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  1. Re:A novel idea on HTTP Intermediary Layer From Google Could Dramatically Speed Up the Web · · Score: 1

    I can appreciate what you say, but there's a certain beauty about a _good_ hack. It can be an amazing thing, a beautiful thing, to make something work the way it wasn't intended.

  2. Re:Not worried, fixed already on SSL Renegotiation Attack Becomes Real · · Score: 2, Informative

    Looks like Debian has backported the security fix. The version with disabled renegotiation is 0.9.8k-6 .

    http://packages.debian.org/changelogs/pool/main/o/openssl/openssl_0.9.8k-6/changelog

    It's in "unstable" at the moment, but you should be able to download and install it without harm.

  3. Re:Just one phrase that fits. on SSL Renegotiation Attack Becomes Real · · Score: 1

      Crikey! We're rooted!

      Two phrases for us as well, mate. That's fair dinkum.

  4. Re:A novel idea on HTTP Intermediary Layer From Google Could Dramatically Speed Up the Web · · Score: 1

    You, sir, would never make a good hacker.

  5. Re:Patch on Bug In Most Linuxes Can Give Untrusted Users Root · · Score: 1

    I'm using debian "squeeze", and my mmap_min_address is fine. There's no sysctl config setting it.

  6. Re:X11 has never been a problem. on X11 Chrome Reportedly Outperforms Windows and Mac Versions · · Score: 1

    Actually, I've run X11 over a 33k modem. It was a little sluggish, but quite usable. Maybe it depends on the application you're running?

    I didn't even use something like FreeNX or nxproxy, which is designed to compress and streamline X11 connections over slow links.

  7. Re:Professionalism on Some Early Adopters Stung By Ubuntu's Karmic Koala · · Score: 1

    A friend of mine upgraded to 9.10, and had wireless issues as well. He uses a USB wireless adaptor, and every time it tried to connect, it would spit out the following message in dmesg:

    wlan0: disassociating by local choice (reason 3)

    It's a pretty obscure message. Anyway, after much playing around, it was fixed by removing the gnome-network-monitor package. Of all fixes, I didn't see that one coming!

    The machine hasn't had another hiccup since then, so my friend is happy with it.

  8. Re:Oh civ, how I love thee on Study Says US Needs Fewer Science Students · · Score: 1

    Only if they're not taxing.

  9. Oh civ, how I love thee on Study Says US Needs Fewer Science Students · · Score: 1

    Obviously the US doesn't need as many scientists, and can increase the ratio of tax collectors and entertainers. Hey guys, if you start a riot in your city, you'll probably get more entertainers than tax collectors.

  10. Re:Windows 7 faster than what? on A Tale of Two Windows 7s · · Score: 1

    The Win95 explorer window was its own application. From Win98 and onwards, they integrated IE into explorer. File displays are then rendered as a html page. Html rendering is much more complex than having a dedicated application, and therefore takes more time. With every increased version of Internet Explorer, there are more html features supported, and hence rendering will take longer, even if it's a simple outlay. Then let's not forget browser helper objects, most of which will be consulted on every html redraw. I'm not sure what performance hit IE security plays, but it does add an extra layer to the whole system, and hence would add its part to the issue.

    Life was much simpler in Win95 days, when the explorer application just had to draw a standard icon for every file in a folder.

  11. Another perspective .... on Sneaky Microsoft Add-On Put Firefox Users At Risk · · Score: 1

    It's funny, but I would have said exactly the same thing about Windows. It's all hunky dory IF you have the right hardware, right OS version, and an actual driver CD. I've had some seriously difficult times trying to download Windows drivers for some hardware. I'm not even talking about obscure stuff ... even some Sound Blaster cards have been enormously difficult to get working in Windows. Once a manufacturer wants to forget about some old hardware, there goes an easy driver download.

    Linux, on the other hand, worked flawlessly with the same hardware. In fact, a few times, I had to boot a Linux Live CD just to test that the hardware was actually working properly. Another time, I had to boot into Linux to download a windows ethernet driver, save it to USB drive, and then boot into Windows to do the install. Linux just "worked" with the ethernet card. Windows would not. Don't even get me started on 64bit Windows. That is more picky about hardware than Linux ever was.

  12. Re:Absolutely! on Is Typing Ruining Your Ability To Spell? · · Score: 1

    His spelling is spot on. His grammar needs a little more work.

  13. Re:You get what you pay for... on Why Should I Trust My Network Administrator? · · Score: 1

    Ask your boss for a new desktop machine. Even the cheapest ones these days are pretty good performers.

    If they initially refuse, keep on making complaints. The point is to subtly harass your boss until they overcome their aversion to spending a little money. It's an art form, but one that is needed when working in a small business.

  14. Re:So, what is the status of btrfs? on A Short History of Btrfs · · Score: 1

    For Debian APT systems, the website you listed does not describe rolling back versions. Pinning a package is not the same as reverting a package.

    There is a way, but it is a manual process. Firstly, locate the previous package in /var/cache/apt/archives/ . Then run the command "dpkg -i --force-downgrade" with that package as an argument. The package should then be downgraded.

    This will not work with downgrades like moving back database major versions, or other systems that significantly change data or config files on upgrade. But then again, you really should be backing up data before doing an upgrade of this scale. If the upgrade does not work, stop the service, revert the package, and restore the old data.

  15. Debian does have non-free software on Opera CTO Thinks IE Will Be Forced To Support SVG · · Score: 1

    Debian can use non-free software packages. You just have to enable it. It's not in there by default.

    You have three different sections in a Debian online archive:

    • Main : This is the section included by default in all installations. All software MUST adhere to the Debian free software guidelines. All software MUST not depend on any other software in other sections.
    • Contrib : Must be OK with the Debian free software guidelines, but can depend on packages in other sections.
    • Non-Free : Everything that doesn't fit into the previous two sections. Lots of firmware, docs, and drivers here. Sun java is also present.

    GNU software, like GNUplot and ghostscript, is included in the Debian main archive. Pine and pico are also available in main, under the new name of "alpine".

  16. Re:TIE Fighter, Day of the Tentacle on LucasArts To Re-Release Old Games Through Steam · · Score: 1

    I've also got a CD of Day of the Tentacle. I would buy a new version updated with hires graphics. It's one of those classic games that everyone should play once.

  17. Re:GPL Grey Area on Atari Sub-Sub-Contractor Used ScummVM For Wii Game · · Score: 1

    Not necessarily. The ScummVM software has to be ported to the Wii, that's certain. Signing the compiled code does not necessarily have to be part of the build process. Signing can be done after the build is complete, by another set of programs. So the key is not required to be revealed by the GPL.

    The _real_ issue here is that Nintendo refuse to allow open source software to be used with their development system. This prevents Atari from ever compiling the ScummVM software in the first place.

    If Nintendo did allow open source software, then Atari could release the ported ScummVM code, and the GPL would be happy (assuming required acknowledgements are in place as well). Atari would not need to release the signing key, nor the game data, since ScummVM does not link to any of this information, and thus would be perfectly compilable. The compiled code just wouldn't run on a non-hacked Wii, that's all.

  18. Why is Linux relatively immune to viruses? on Linux Kernel 2.6.30 Released · · Score: 1

    There are many reasons, but I think the best one is, in short, History.

    Windows users typically run with administrator rights. This is especially true of home users. It's been that way for so long, that's what many windows programs expect to be able to run properly. Viruses and trojans love this sort of environment.

    Unix users have rights only to their home directory. It's been that way for so long, that unix programs are very multi-user aware. Running programs with administration access is only done very selectively, only when really needed, and you generally have to enter a code to allow the program to have admin rights.

    All this really stems from the initial design of the system. Windows was initially designed as a single user system. Unix was designed as a multiple user system. In some ways, Windows is still struggling to cope with growing beyond its initial design constraints.

  19. Re:Bravo! on Pirate Party Wins At Least One European Parliament Seat · · Score: 1

    Copyright also has the ability to stifle creative output. Who knows what music and art we have missed, because copyright has constricted the ability of the artist to express themselves. It's a hidden tragedy of the highest order.

  20. Re:Two Year Associate's Degree of Liberal Arts on 11-Year-Old Graduates With Degree In Astrophysics · · Score: 1

    Or maybe he's just smart enough to realise this: no matter how smart you are, there will always be many people that know things you do not, and can do things you cannot do. You will meet people like this every day. They deserve respect, unless they're arrogant about their abilities.

  21. Wow. They're in space and want to watch movies?! on Is Playing a DVD Harder Than Rocket Science? · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I guess even the view from space becomes boring after a while.

    Maybe they could kick off the first ever game of Zero Gee Football. Surely they'd have a Red Dwarf fan amongst the crew who could suggest it.

  22. Re:why not get paid for this? on Unpaid Contributors Provide Corporate Tech Support · · Score: 1

    I totally agree with this. As soon as money is involved, you feel an obligation to the organisation that is paying you. Now you're partly doing the work for the sake of the organisation, not the people you're helping. When that happens, the pure joy of helping is diminished.

    So, from that viewpoint, offering payment would actually destroy the essence of the satisfaction being experienced by the helper. This is obviously something that any company wants to avoid.

    What is needed is a way for the company to show gratitude, without an obligation being created. A donation to charity on behalf of the helper? A thank you card and gift hamper? I'm sure there's ways out there.

  23. Re:Developers just need to reduce the size of demo on Sony Charges Publishers For DLC Bandwidth Usage · · Score: 1

    Well, unless they're streaming textures off the hard drive, there's only 256MB of video ram to store those textures. Plus you'd think that the compressed texture size would be much less than the uncompressed size. I think that there's plenty of fat to cut when it comes to a demo.

  24. They never took part in the trial anyway on iiNet Pulls Out of Australian Censorship Trial · · Score: 5, Insightful

    iiNet had registered interest in participating in the trial, but they were not selected for first round of testing. Now it appears as if they've pulled out of the whole process completely.

    It seems the major reason for the backout is because wikileaks published the ACMA blacklist. There were many URLs on the list which were not associated with illegal sites, but instead, politically undesirable sites.

    Hooray for wikileaks! They've proven how easy it is to abuse compulsory censorship, even in a democracy of elected officials.

  25. Developers just need to reduce the size of demo on Sony Charges Publishers For DLC Bandwidth Usage · · Score: 1

    1GB for a demo? That's a ridiculous amount of data. I suspect that there's much unneeded info in most demo downloads. If charging the developer makes them put more effort into cutting out the crap, then I say it's money well charged.