Re:Umm, using a tool is a hack?
on
Knoppix Hacks
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· Score: 2, Interesting
I've had this book for a week or so now, and I've found it pretty good. The basic 'hacks' are at least bullet resistant, and should get a newbie started right. The more advanced hacks are not recipes you can just follow and get good results.
For example, you can boot up Knoppix, use the live installer to download the fprot virus scanner and current updates, and virus-check a windows partition. It worked, but the graphical front end to fprot kept hanging up at the same point. It was easy enough to read the man page and run the scan from the command line, but an inexperienced user wouldn't necessarily be able to 'improvise' like that.
There are a few other hacks like that, of the half-dozen I've tried out so far. Not a knock against the book, just that it's maybe more hackish than immediately apparent. Probably the best thing about it is suggesting uses (or abuses) that I hadn't thought of.
One criticism I will make is that the lay-flat binding doesn't, which is mildly annoying.
I don`t like to see these people excluded from the debate, but it seems to me that they`d do better to run for mayor or school board, and work up to the national level. I`d rather see libertarians in local government than symbolically up on the podium.
How do you think things like the PATRIOT act got through?
With broad bi-partisan support?
That said, you're right. Part of the problem is people focus too much on the national level. My advice would be to find out what your local zoning board or town council is up to; A couple of crooks in local government can really mess things up.
Also pursuant to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, we hereby state, und
er penalty of perjury, that we are authorized to act on behalf of the owner...
It looks to me like the perjury only applies if they don't really represent the copyright owner.
...reviewed all available steering wheel locks and claimed that the Club Lock could be defeated in less than 30 seconds...
I don't doubt this at all, since you've seen it done.
On the other side, many years ago I read that you could easily snap the ignition lock out of a car with a dent-puller. This is a rod with a heavy sliding weight. You screw one end of the rod in the lock (or dent) and quickly slide the weight away. This works fine for dents in sheet metal, but worked not at all on the ignition lock of (my own) 1979 Chevette.
Herman Melville wrote a novel, White Jacket, in which a sailor was writing poems, and hiding them in a cannon. One day the gunner fired it, and his work was blown out over the ocean. Melville observed that this was probably the most effective way to publish.
Thanks, that's good to know. I'm relieved to see that they're open about it, and there's community oversite. I guess this is an example of oversite in action. Beats a congressional hearing, anyway.
Well, I kind of think it is the problem. Who's cleared for this classification? Who has the "confidential" stamp, and the authority to use it? I want to wait and see the facts come out, and not make a judgement based on slashdot comments, but if this stuff is true, the coverup will hurt their reputation more than the bug.
Power corrupts; Give someone a "classified" stamp and they'll abuse it.
...consider this a terrorist threat and deliver a $40,000 piece of ordinance via the U.S. Air Force...
We have ordnance that cheap?
In fact, we do, or at least we did. There was something called the "lazydog" that was just a fist-sized chunk of iron with fins. They were shoveled out the back of a B-52 from high altitude. Kinetic energy did the rest. I don't know how widely-used or effective they were.
To them, that sounds like technical nonsense that makes you even more suspecious. "He mentioned fire!"
Someone told me this story:
In the late 1890's, while the Ottoman empire was still around, a machine was being imported into Turkey. The customs inspector asked what it said on the side of the box. The importer translated, "This machine makes eight hundred revolutions every minute." The inspector said, "Well, you can't bring it in here. Revolutions are forbidden."
TV is more and more like a bad web site. What`s next, pop-ups? I`ll try to turn off the TV, but it won`t actually shut down until the ads finish cycling. "37 minutes of sponsor-provided content must be viewed prior to shutdown..."
Does Tivo come with a filter to take out all that blinking/flashing screen trash? Logo in the bottom right, ad for an up-coming show bottom left, stock ticker(s), side-bar, and in the remaining screen space, a slow zoom to Zacharias Moussaqi, glaring menacingly.
Ultimately, it doesn`t matter. Maybe it`s creeping senescence, but by the time the commercials are over I`ve lost the thread of the plot anyway.
Slashdot Mirror
I've had this book for a week or so now, and I've found it pretty good. The basic 'hacks' are at least bullet resistant, and should get a newbie started right. The more advanced hacks are not recipes you can just follow and get good results.
For example, you can boot up Knoppix, use the live installer to download the fprot virus scanner and current updates, and virus-check a windows partition. It worked, but the graphical front end to fprot kept hanging up at the same point. It was easy enough to read the man page and run the scan from the command line, but an inexperienced user wouldn't necessarily be able to 'improvise' like that.
There are a few other hacks like that, of the half-dozen I've tried out so far. Not a knock against the book, just that it's maybe more hackish than immediately apparent. Probably the best thing about it is suggesting uses (or abuses) that I hadn't thought of.
One criticism I will make is that the lay-flat binding doesn't, which is mildly annoying.
How about they just offer people a suitably restricted shell account?
It's all about preconfiguring the blame
In the field of enviornmental compliance, the person 'in charge' is known as the 'designated inmate.'
What does Google do?
At this point they`re still around step 1 or 2. I think they`re interested in seeing what poeple come up with that they may be able to use.
I don`t like to see these people excluded from the debate, but it seems to me that they`d do better to run for mayor or school board, and work up to the national level. I`d rather see libertarians in local government than symbolically up on the podium.
No telling what it'll be... But I bet it'll be a new low in dirty politics.
No matter what happens, it'll be said to be a new low in dirty politics.
Once they're proven to be fake, the Democrats get smeared. Nice tactic, eh?
That's what they want you to think...
How do you think things like the PATRIOT act got through?
With broad bi-partisan support?
That said, you're right. Part of the problem is people focus too much on the national level. My advice would be to find out what your local zoning board or town council is up to; A couple of crooks in local government can really mess things up.
By all means vote, especially in local elections.
Oh, right; I see your point. They've asserted copyright to (potentially) someone else's work.
Also pursuant to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, we hereby state, und er penalty of perjury, that we are authorized to act on behalf of the owner...
It looks to me like the perjury only applies if they don't really represent the copyright owner.
And my cousin's a lawyer, so...
I guess I don't really know anything about it.
I don't doubt this at all, since you've seen it done.
On the other side, many years ago I read that you could easily snap the ignition lock out of a car with a dent-puller. This is a rod with a heavy sliding weight. You screw one end of the rod in the lock (or dent) and quickly slide the weight away. This works fine for dents in sheet metal, but worked not at all on the ignition lock of (my own) 1979 Chevette.
Herman Melville wrote a novel, White Jacket, in which a sailor was writing poems, and hiding them in a cannon. One day the gunner fired it, and his work was blown out over the ocean. Melville observed that this was probably the most effective way to publish.
So, will police cars come with these black boxes?
Thanks, that's good to know. I'm relieved to see that they're open about it, and there's community oversite. I guess this is an example of oversite in action. Beats a congressional hearing, anyway.
The problem isn't that it was confidential...
Well, I kind of think it is the problem. Who's cleared for this classification? Who has the "confidential" stamp, and the authority to use it? I want to wait and see the facts come out, and not make a judgement based on slashdot comments, but if this stuff is true, the coverup will hurt their reputation more than the bug.
Power corrupts; Give someone a "classified" stamp and they'll abuse it.
am I really seeing slashdot, or is someone trying to spoof me
It's really Slashdot. If it were a spoof, you wouldn't have to reload so many times
Establish penalties for soldiers who fail to observe security protocols? Abso-effin-lutely.
Don`t forget high government officials who fail to observe security protocols.
You sound like a guy who's had personal experience with "Pick up and carry away."
We have ordnance that cheap?
In fact, we do, or at least we did. There was something called the "lazydog" that was just a fist-sized chunk of iron with fins. They were shoveled out the back of a B-52 from high altitude. Kinetic energy did the rest. I don't know how widely-used or effective they were.
Okay, real-time tracking of politicians. Maybe RFID isn't so bad after all.
Unless I'm mistaken, in this case Mr. Dreyfuss is the the one crying "un-American," in reference to "those who are in temporary political power."
Does it sound hypocritical and hollow? Yes. But then so do charges of hypocrisy.
I may be missing something, but then wouldn't the browser have to always remember, and then sometimes forget?
I can honestly say, installation was incredibly easy once I RTFM, and I'm finding it is that way with most stuff.
Well said;)
To them, that sounds like technical nonsense that makes you even more suspecious. "He mentioned fire!"
Someone told me this story:
In the late 1890's, while the Ottoman empire was still around, a machine was being imported into Turkey. The customs inspector asked what it said on the side of the box. The importer translated, "This machine makes eight hundred revolutions every minute." The inspector said, "Well, you can't bring it in here. Revolutions are forbidden."
How about a version of spamassassin for the tv?
TV is more and more like a bad web site. What`s next, pop-ups? I`ll try to turn off the TV, but it won`t actually shut down until the ads finish cycling. "37 minutes of sponsor-provided content must be viewed prior to shutdown..."
Does Tivo come with a filter to take out all that blinking/flashing screen trash? Logo in the bottom right, ad for an up-coming show bottom left, stock ticker(s), side-bar, and in the remaining screen space, a slow zoom to Zacharias Moussaqi, glaring menacingly.
Ultimately, it doesn`t matter. Maybe it`s creeping senescence, but by the time the commercials are over I`ve lost the thread of the plot anyway.