If this thing connects over 802.11, what happens when there are too many wireless devices? Even wireless has its limits.
More importantly, what about security? At school, we love changing somebody else's background when they forget to xhost -. We've all heard the stories of 802.11 networks not being secured properly. What's to prevent somebody from taking over the connection, or mirroring what's being displayed? Will people start trying to intercept the entire video signal, rather than just the data packets?
NAB is fighting to get the FCC to require Sirius Satellite Radio and XM
Satellite Radio publicize the location and power levels of their
terrestrial repeaters to prevent interference to all licensees, not just
those who paid for their spectrum.
At my organization, (up to ~50 computer at ~200 sites, and up to ~250 computers at ~40 sites), our workstation naming convention is based on the location and asset number, for example, 0987W0123456, where 0987 is the location number, and 0123456 is the asset number. The larger sites have a separate subdomain, and the naming convention there is ABC0123456, where ABC are the initials of site (this indicates the fact that the machines are on the subdomain, and are managed by the local admins). Our servers are of the form ABCS001, ABCS002, etc.
While I personally like having location in the hostname, our machines move around too much for this to be practical, but rarely move between sites. I can always identify a machine based on the location, then I can check the appropriate inventory based on the asset number for the machine location.
Also, make use of CNAME and virtual ip's! Locking services to a specific hostname and ip makes it really hard to move things around (upgrades, hw failures, service changes). If server a is replaced by b, each client, link, etc must be updated. But, using www and mapping it to a (or b) eliminates this problem. I also go a step farther and map the CNAME to a virtual IP running on that machine. This allows a switch to take effect instantly (by changing the machine using the virtual IP), rather than waiting for DNS to propagate.
"The Internet Browser shouldn't be a product bought and sold in the marketplace. It's a very basic product at its heart, and should be included with PCs to begin with."
you know what? That's just what I feel about operating systems.
But, by Microsoft's logic:
Word is one of the most commonly used programs. Therefore, it shouldn't be sold separately - it should be included with PC's as well. And for developers, Visual Studio is a basic need, so that should be included. We could go on for every single product MS makes - and, it would be an interesting way to cut off their revenue stream.
I've had a Visor Deluxe for 1.5 years. I'd get a VisorPhone immediately (or even consider a Treo), if I could actually get service for it in Canada. Why are we being ignored?!
I have called John Tory in the past to complain about my cable modem service (basically, 4 months without service). I will not hesitate to call him again to let him know why I've switched providers (Sympatico DSL is still $40, and their support is *much* better).
For readers outside of Canada, Rogers and Shaw are the two dominant cable companies. Recently, they swapped service areas to create 2 giant monopolies (Rogers in Ontario, Shaw in Western Canada). So they can do whatever they want, without competition to stop them.
This is an american page right??? Are you sure? Cause it seems to me that a lot of Australian content is getting on this page.
/. may be hosted in the U.S., but it is read by people world wide. Don't read the article if you're not interested!
Second, something similar may happen in the U.S. eventually (think DMCA, RIAA, MPAA, etc)
This reminds me of a presentation I was at last year, by a director of IT at a large bank division (the kind of place where you need a 5 year police check, etc). The key quote I remember was "Trust can't be bought or sold - Trust is earned". Considering MS's history, what have they done to earn my trust?
After all, WinXP was supposed to be the "most secure OS ever!", and we know how many holes it has. Plus, I'm sure it was Bill who said something along the lines of "Computer manufacturers have been trying to make software easier to use. The simplest way was to put a sticker on the box that said 'Now even easier to use!'". Will we just get a "Now even more secure!" sticker?
WTF? They already do that - what other major platform besides x86 do they support?
Something wrong with Mac?
Microsoft's Mactopia currently lists Office (complete with features not available on windows) with Entourage, Internet Exploder, MSN Messenger, Outlook Express, Windows Media Player and Outlook. And, all of these apps have been updated to support MacOS X.
Some people have even commented that the Mac versions of MS products are better than the windows versions!
If an average user is calling for support because of a VPN issue, will they even know that they're using a VPN? All they see is that they connect to work through the internet, and since it won't work, the internet must be broken. No AUP will change this.
Ultimately, it's a customer service issue. If your customers aren't happy, they will leave at the first opportunity.
True, cable is technically superior to DSL (at least in my area), except that DSL has much better support. My cable company gets so much negative publicity that the phone company probably doesn't need to advertise.
What did @home actually do? (other than operating the common mail servers?)
I know that they ran the DHCP servers for a while (which is why they were so unreliable), but my cable company began taking that back a long time ago.
Ever wonder why you don't see any empty boxes for microsoft products in stores (so that people don't steal the cd's?). They don't make them because it costs Microsoft $7 per box, and since empty boxes never contain products, they never get the money back. (like they need it...)
While I'm not currently a Unix Admin, I was lucky enough to get a co-op placement in this area. I now at least have some unix admin experience.
I'd recommend that you learn vi. I can now completely configure a Solaris machine using nothing but vi at a text console, among other things. It was definately the most useful program I learned.
As you get further, learn things like the various shell tools (cut, grep, awk, etc) as well as shell script. I never found a use for awk until recently, but when I did, it really simplified a "grep|cut|grep|grep|cut|grep|cut..." shell script.
You also can't go wrong learning syslog, dns, apache, and nfs, although some companies use other tools (I tend to avoid bind and sendmail, for example). YP/NIS, dhcpd, Samba and Cap/Netatalk are also used in some companies. Ultimately, the more you know, the more it will help.
As well, keep in mind that companies tend to use unix machines for specific software packages, and chances are that users will come to you for help. Try to at least be aware of these programs and the various resources available.
My provider (Rogers@Home) doesn't support MacOS X (which I've been running since it came out in March). And I'm sure they don't officially support the Linux nat/firewall box connected to the modem either.
Their only requirement is that the computer use DHCP. Occasionally I'm told to use a Windows machine (even though the problem is at their end), however, I just lie:)
I'm using X (10.1) on a first-gen G3 (233Mhz with 352MB ram). 10.0 was slow but usable, while 10.1 is great so far.
I found that upgrading the hard drive made a huge difference in performance. I used the original 4GB to test X, and it was slow. I found that it swapped frequently. I now use on a 7200rpm Deskstar drive, and I barely hear the HD work.
I'm considering using the return air ducts to run cat5. They already run to each room, and run past the closet where I plan to terminate everything.
Would this be similar to the CVS, or is there anything else to watch out for?
Slashdot Mirror
to "frizbee-net"
More importantly, what about security? At school, we love changing somebody else's background when they forget to xhost -. We've all heard the stories of 802.11 networks not being secured properly. What's to prevent somebody from taking over the connection, or mirroring what's being displayed? Will people start trying to intercept the entire video signal, rather than just the data packets?
NAB is fighting to get the FCC to require Sirius Satellite Radio and XM Satellite Radio publicize the location and power levels of their terrestrial repeaters to prevent interference to all licensees, not just those who paid for their spectrum.
While I personally like having location in the hostname, our machines move around too much for this to be practical, but rarely move between sites. I can always identify a machine based on the location, then I can check the appropriate inventory based on the asset number for the machine location.
Also, make use of CNAME and virtual ip's! Locking services to a specific hostname and ip makes it really hard to move things around (upgrades, hw failures, service changes). If server a is replaced by b, each client, link, etc must be updated. But, using www and mapping it to a (or b) eliminates this problem. I also go a step farther and map the CNAME to a virtual IP running on that machine. This allows a switch to take effect instantly (by changing the machine using the virtual IP), rather than waiting for DNS to propagate.
you know what? That's just what I feel about operating systems.
But, by Microsoft's logic:
Word is one of the most commonly used programs. Therefore, it shouldn't be sold separately - it should be included with PC's as well. And for developers, Visual Studio is a basic need, so that should be included. We could go on for every single product MS makes - and, it would be an interesting way to cut off their revenue stream.
I've had a Visor Deluxe for 1.5 years. I'd get a VisorPhone immediately (or even consider a Treo), if I could actually get service for it in Canada. Why are we being ignored?!
Rogers Communications Inc.
333 Bloor Street East
Toronto, ON M4W 1G9
(416) 935-7777
I have called John Tory in the past to complain about my cable modem service (basically, 4 months without service). I will not hesitate to call him again to let him know why I've switched providers (Sympatico DSL is still $40, and their support is *much* better). For readers outside of Canada, Rogers and Shaw are the two dominant cable companies. Recently, they swapped service areas to create 2 giant monopolies (Rogers in Ontario, Shaw in Western Canada). So they can do whatever they want, without competition to stop them.
Second, something similar may happen in the U.S. eventually (think DMCA, RIAA, MPAA, etc)
This reminds me of a presentation I was at last year, by a director of IT at a large bank division (the kind of place where you need a 5 year police check, etc). The key quote I remember was "Trust can't be bought or sold - Trust is earned". Considering MS's history, what have they done to earn my trust?
After all, WinXP was supposed to be the "most secure OS ever!", and we know how many holes it has. Plus, I'm sure it was Bill who said something along the lines of "Computer manufacturers have been trying to make software easier to use. The simplest way was to put a sticker on the box that said 'Now even easier to use!'". Will we just get a "Now even more secure!" sticker?
Something wrong with Mac? Microsoft's Mactopia currently lists Office (complete with features not available on windows) with Entourage, Internet Exploder, MSN Messenger, Outlook Express, Windows Media Player and Outlook. And, all of these apps have been updated to support MacOS X.
Some people have even commented that the Mac versions of MS products are better than the windows versions!
Ultimately, it's a customer service issue. If your customers aren't happy, they will leave at the first opportunity.
...my true love gave to me
A linux-powered Christmas Tree
http://www.shuttleonline.com/sv24.htm
http://ars.userfriendly.org/cartoons/?id=20011201
True, cable is technically superior to DSL (at least in my area), except that DSL has much better support. My cable company gets so much negative publicity that the phone company probably doesn't need to advertise.
What did @home actually do? (other than operating the common mail servers?) I know that they ran the DHCP servers for a while (which is why they were so unreliable), but my cable company began taking that back a long time ago.
Ever wonder why you don't see any empty boxes for microsoft products in stores (so that people don't steal the cd's?). They don't make them because it costs Microsoft $7 per box, and since empty boxes never contain products, they never get the money back. (like they need it...)
I'm wondering how we managed to jump from b to g. Do other versions exist (other than a,b and now g)?
I'd recommend that you learn vi. I can now completely configure a Solaris machine using nothing but vi at a text console, among other things. It was definately the most useful program I learned.
As you get further, learn things like the various shell tools (cut, grep, awk, etc) as well as shell script. I never found a use for awk until recently, but when I did, it really simplified a "grep|cut|grep|grep|cut|grep|cut..." shell script. You also can't go wrong learning syslog, dns, apache, and nfs, although some companies use other tools (I tend to avoid bind and sendmail, for example). YP/NIS, dhcpd, Samba and Cap/Netatalk are also used in some companies. Ultimately, the more you know, the more it will help.
As well, keep in mind that companies tend to use unix machines for specific software packages, and chances are that users will come to you for help. Try to at least be aware of these programs and the various resources available.
or did I catch an ad for a PowerMac G3 Desktop on the back of the magazine towards the end?
My provider (Rogers@Home) doesn't support MacOS X (which I've been running since it came out in March). And I'm sure they don't officially support the Linux nat/firewall box connected to the modem either. Their only requirement is that the computer use DHCP. Occasionally I'm told to use a Windows machine (even though the problem is at their end), however, I just lie :)
I found that upgrading the hard drive made a huge difference in performance. I used the original 4GB to test X, and it was slow. I found that it swapped frequently. I now use on a 7200rpm Deskstar drive, and I barely hear the HD work.
I'm considering using the return air ducts to run cat5. They already run to each room, and run past the closet where I plan to terminate everything. Would this be similar to the CVS, or is there anything else to watch out for?
A Mac WMP client already exists. However, I've *never* seen it work - multiple users, on multiple machines, and all it ever does is display its logo.