop the circuit forms, the larger the magnetic field change per unit time (e.g. larger oscillating magnetic field), the higher the electromotive force (voltage) induced.
Note that emv ~ dB/dt * A (B and A are vectors). That is, assuming your circuit is a 2D object (e.g. circle), then you should orient your circuit such that the magnetic field is perpendicular to it. This will give you the maximum effect.
Again, refer to college physics textbooks for more information on the subject.
Synopsis: good for scare-mongering (but remember, scare mongering's Good when you agree with the goals of the scare-mongering (e.g. nuclear power dangers) and Bad when you don't (e.g. Bush's terrorism stuff)!) but otherwise fairly pointless, unless the induced voltages and/or B/E-fields are scientifically proven to be dangerous to humans. To my knowledge, it's currently a wash. Note that statistical data for a region is questionable, since many factors enter in! (The prime exampe for correlation-does-not-prove-causation amongst my professors is the study that showed that, the more electric poles per square mile, the higher the murder rate. (Of course, the primary factor is that the denser the electric poles, the more densely populated the region)).
Actually, I've started designing a one-stop school solution that will eventually provide calendaring (I'm trying to work with a school on which I do web devleopment, which is looking to roll out a web-based interface to various things; NuSchool is a direct offshoot of these planning sessions).
I am trying to make it modular (i.e. calendaring system, mailing list system, etc.) and so the individual sub-projects should be removable and/or integrable to other projects. It will likely work together with NetShard in the future, although I have to write NetShard first.:)
I am definitely looking at calendaring as a big piece of the pie, since most everything else is mostly integrating what's already there into a nice package that a school admin could easily administer via a web interface and/or a gui or command-line program.
Where can I contact you for more info? Sounds like you have definite design requirements.
It would be really cool if the installer could optionally go out and grab some common plugins like Flash and install them as well, as it would go a long away towards making it easier for Joe Average to figure it out.
Amen! Recently, I had advised a user to use Netscape 7.0 that was installed on the machine rather than IE, 'cause IE didn't have the flash plugin. If Moz came fully-enabled to deal with most of what is on the Web, that would be awesome for the end-user. Esp. under Linux, where enabling the Java plugin can be a pain.
I recently looked at purchasing a Linux laptop. I talked with Sony, IBM, HP, Dell, and Qli Tech.
None (except Qli, of course) would sell me a Linux laptop. Not even one without any OS.
Indeed, one (either HP or Dell; I'm currently thinking HP) outright said, "Microsoft does not allow us to sell computers without an operating system."
What the hell business is it of Microsoft's what the hardware vendors do w.r.t. selling the vendors' hardware?! Sure, it may or may not make sense for the vendor to sell an OS-less PC from a demand standpoint, but why should an OS vendor be able to force a hardware vendor to do anything? Especially since a no-software PC would be potentially hundreds of dollars cheaper, making it more popular, especially to cash-strapped businesses who already have licenses they could use when they discard the old PCs, or coming from a deal with Microsoft?
I can see it from Microsoft's point of view just fine--if they can get the vendor to do it. It makes sure they get some cash if the end user installs a "pirated" version of Windows. It also gives them an extra kickback, since the user company likely has a deal with Microsoft for the desktop OS licenses (i.e. the end user business pays twice). It also adds extra cost to the TCO of running another OS on the desktop, since they have to pay Microsoft for it, and would have to install the OS themselves.
Bottom line: great deal for Microsoft, a not-so good deal for the hardware vendor, and the end user gets screwed (increased cost for switching to or just using another OS if they stay with a known, trusted (and potentially contracted) vendor; have to pay twice plus if they're going to use Microsoft software).
Why do the vendors do it? Well, if they don't follow what Microsoft says, they have to pay (and thus charge the consumer) more (up to hundreds of dollars again for the retail copy!) per computer they sell. Since most users (90+%) only know and use Windows, and since that monopoly is very entrenched, the vendors must sell Windows, or be only a small-scale vendor (like Qli) and fight to squeak by while the Big Vendors (who sell Windows to the unwashed masses) subsist of narrow margins and high volume (and drive down your price and margins, since you have to compete with them as well).
So, since you (the PC vendor) want to have the high volume (and the profits that go with that, keeping you afloat), you swallow what Microsoft pushes on you (which most end users don't care about anyway, since they only know and use Microsoft software), and get the privilege of selling discounted copies of Windows with every PC, and your users never know of alternatives to Microsoft. Sure, some new businesses occasionally pop up and might look promising (OS/2, BeOS, Linux...), but they tend to quickly go out of business, and the end users might only be vaguely aware of their existance, since you and your Big Volume Vendor competition only sell Windows to the desktop user.
That, my friend, is indirect coercion of the consumer at its penultimate brilliance (only gets better at 100% market ownership), along with direct coercion of the vendors, and is the way monopolies keep their position.
Me again. You can tell I have issues with this program.;)
What's more, it's a one-way street. It's very easy to sign up, once you sell the campus privilege fee increase to students.
Once signed up for a while, students, faculty, and staff have started receiving the software, and it's thoroughly embedded throughout the school. At that point, the school is under immense pressure to remain in the program, or students, faculty, and staff will be angry about having to give back the software, and about all the hundreds of dollars of theirs that's gone down the drain (justifiably so).
On top of that, you're going to be open to licensing compliants audits by Microsoft and the BSA unless (or in spite of!) draconian inspections of the student, faculty, and staff work and home computers!
At least, at my Uni, there is one way to keep your license (note, still ain't yours)--you graduate. Anything else, and all money you've given up is gone and you get nothing.
You drop out for a year? Gone. You flunk out? Gone. School decides it's not worth it anymore? Gone. (and they're extra susceptible to audits!) Microsoft stops the agreement for any reason? Gone. (check that one; I believe it's accurate). Microsoft determines that your Uni is somehow in breech of contract? Gone.
What's more, they've just opened up a pandora's box of possiblities w.r.t. auditing the school and inspection, the EULA of the software aside. Microsoft now has access to student IP via inspecting their computers, as well as to the researchers' computers. Yay!
In addition, over the course of your schooling, you've already paid through the nose ($50-$70 or so per semester) for software you likely wouldn't have bought anyway! How many of us are still using Win98 for their desktop and Office 97 for their productivity software?!
Personally, I think it's insane. We've already seen Microsoft's attitude towards schools--audit 'em even when they're in financial trouble, and use it to force 'em into new licensing agreements. The schools have made a deal with the Devil, truly.
Because in a world of inexperience users it is easier to just tell them the computer needs to restart, than to tell them that any application that has a dependency on the IE HTML rendering engine will need to automatically be closed, and force ten apps on the users computer to close and possibly cause data loss if the third party application does not respond properly.
True, Red Hat says one might have to reboot as well. That said, it does not require it on the desktop. It is a good point, but if it's not requred, I'd argue that forcing it on the user is then bad engineering. You'd likely disagree with that, however.
If you were applying these patches to Windows Server, you would only see the need to reboot when a core service dependency needs to be changed.
Interesting.
I still will find a version of NT more comforting than these aged OS with very little to no inherent security mechanisms in place.
I agree with you wholeheartedly on this.
It would be different if they were ripping out Linux ATMs and contracting to put in NT instead, then you might have the debate here you want.
Actually, I was responding back to a few points you tried to make (and failed at, imho). Actually, I'm getting rather tired of debating with you, since we both keep talking to each other (well, you really seem to have a chip on your shoulder and are shouting and attacking) over a fence.
Wow, that makes both of my doctorates just seem silly now; you have truly shamed me with your vast education. Let me guess, the next post you will pull our your Mensa card and cite your IQ. Geesh.
Interesting. What are your PhDs in?
I am not trying to get into a pissing contest of degrees. You attacked my mathematics background ("since I actually have a background in mathematics") I showed that I actually do have somewhat of a grasp of mathematics.
You're partially right, many of them only watch severe hacks and patches like having 'root' compromised. However they don't usually pay attention to patches for the calculator or text editor examples I gave.
And if there are 7 webservers, 6 of which run as root, and there is a root compromise found on them (OK, more notorious than web servers, FTP servers), then you suddenly have 6 patches reported by the groups. 5 calculators or not, the generalized "five calculator problem" is a fact if they aren't watching one particular single-FTPserver install.
Why don't you start with mi2g, you might actually learn a little about the statistical modeling of attacks, potential attacks and vulnerabilities.
The much-vaunted mi2g, which has been much derided recently by the trade press? Even so, let's accept the numbers. Why not?
There are, as many, many people have pointed out, many more factors that go into this than just the number of Linux vulns. Read a real discussion of it sometime.
And this is during the time of the 'great' Windows Worms that you love citing.
Actually, this is the first time in this thread that it's been mentioned.
Additionally, according to CNN, Blaster "infected more than half a million machines." (link) Obviously, then, this "infected server" count does not count even the blaster hosts.
Bah. I have better things to do than keep talking past you. You've consumed too much of my time already.
Umm, every time I update something under Windows, it tells me I have to reboot. I download patch Q39289431.exe, run it, and it tells me to reboot. apt-get dist-upgrade, emerge, and others have not.
And the irony, is that even most kernel level drivers in NT can be dynamically stopped, installed, and started without a reboot. Only service drivers with dependencies that are essential to 'in-use' kernel services require a restart.
Indeed, so why do the patches tell me to reboot. Even for an obviously userspace app like IE?
BTW, the corresponding concept is "module" in the Linux kernel. rmmod, insmod, modprobe. Learn 'em, love 'em.
And do you understand the word 'closed'? If there is external access to the ATM network, then the banks are dumber than we thought.
The intelligence *cough!* of banks and corporations aside, this is an issue. Aside from you deriding my intelligence ("And do you understand the word 'closed'?"), you offer no argument against things multihomed hosts, needed maintenance access (plug in the diagnostic laptop and pow!), malicious access (as I mentioned and you ignored), etc. A closed network adds a modicum of security, but it's extremely fragile. You have to go to pains to keep it closed.
Love your numbers, but since I actually have a background in mathematics you are doing nothing but making a fool out of your own base argument.
I'm a physics graduate student working on a PhD. I have half a computer engineering degree (I switched to full-time physics because of time constraints), and I'm 2 classes away from a mathematics bachelors. Just so you know my mathematics background. I don't see the error in my percent-failed calculations.
The fun part of your statistics is the base number of assumed packages that you start with in creating the equation.
The Debian packages are real. I actually ran the command myself that I posted. If you want, you can download the packages yourself and check. I updated yesterday morning, and it's Debian sid.
The Microsoft packages? Well, if you believe Microsoft, it's one monolithic system that cannot be undone. I think 250-300 packages is generous for the bare-bones systems you get in Windows, Office and IIS. Want to prove me wrong? Go for it, but your rebuttal is anything but at this point.
You however are not going to convince me or anyone here that knows a little about Linux that five variations of a calculator included in a distribution is going to raise the base number of 'in use' or critical components of an average Linux installation.
Umm, if each calculator releases a new bugfix, the distros snap it up. Bam! The distros release about five new updates.
You may not have all three calculators, web servers, or whatever installed, but you're talking about patches released, where the 5 calculators would come up.
Additionally, a lot of the middleware is supplied on the Linux side. A ton. Various office suites, media players, etc. Chances are you have a lot more distro-supplied middleware installed than you do Microsoft. This distorts the changes.
I note that you've not attempted to rebut my point that Microsoft tends to release mega-patches that are then consumed, whereas Linux updates individual packages and their dependencies Indeed, the dependencies are important, since pushing out a new version of KDE might push out other packages at the same time, inflating your patched count further.
Your statistical evidence is nothing more than massaging numbers around your hyperbole. I shall just reference the security watch groups that actually run true statistical analysis of patches
I call bull honkey on this one. Not all (for one, I don't claim Linux is Secure, just percentually fewer vulns), but on most.
And yet is still is 4 to 5 times more secure than Linux. Check the security briefs and patches from the independent security sites, or even the Linux distribution company's sites themselves. Also, did you miss the Linux exploits that have been noted on Slashdot in the last couple of weeks that are JUST as dangerous as any of the NT patched exploits from the last couple of months?
Horse hockey! "Windows is 4 to 5 times more secure than Linux" my ass. Sure, the distributions may ship 4-5 times more patches than Windows, but let's look at it. Debian unstable, at this very moment, has on the order of 11000 (11 thousand) packages. To be more exact,
$dpkg -l '*' |wc -l 11703
So let's call it 11600 packages. Windows, if Microsoft chose to, is broken down into, erm, let's say, 250 packages (lib bundles, programs that come with the OS, etc., just like your stndard Linux distro, but with a lot less choice.). Let's throw in another 10 for IIS and another 10 for MS Office. Then round up to 300, to add on whatever else. Sure.
Let's now let Microsoft releases 10 patches for the 300 components. Let's assume your MS-Linux patch ratio is true. Then there are 50 patches for Linux in the same timeframe. Mathtime.
Windows: 100*(10/300)=3.33333 percent of Windows packages needed patching, on our very rough average.
Linux/Debian: 100*(50/11600)=0.43103 percent of Debian packages needed patching, again, on our very rough averaging.
Additionally, MS tends to wait and release mega-patches which patches lots of different packages, whereas each Linux package gets counted every time it needs a fix. Finally, even non-security patches get fixed in Linux, so the Linux patch count is even higher. Indeed, Microsoft would need to add on
1/.43103*10*100=2320 2320-300=2020
2020 patch-free packages in order to equal Debian's security fix rate, accepting your high patch count as valid.
Sure, the SSH hole is about as big as the Windows hole. But a) only those machines running OpenSSH are affected; those running other SSH versions (i.e. those running, say, lsh or commerical SSH versions) are not. Unlike the RPC hole, there is a diverse set of software out there, with different implementations of open standards. This is an advantage especially in security.
Funny in our labs, we download more Linux patches than we do Windows patches, and many of the Linux patches require reboots. Do you have a magical version of Linux you are not sharing with us?
The only patches that require booting in my experience (debian, gentoo, Red Hat, and SuSE) are kernel patches. For all others, the server is just restarted; no reboot is required (if it's a desktop system with X, you might have to restart your X server; don't need to reboot). You can always reboot if it'll make you feel better, of course.
You also seem to disregard that ATMs are deployed in a closed network system, and are not transmitting validations over the Internet, hence all the exploits you mention about Windows insecurities in the past month are moot - they would have no way into the system.
All it takes is one infected host on a closed network. And that assumes that there aren't any dedicated thieves that won't break in to the line.
Personally, if I were a bank, I'd not trust any code that I couldn't inspect and compile on my own ("my own" being within the bank).
Bottom line: Linux is more secure than Windows, but no systems are totally secure!
Re:Competition is important. Whats really needed.
on
Does C# Measure Up?
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· Score: 1
Actually, FWIW, I created a very responsive Swing application that found the energy eigenvalues and the corresponding eigenstates inside of a quantum well.
I should say, it was very responsive on my ultra-modern K6-II 450Mhz 160MB monster laptop. I didn't really notice much of a lag at all in interactivity. I found it very useful.
Couple that with the fact that it ran great on my boss's Windoze box, and all was good in Javaland.
Not quite nothing. You get to know you support Red Hat, and you will get priority in case the servers get hammered ('cause you're helping fund the servers). There's more than that, though; you can upgrade via RHN, IIRC, and you can admin and track various things within RHN. You should really check in on your RHN account and see what all you can do with it. It looks pretty spiff, and all that for $5/mo.
Slashdot Mirror
Actually, it probably does; you just don't know about the powersaving stages:
- Active (displaying images)
- Blanked (goes black)
- Off (screen turns off)
It looks like you wait until stage 2 (black) and then worry about it going to stage 3. Generally, unless you've manually config'ed X, I'd expect DPMS (the system that tells your monitor/LCD to shut off) to be enabled under X. If it's not, we can set that up manually. From my stock gentoo, it generally takes about 15 minutes to shut off, and only about 3-5 to go blank (Not sure of exact times). Rest assured you can change the timings. I recommend using whatever GUI config came with your distro (it might be in the screensaver advanced settings); it should be easy. Here's how to do it the hard way:You will need to edit the /etc/X11/XF86Config-4 file (XF86Config, if there's no XF86Config-4). You will be editing or insterting options in the ServerFlags section. The following is pasted from the XF86Config manpage under Gentoo (should be found under 'man XF86Config' or 'man XF86Config-4' on your system):
Option "BlankTime" "time"
sets the inactivity timeout for the blanking phase of the screensaver. time is in minutes. This is equivalent to the Xserver's `-s' flag, and the value can be changed at run-time with xset(1). Default: 10 minutes.
Option "StandbyTime" "time"
sets the inactivity timeout for the "standby" phase of DPMS mode. time is in minutes, and the value can be changed at run- time with xset(1). Default: 20 minutes. This is only suitable for VESA DPMS compatible monitors, and may not be supported by all video drivers. It is only enabled for screens that have the "DPMS" option set (see the MONITOR section below).
Option "SuspendTime" "time"
sets the inactivity timeout for the "suspend" phase of DPMS mode. time is in minutes, and the value can be changed at run- time with xset(1). Default: 30 minutes. This is only suitable for VESA DPMS compatible monitors, and may not be supported by all video drivers. It is only enabled for screens that have the "DPMS" option set (see the MONITOR section below).
Option "OffTime" "time"
sets the inactivity timeout for the "off" phase of DPMS mode. time is in minutes, and the value can be changed at run-time with xset(1). Default: 40 minutes. This is only suitable for VESA DPMS compatible monitors, and may not be supported by all video drivers. It is only enabled for screens that have the "DPMS" option set (see the MONITOR section below).
Note that I lied; there are more stages; but the overall gist of it is the same. You can add or modify the options listed above to change the lengths of time you have to wait for the various powersaving features. Finally, you will need to add the following in each Monitor section of your XF86Config file:
If you're not sure what "sections" and "options" are, please read the manpage and seek geeky Linux friends (or post questions below this, and we'll see what we can do.) But first and foremost, try to find your distro's GUI tools. I recommend starting with the screensaver advanced settings, since I recall the configuration info being there. Barring that, check with your GUI X config tool.
s/ open-source //;
This was posted with Mozilla 1.4 on Gentoo.
Nah. If I support Linux companies, it will get better.
If I support Microsoft, everyone will get screwed as Microsoft gets yet another monopoly.
So assuming your post is accurate (I've not heard anything to verify the post from this AC), I still want to support the Linux companies.
Microsoft has leeway from its monopoly rents. We have to help Linux companies survive.
via the Pluggable Authentication Modules (PAM).
pam_smb
PAM module list
No, but they leveraged their monopoly rents from Office and Windows to purchase a technology. Then they limited the technology unnecessarily (after all, VirtualPC did it, no?) They also leveraged the fact that lots of businesses are currently running Windows and might look at running Linux. The best way to test Linux is to run it without changing your current setup--a virtual PC is optimal. This avenue is now blocked, unless vendors switch to another software. However, this software will not be as well-integrated with Windows, nor will it have the proprietary information on how to best make a virtual PC work under Windows.
End result, they've upped the bar for businesses and users to switch to Linux, and they're actively leveraging Windows as a host or as a guest, since nobody but Microsoft has the complete internal documentation on how to make Windows work best with virtual PCs.
They are not hindering other products, because they can just run natively.
True, they can run natively, but this involves monkeying around with disks, downtime while things get installed, and a whole lot more hassle than simply testing out Linux.
And additionally, you can't be running multiple versions of one OS natively (at least, not without extra work).
Remember how a large portion of Microsoft's userbase got there: it came already installed for 'em and it was Good Enough (IE, Media Player, etc.) Even small changes in the adoption bar can have a huge impact.
I hope that was clear; it was a little rambling.
Actually, from what I've read, it's extremely similar to Qt. I've not actually programmed it yet, though, so I am basing this on what I've read.
If you aim to develop a GUI app, and it's not already written in Qt, then yes, you'll likely have a big rewrite in front of you. If it's in Qt, it'll likely be an easier change.
Note that the Z also comes with Jeode, a Java VM, so it can run mobile Java apps. A definite plus.
Note also that you added the commercial clause. If you're developing OpenSource apps (or maybe just Freeware), you can download the Qtopia development environment for free.
Not with the Sharp 3.10 ROM. Dumb-arse Sharp won't give us one. Windows-only my backside.
Oh, and for those complaining about battery life on the Z: definitely try to upgrade to 3.10 if you can (if you're a Linux user, you're currently stuck until someone can reverse-engineer the sync stuff; of course, you can always use the backup app, but that's not very similar). I seem to be getting much more battery life out of it, likey because it has an applet which shuts off the WiFi card. Otherwise, decrease screen brightness and decrease the time before it powersaves. It works pretty well for me atm. Except for not ^%#&# sync'ing with linux.
Dumbass Sharp.
Because once a business captures a certain percent of the market, the rules change. That's why we have anti-trust legislation; to make sure they play by the new rules. (And we have this because companies have abused such a position in the past. See also, "Robber Barons") In a completely laissez-faire economy, of course, there are no rules, but, as with Robber Barons, a completely free market has certain instabilities (e.g. monopolies, collusions, etc.) That's why we institute new rules when a company gets too much marketshare; money and marketshare both have a tend towards being exponential when you remove enough competition.
While certain things (bundling, etc.) might just make good business sense, when one company has enough clout, it's verboten.
Could Apple do this? Certainly, but they lack the monopoly rents (70-80% profit margins) to be able to buy companies outright, and they lack the clout with hardware/software developers and users to force things since they don't have enough marketshare.
Tablets have actually been around for a while. I remember lusting after the Linux tablets several years ago. Then Microsoft came in with its billions in marketing, and I've not heard of Linux tablets again (though I think they're starting to resurface).
Repeat with me: Just because Microsoft does something doesn't mean that Microsoft's the first!
It is a security feature. Mailer viruses, for example, count on being able to find an address book in a certain location. Problem with doing this with Mozilla is that the location on the machine is random. In a similar vein, a malicious website that can exploit a vulnerability could sniff off, for example, your stored passwords or address book, except that the path to this is random.
Mitigating this security is that an app running on the system could read a certain file which stores the various profile directories and then schnarf up the info.
But it definitely raises the bar a bit, security-wise. If you're trying to push settings around, you can read the file.
Don't know what to tell ya about the Windows integration. I'd assume, from their side, that the user config is built to be cross-platform. All of the stuff you described there exists solely on one platform. Note that Mozilla stores user information in one of the locations IE does, namely in the users' Application Settings folder. This should be propogated around like IE's, so I'm not sure what the problem might be, other than uniformity under Windows.
Do a study. That's what science is about. "Who knows" statements are scare-mongering until backed up with sufficient evidence.
Inductance. An AC (alternating current) electric line will generate a changing magnetic field (magnetic field first goes in one direction, then the other).
You have a changing magnetic field. You create a circuit (albeit one at several megaohms) when you touch the light like that. Indeed, you make a big loop.
You can find the equations for inductance in any elementary physics book. Essentially, the faster the change in magnetic field, the larger the loop the circuit forms, the larger the magnetic field change per unit time (e.g. larger oscillating magnetic field), the higher the electromotive force (voltage) induced.
Note that emv ~ dB/dt * A (B and A are vectors). That is, assuming your circuit is a 2D object (e.g. circle), then you should orient your circuit such that the magnetic field is perpendicular to it. This will give you the maximum effect.
Again, refer to college physics textbooks for more information on the subject.
Synopsis: good for scare-mongering (but remember, scare mongering's Good when you agree with the goals of the scare-mongering (e.g. nuclear power dangers) and Bad when you don't (e.g. Bush's terrorism stuff)!) but otherwise fairly pointless, unless the induced voltages and/or B/E-fields are scientifically proven to be dangerous to humans. To my knowledge, it's currently a wash. Note that statistical data for a region is questionable, since many factors enter in! (The prime exampe for correlation-does-not-prove-causation amongst my professors is the study that showed that, the more electric poles per square mile, the higher the murder rate. (Of course, the primary factor is that the denser the electric poles, the more densely populated the region)).
Thanks for the links.
:)
Actually, I've started designing a one-stop school solution that will eventually provide calendaring (I'm trying to work with a school on which I do web devleopment, which is looking to roll out a web-based interface to various things; NuSchool is a direct offshoot of these planning sessions).
I am trying to make it modular (i.e. calendaring system, mailing list system, etc.) and so the individual sub-projects should be removable and/or integrable to other projects. It will likely work together with NetShard in the future, although I have to write NetShard first.
I am definitely looking at calendaring as a big piece of the pie, since most everything else is mostly integrating what's already there into a nice package that a school admin could easily administer via a web interface and/or a gui or command-line program.
Where can I contact you for more info? Sounds like you have definite design requirements.
Erm, it's not nearly as heavy as you're making it out to be.
Going with three themes:
- rejected Microsoft software
- Israel
- Evil
I propose we name the Dark Enemy of the Internet BeezelBob .Amen! Recently, I had advised a user to use Netscape 7.0 that was installed on the machine rather than IE, 'cause IE didn't have the flash plugin. If Moz came fully-enabled to deal with most of what is on the Web, that would be awesome for the end-user. Esp. under Linux, where enabling the Java plugin can be a pain.
I recently looked at purchasing a Linux laptop. I talked with Sony, IBM, HP, Dell, and Qli Tech.
None (except Qli, of course) would sell me a Linux laptop. Not even one without any OS.
Indeed, one (either HP or Dell; I'm currently thinking HP) outright said, "Microsoft does not allow us to sell computers without an operating system."
What the hell business is it of Microsoft's what the hardware vendors do w.r.t. selling the vendors' hardware ?! Sure, it may or may not make sense for the vendor to sell an OS-less PC from a demand standpoint, but why should an OS vendor be able to force a hardware vendor to do anything? Especially since a no-software PC would be potentially hundreds of dollars cheaper, making it more popular, especially to cash-strapped businesses who already have licenses they could use when they discard the old PCs, or coming from a deal with Microsoft?
I can see it from Microsoft's point of view just fine--if they can get the vendor to do it. It makes sure they get some cash if the end user installs a "pirated" version of Windows. It also gives them an extra kickback, since the user company likely has a deal with Microsoft for the desktop OS licenses (i.e. the end user business pays twice). It also adds extra cost to the TCO of running another OS on the desktop, since they have to pay Microsoft for it, and would have to install the OS themselves.
Bottom line: great deal for Microsoft, a not-so good deal for the hardware vendor, and the end user gets screwed (increased cost for switching to or just using another OS if they stay with a known, trusted (and potentially contracted) vendor; have to pay twice plus if they're going to use Microsoft software).
Why do the vendors do it? Well, if they don't follow what Microsoft says, they have to pay (and thus charge the consumer) more (up to hundreds of dollars again for the retail copy!) per computer they sell. Since most users (90+%) only know and use Windows, and since that monopoly is very entrenched, the vendors must sell Windows, or be only a small-scale vendor (like Qli) and fight to squeak by while the Big Vendors (who sell Windows to the unwashed masses) subsist of narrow margins and high volume (and drive down your price and margins, since you have to compete with them as well).
So, since you (the PC vendor) want to have the high volume (and the profits that go with that, keeping you afloat), you swallow what Microsoft pushes on you (which most end users don't care about anyway, since they only know and use Microsoft software), and get the privilege of selling discounted copies of Windows with every PC, and your users never know of alternatives to Microsoft. Sure, some new businesses occasionally pop up and might look promising (OS/2, BeOS, Linux...), but they tend to quickly go out of business, and the end users might only be vaguely aware of their existance, since you and your Big Volume Vendor competition only sell Windows to the desktop user.
That, my friend, is indirect coercion of the consumer at its penultimate brilliance (only gets better at 100% market ownership), along with direct coercion of the vendors, and is the way monopolies keep their position.
Me again. You can tell I have issues with this program. ;)
What's more, it's a one-way street. It's very easy to sign up, once you sell the campus privilege fee increase to students.
Once signed up for a while, students, faculty, and staff have started receiving the software, and it's thoroughly embedded throughout the school. At that point, the school is under immense pressure to remain in the program, or students, faculty, and staff will be angry about having to give back the software, and about all the hundreds of dollars of theirs that's gone down the drain (justifiably so).
On top of that, you're going to be open to licensing compliants audits by Microsoft and the BSA unless (or in spite of!) draconian inspections of the student, faculty, and staff work and home computers!
It's a tarbaby.
Almost.
At least, at my Uni, there is one way to keep your license (note, still ain't yours)--you graduate. Anything else, and all money you've given up is gone and you get nothing.
You drop out for a year? Gone.
You flunk out? Gone.
School decides it's not worth it anymore? Gone. (and they're extra susceptible to audits!)
Microsoft stops the agreement for any reason? Gone.
(check that one; I believe it's accurate).
Microsoft determines that your Uni is somehow in breech of contract? Gone.
What's more, they've just opened up a pandora's box of possiblities w.r.t. auditing the school and inspection, the EULA of the software aside. Microsoft now has access to student IP via inspecting their computers, as well as to the researchers' computers. Yay!
In addition, over the course of your schooling, you've already paid through the nose ($50-$70 or so per semester) for software you likely wouldn't have bought anyway! How many of us are still using Win98 for their desktop and Office 97 for their productivity software?!
Personally, I think it's insane. We've already seen Microsoft's attitude towards schools--audit 'em even when they're in financial trouble, and use it to force 'em into new licensing agreements. The schools have made a deal with the Devil, truly.
True, Red Hat says one might have to reboot as well. That said, it does not require it on the desktop. It is a good point, but if it's not requred, I'd argue that forcing it on the user is then bad engineering. You'd likely disagree with that, however.
Interesting.
I agree with you wholeheartedly on this.
Actually, I was responding back to a few points you tried to make (and failed at, imho). Actually, I'm getting rather tired of debating with you, since we both keep talking to each other (well, you really seem to have a chip on your shoulder and are shouting and attacking) over a fence.
Interesting. What are your PhDs in?
I am not trying to get into a pissing contest of degrees. You attacked my mathematics background ("since I actually have a background in mathematics") I showed that I actually do have somewhat of a grasp of mathematics.
And if there are 7 webservers, 6 of which run as root, and there is a root compromise found on them (OK, more notorious than web servers, FTP servers), then you suddenly have 6 patches reported by the groups. 5 calculators or not, the generalized "five calculator problem" is a fact if they aren't watching one particular single-FTPserver install.
The much-vaunted mi2g, which has been much derided recently by the trade press? Even so, let's accept the numbers. Why not?
There are, as many, many people have pointed out, many more factors that go into this than just the number of Linux vulns. Read a real discussion of it sometime.
Actually, this is the first time in this thread that it's been mentioned.
Additionally, according to CNN, Blaster "infected more than half a million machines." (link)
Obviously, then, this "infected server" count does not count even the blaster hosts.
Bah. I have better things to do than keep talking past you. You've consumed too much of my time already.
Umm, every time I update something under Windows, it tells me I have to reboot. I download patch Q39289431.exe, run it, and it tells me to reboot. apt-get dist-upgrade, emerge, and others have not.
Indeed, so why do the patches tell me to reboot. Even for an obviously userspace app like IE?
BTW, the corresponding concept is "module" in the Linux kernel. rmmod, insmod, modprobe. Learn 'em, love 'em.
The intelligence *cough!* of banks and corporations aside, this is an issue. Aside from you deriding my intelligence ("And do you understand the word 'closed'?"), you offer no argument against things multihomed hosts, needed maintenance access (plug in the diagnostic laptop and pow!), malicious access (as I mentioned and you ignored), etc. A closed network adds a modicum of security, but it's extremely fragile. You have to go to pains to keep it closed.
I'm a physics graduate student working on a PhD. I have half a computer engineering degree (I switched to full-time physics because of time constraints), and I'm 2 classes away from a mathematics bachelors. Just so you know my mathematics background. I don't see the error in my percent-failed calculations.
The Debian packages are real. I actually ran the command myself that I posted. If you want, you can download the packages yourself and check. I updated yesterday morning, and it's Debian sid.
The Microsoft packages? Well, if you believe Microsoft, it's one monolithic system that cannot be undone. I think 250-300 packages is generous for the bare-bones systems you get in Windows, Office and IIS. Want to prove me wrong? Go for it, but your rebuttal is anything but at this point.
Umm, if each calculator releases a new bugfix, the distros snap it up. Bam! The distros release about five new updates.
You may not have all three calculators, web servers, or whatever installed, but you're talking about patches released, where the 5 calculators would come up.
Additionally, a lot of the middleware is supplied on the Linux side. A ton. Various office suites, media players, etc. Chances are you have a lot more distro-supplied middleware installed than you do Microsoft. This distorts the changes.
I note that you've not attempted to rebut my point that Microsoft tends to release mega-patches that are then consumed, whereas Linux updates individual packages and their dependencies Indeed, the dependencies are important, since pushing out a new version of KDE might push out other packages at the same time, inflating your patched count further.
Horse hockey! "Windows is 4 to 5 times more secure than Linux" my ass. Sure, the distributions may ship 4-5 times more patches than Windows, but let's look at it. Debian unstable, at this very moment, has on the order of 11000 (11 thousand) packages. To be more exact,
$dpkg -l '*' |wc -l
11703
So let's call it 11600 packages. Windows, if Microsoft chose to, is broken down into, erm, let's say, 250 packages (lib bundles, programs that come with the OS, etc., just like your stndard Linux distro, but with a lot less choice.). Let's throw in another 10 for IIS and another 10 for MS Office. Then round up to 300, to add on whatever else. Sure.
Let's now let Microsoft releases 10 patches for the 300 components. Let's assume your MS-Linux patch ratio is true. Then there are 50 patches for Linux in the same timeframe. Mathtime.
Windows:
100*(10/300)=3.33333 percent of Windows packages needed patching, on our very rough average.
Linux/Debian:
100*(50/11600)=0.43103 percent of Debian packages needed patching, again, on our very rough averaging.
Additionally, MS tends to wait and release mega-patches which patches lots of different packages, whereas each Linux package gets counted every time it needs a fix. Finally, even non-security patches get fixed in Linux, so the Linux patch count is even higher. Indeed, Microsoft would need to add on
1/.43103*10*100=2320
2320-300=2020
2020 patch-free packages in order to equal Debian's security fix rate, accepting your high patch count as valid.
Sure, the SSH hole is about as big as the Windows hole. But a) only those machines running OpenSSH are affected; those running other SSH versions (i.e. those running, say, lsh or commerical SSH versions) are not. Unlike the RPC hole, there is a diverse set of software out there, with different implementations of open standards. This is an advantage especially in security.
The only patches that require booting in my experience (debian, gentoo, Red Hat, and SuSE) are kernel patches. For all others, the server is just restarted; no reboot is required (if it's a desktop system with X, you might have to restart your X server; don't need to reboot). You can always reboot if it'll make you feel better, of course.
All it takes is one infected host on a closed network. And that assumes that there aren't any dedicated thieves that won't break in to the line.
Personally, if I were a bank, I'd not trust any code that I couldn't inspect and compile on my own ("my own" being within the bank).
Bottom line: Linux is more secure than Windows, but no systems are totally secure!
Actually, FWIW, I created a very responsive Swing application that found the energy eigenvalues and the corresponding eigenstates inside of a quantum well.
I should say, it was very responsive on my ultra-modern K6-II 450Mhz 160MB monster laptop. I didn't really notice much of a lag at all in interactivity. I found it very useful.
Couple that with the fact that it ran great on my boss's Windoze box, and all was good in Javaland.
Not quite nothing. You get to know you support Red Hat, and you will get priority in case the servers get hammered ('cause you're helping fund the servers). There's more than that, though; you can upgrade via RHN, IIRC, and you can admin and track various things within RHN. You should really check in on your RHN account and see what all you can do with it. It looks pretty spiff, and all that for $5/mo.