TiVo has started checking hashes on everything in the Series2 units, so it's very difficult to hack the code on the TiVo. The kernel is signed with TiVo's private key, which the TiVo firmware checks on each bootup. Inside of the kernel is an initrd ramdisk, which contains to hashes to all the files on the TiVo's ext2 filesystem. (There's another filesystem called MFS that contains all of the TiVo video files and other critical data which isn't checked, but there's no executable code in there unfortunately.) Since the ramdisk is inside of the kernel, if you attempt to modify the ramdisk you ruin the signing, which means the firmware won't boot it. So until somebody hacks either the firmware, the private keys that the kernel is signed with, or manages to find a collision with the SHA-1 hashes, hacking the executable is out of the question. This also means all other fun forms of TiVo hacking are right out, such as TiVoWeb, yac/elseed (caller ID programs), e-mail notification systems and whatnot. (This is why I traded a friend a brand-new Series2 for a Series1 which he wasn't going to hack.)
So, is this more secure than the method used to protect the Xbox? And could this technique be used to create a secure Linux gaming machine (like the Indrema)?
There is another good use...
on
Making A Videowall
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
Yes, for this particular application I feel that a projector would be better utilized, but there is another cool way this could be used. By using just two screens you could watch a letterbox movie! That is something you could try at home, with just two video cards. Get a couple of 19" monitors, remove the cases, put them close together, and viola, your own wide screen high resolution monitor...
The hardest part of using FTP as a solution is that it requires the recipient to have a FTP client on there machine, but that isn't the case. There are several web based FTP clients (such as web-ftp) to make it simpler for everyone to place files on a FTP server.
I think even 5MB limit is too large, especially if you are on dial-up (I hate it when someone sends me a 2MB movie...)
No, you're problem is that the PS/2 formatted the disks slightly differently. There is no difference between single-sided and double-sided disks.
I found this where they mention that PS/2 formatted disks can't be read in AT computers. You should probably dig around the web, there is probably some way to get the info off. It's not a hardware but software issue.
Mac 800K disks change speed depending on where you are on the disks. It is interesting listening to the drive as it formats them, you can actually hear it speed up as the head moved farther to the outside, much like CD Drives do today.
Unfortunately, this requires special hardware, but it did allow the Macs to boast that they could store 800K reliably on 720K disks.
No, that hole designates whether it is a high density disk or not.
I searched on google for the difference between single-sided and double-sided disks and could only come up with this.
Basically, there is no difference, he should be able to use those disks in anything that will read 720K disks. Wait, here's his problem. IBM PS/2 formatted disks won't work in other types of computers...
I bought a copy of New Deal School Suite. Very powerful multitasking and all it requires is a '286 with 640K. Unfortunately, their networking support was pretty weak, which might've been their downfall.
Apparently they've gone under, since their website doesn't exist anymore. I did find some reviews of it here.
The first clients for AOL for the PC was an entire self-contained GEOS installation.
I don't know what iBooks your using, but my new 700MHz book is plenty fast. Of course I maxed the RAM to 640MB, but it supports Quartz Extreme and flies for what I use it for (web programming, Photoshop Elements, etc.)
Everything starts after 1 maybe 2 bounces of the dock.
You will have problems with speed in the terminal if you have anti-aliasing turned on, or transparency turned on without equipment that can support Quartz Extreme.
Macintosh Manager and/or NetBoot
on
Mac OS in a Lab
·
· Score: 1
Macintosh Manager (now also called Workgroup Manager which controls OS X machines) can lock down machines to where the users can only run what you allow them to run. It can also control preferences (like forcing the homepage for Internet Explorer). It is easy to bypass if you have a boot disk, but you could setup open firmware to not allow booting from an external device. This is more of a user issue, just put in your AUP that they cannot manipulate the boot process.
NetBoot puts your disk image on the network which all the machines then use to boot and run applications from. To set up a new machine in this scenerio, you pull it out of the box, plug it in, and hold down the N key as it's turned on.
You can also use Apple Software Restore in conjuctions with a NetBoot server. The machines normally boot off of their hard drive, but if you need to re-image, you hold down the N key and have a set of AppleScripts on the netbooted image that restores the machine and sets it to boot off of the hard drive. For OS X machines you need to contact your Apple SE to get a copy of ASR that works with OS X.
Believe me, Macintosh Manager is a life saver, once it is set up (and be sure your network can handle it) and it's free (with OS X Server)!
BE WARNED: THIS INVOLVES MESSING AROUND IN NETINFO AND COULD FORCE A RE-FORMAT AND RE-INSTALL. Don't blame me if it hoses your system.
Anyway, you need to be running netatalk on your debian box (which it looks like is already happening). In AppleVolumes.default I set up a share like so:/home "Users"
(Why did I call it Users? Because that's what OS X does...)
Start up Netinfo Manager.
Authenticate (click the padlock at the bottom of the window.
Click on mounts, then select Directory -> New Subdirectory.
Click on new_directory, then change the value in the of it to: servername:/Users (I used the IP address 10.0.1.1:/Users
Select Directory->New Property and three times, adding the following names and values:
vfstype - url
dir -/Network/Servers
opts - net
Click on opts, and select Directory -> Insert Value. Add "url==afp://10.0.1.1/Users"
Finally, click on your username under users, change home to/Network/Servers/10.0.1.1/Users/username and add a new property home_loc with a value of: afp://10.0.1.1/Users/username
Login with that username and it should automatically mount your home directory.
(Since I use this from my Windows box too, I made a symlink from My Documents to Documents in my home directory.
Also with this solution you have to do something else to keep your passwords the same for both systems. Since I'm doing this at home I haven't looked into this that much.
Under OS 9 you could use OS X Server with Macintosh Manager and check out the laptop for use away from the network. Unfortunately that looks like it is gone from OS X and Workgroup Manager under OS X Server 10.2.
I'm waiting for my copy of 10.2 server to arrive to check out my options with our school's iBooks.
Okay, you caught me. You don't get a no-prize, though, because in addition to pointing out my mistakes, you're also supposed to come up with implausible and complex explanations for why I was right all along.;-)
I could come up with a witty response, but no one else would understand.
Wasn't Mac OS X Server 1.0 basically NextStep with the classic Mac GUI?
No, you're not nuts, actually right on the mark.:-) I used it as a file server for 2 years... Everything worked pretty well except that a corrupt desktop database would consume all the CPU cycles and bring the machine to a crawl.
If that's the case, then why isn't it version 1.2 instead of 10.2?
Because there was never a version 1.0 of Mac OS X. The first version of Mac OS X was version 10.0. That's easy to understand: the previous version of Mac OS (actually an entirely different product) was 9.0, so the next version (a new product) was called 10.0.
Actually, there was 1.0,1.1, and 1.2 of Mac OS X Server. Released back in '98-'99. Nothing at all like the current OS X 10.0 series though (still uses Postscript for display, classic emulation is only full screen, no aqua).
The hardware doesn't last any longer than PC hardware, and Apple has demonstrated more than once that it is willing to completely abandon users with hardware only a couple of years old. Not even Microsoft does that. Since schools don't sell their old hardware, retained value is irrelevant.
Apple works with schools to make sure the new stuff still works with their old machines. They just dropped support for OS 7.6.1 in Macintosh Manager when OS X Server came out. Our Macs from 1995 run OS 9.1, slowly, but it works and is reliable. Just because they can't run OS X does not make them useless.
Because Apple completely abandons it's platforms every few years, and thus it will be impossible for them to upgrade their software.
I disagree with this statement. The shift to OS X has brought about some changes that have caused headaches with older G3s. Mac OS 9.1 runs on every PowerMac made since 94/95. Eight year compatibility means that I can have a mix of Macs at the elementary level, but have the same OS version and software on each one. This will change with OS X, but that's at least a year away.
I can personally buy a PC that would serve the same purpose for under $600, and most PC OEMs offer fund-matching grants to schools, effectively halving the price. That price includes Windows and MS Office.
Educational pricing for iMacs is $699, and that includes AppleWorks, the iApps, and Firewire. You cannot find a better deal anywhere. And don't forget the ease of use of a one piece unit. Takes up less space in the cramped classrooms. (And don't whine about "what happens when the monitor goes bad, or the hard drive". Out of the last 200 Macs we have purchased, we have had only 2 with problems severe enough that they were unusable.)
In my experience, student installed software accounts for over 80% of administrative costs and headaches in a school network environment.
That's why you install Macintosh Manager, which comes free with every OS X server. It takes me all of 7 minutes to set up a new machine in the classroom (From out of the box, to imaging, to putting in place.) Mac Manager locks down the machines so software can't be installed, preferences follow the user (I.E. bookmarks, etc), and provides a report log of what the machine has done.
BTW, our PC lab at the high school will be going to Windows running Open Office this fall, and we will be distributing OpenOffice.org CDs to any student that needs an office suite at home. A good tech coordinator uses whatever is right for the job. Platforms are not a religion!
So they want $300 for a name? Then just don't register in the.pro namespace. I can see getting all bent out of shape if this was happening in.com, but who cares about.pro.
In fact, I wish there was a little more of a barrier to entry, just think where spam would be if free e-mail sites didn't exist... (Yes, I know it would still be around, but at least they wouldn't be able to hide behind a throw away e-mail account.)
Does the BSA use the same tactics toward Macs as it does toward Linux machines? Would they demand some sort of auditing software installed? Would it run under OS X?:-)
Only a contract which attempts to enforce illegal terms can be voided (for example, selling oneself into slavery, or attempting to enforce a contract with a minor).
So, the easy solution for schools (not colleges though) is to have students install the software (which is already done anyway). Since they are minors, they can't accept the legal ramifications of the EULA!
When are we doing to put a level of abstraction between that lousy filesystem design (in the user's point of view) so we can really add INFORMATION where we want? Can I add a note to my DivX;-) file? Nope. File design doesn't allow it.
But under OS 9 you can add information to files. File -> Get Info and there is a little box for comments. When you drag pictures from IE it automatically places the URL in the comments field. Makes it really nice for students to be able to cite their resources.
I think Mac OS X is helping somewhat in regards to file system management. In the users home directory folders are already created for documents, music, pictures, etc., and most applications are aware of these folders.
Re:Woah. Wuz Woz really a success?
on
Woz's New Startup
·
· Score: 1
It was the first personal computer that could do more things than just turn on different lights.
This was when the Altair was cutting edge, and here was a computer that had a display (and all upper case characters).
Woz's engineering skills at the time were incredible. I have no idea if he's still any good!
But what if 3 years down the road Microsoft decides it is not going to allow product activation on the original version of XP, making you upgrade to XP 2005...
Slashdot Mirror
So, is this more secure than the method used to protect the Xbox? And could this technique be used to create a secure Linux gaming machine (like the Indrema)?
Yes, for this particular application I feel that a projector would be better utilized, but there is another cool way this could be used. By using just two screens you could watch a letterbox movie! That is something you could try at home, with just two video cards. Get a couple of 19" monitors, remove the cases, put them close together, and viola, your own wide screen high resolution monitor...
The hardest part of using FTP as a solution is that it requires the recipient to have a FTP client on there machine, but that isn't the case. There are several web based FTP clients (such as web-ftp) to make it simpler for everyone to place files on a FTP server.
I think even 5MB limit is too large, especially if you are on dial-up (I hate it when someone sends me a 2MB movie...)
No, you're problem is that the PS/2 formatted the disks slightly differently. There is no difference between single-sided and double-sided disks.
I found this where they mention that PS/2 formatted disks can't be read in AT computers. You should probably dig around the web, there is probably some way to get the info off. It's not a hardware but software issue.
Mac 800K disks change speed depending on where you are on the disks. It is interesting listening to the drive as it formats them, you can actually hear it speed up as the head moved farther to the outside, much like CD Drives do today.
Unfortunately, this requires special hardware, but it did allow the Macs to boast that they could store 800K reliably on 720K disks.
I know the SpectreGCR Mac emulator on the Atari ST could do it, so this shouldn't be a problem.
No, that hole designates whether it is a high density disk or not.
I searched on google for the difference between single-sided and double-sided disks and could only come up with this.
Basically, there is no difference, he should be able to use those disks in anything that will read 720K disks. Wait, here's his problem. IBM PS/2 formatted disks won't work in other types of computers...
I bought a copy of New Deal School Suite. Very powerful multitasking and all it requires is a '286 with 640K. Unfortunately, their networking support was pretty weak, which might've been their downfall.
Apparently they've gone under, since their website doesn't exist anymore. I did find some reviews of it here.
The first clients for AOL for the PC was an entire self-contained GEOS installation.
I don't know what iBooks your using, but my new 700MHz book is plenty fast. Of course I maxed the RAM to 640MB, but it supports Quartz Extreme and flies for what I use it for (web programming, Photoshop Elements, etc.)
Everything starts after 1 maybe 2 bounces of the dock.
You will have problems with speed in the terminal if you have anti-aliasing turned on, or transparency turned on without equipment that can support Quartz Extreme.
Macintosh Manager (now also called Workgroup Manager which controls OS X machines) can lock down machines to where the users can only run what you allow them to run. It can also control preferences (like forcing the homepage for Internet Explorer). It is easy to bypass if you have a boot disk, but you could setup open firmware to not allow booting from an external device. This is more of a user issue, just put in your AUP that they cannot manipulate the boot process.
NetBoot puts your disk image on the network which all the machines then use to boot and run applications from. To set up a new machine in this scenerio, you pull it out of the box, plug it in, and hold down the N key as it's turned on.
You can also use Apple Software Restore in conjuctions with a NetBoot server. The machines normally boot off of their hard drive, but if you need to re-image, you hold down the N key and have a set of AppleScripts on the netbooted image that restores the machine and sets it to boot off of the hard drive. For OS X machines you need to contact your Apple SE to get a copy of ASR that works with OS X.
Believe me, Macintosh Manager is a life saver, once it is set up (and be sure your network can handle it) and it's free (with OS X Server)!
No, in the olden days we turned computers into very capable game machines! I know I played more games on my Atari 800XL vs. my Atari 2600.
BE WARNED: THIS INVOLVES MESSING AROUND IN NETINFO AND COULD FORCE A RE-FORMAT AND RE-INSTALL. Don't blame me if it hoses your system.
Login with that username and it should automatically mount your home directory.
(Since I use this from my Windows box too, I made a symlink from My Documents to Documents in my home directory.
I got most of this info from http://aldebaran.armory.com/~zenomt/macosx/network _homedir.html
Also with this solution you have to do something else to keep your passwords the same for both systems. Since I'm doing this at home I haven't looked into this that much.
Under OS 9 you could use OS X Server with Macintosh Manager and check out the laptop for use away from the network. Unfortunately that looks like it is gone from OS X and Workgroup Manager under OS X Server 10.2.
I'm waiting for my copy of 10.2 server to arrive to check out my options with our school's iBooks.
Makes sense... That's what I assumed was happening, but you never know! :-)
I could come up with a witty response, but no one else would understand.
No, you're not nuts, actually right on the mark. :-) I used it as a file server for 2 years... Everything worked pretty well except that a corrupt desktop database would consume all the CPU cycles and bring the machine to a crawl.
Looking at this shot: http://www.iceni.org/~peterlin/full_sdraw.jpg
brings up a few questions:
Why does the OpenOffice application have the focus, but the menu bar says that Terminal does.
Interesting set of applications running. What does Photoshop have to do with this?
Now I haven't done any development under OS X, and the terminal windows looks like legit. What's up?
Actually, there was 1.0,1.1, and 1.2 of Mac OS X Server. Released back in '98-'99. Nothing at all like the current OS X 10.0 series though (still uses Postscript for display, classic emulation is only full screen, no aqua).
The hardware doesn't last any longer than PC hardware, and Apple has demonstrated more than once that it is willing to completely abandon users with hardware only a couple of years old. Not even Microsoft does that. Since schools don't sell their old hardware, retained value is irrelevant.
Apple works with schools to make sure the new stuff still works with their old machines. They just dropped support for OS 7.6.1 in Macintosh Manager when OS X Server came out. Our Macs from 1995 run OS 9.1, slowly, but it works and is reliable. Just because they can't run OS X does not make them useless.
Because Apple completely abandons it's platforms every few years, and thus it will be impossible for them to upgrade their software.
I disagree with this statement. The shift to OS X has brought about some changes that have caused headaches with older G3s. Mac OS 9.1 runs on every PowerMac made since 94/95. Eight year compatibility means that I can have a mix of Macs at the elementary level, but have the same OS version and software on each one. This will change with OS X, but that's at least a year away.
I can personally buy a PC that would serve the same purpose for under $600, and most PC OEMs offer fund-matching grants to schools, effectively halving the price. That price includes Windows and MS Office.
Educational pricing for iMacs is $699, and that includes AppleWorks, the iApps, and Firewire. You cannot find a better deal anywhere. And don't forget the ease of use of a one piece unit. Takes up less space in the cramped classrooms. (And don't whine about "what happens when the monitor goes bad, or the hard drive". Out of the last 200 Macs we have purchased, we have had only 2 with problems severe enough that they were unusable.)
In my experience, student installed software accounts for over 80% of administrative costs and headaches in a school network environment.
That's why you install Macintosh Manager, which comes free with every OS X server. It takes me all of 7 minutes to set up a new machine in the classroom (From out of the box, to imaging, to putting in place.) Mac Manager locks down the machines so software can't be installed, preferences follow the user (I.E. bookmarks, etc), and provides a report log of what the machine has done.
BTW, our PC lab at the high school will be going to Windows running Open Office this fall, and we will be distributing OpenOffice.org CDs to any student that needs an office suite at home. A good tech coordinator uses whatever is right for the job. Platforms are not a religion!
So they want $300 for a name? Then just don't register in the .pro namespace. I can see getting all bent out of shape if this was happening in .com, but who cares about .pro.
In fact, I wish there was a little more of a barrier to entry, just think where spam would be if free e-mail sites didn't exist... (Yes, I know it would still be around, but at least they wouldn't be able to hide behind a throw away e-mail account.)
Does the BSA use the same tactics toward Macs as it does toward Linux machines? Would they demand some sort of auditing software installed? Would it run under OS X? :-)
Only a contract which attempts to enforce illegal terms can be voided (for example, selling oneself into slavery, or attempting to enforce a contract with a minor).
So, the easy solution for schools (not colleges though) is to have students install the software (which is already done anyway). Since they are minors, they can't accept the legal ramifications of the EULA!
But under OS 9 you can add information to files. File -> Get Info and there is a little box for comments. When you drag pictures from IE it automatically places the URL in the comments field. Makes it really nice for students to be able to cite their resources.
I think Mac OS X is helping somewhat in regards to file system management. In the users home directory folders are already created for documents, music, pictures, etc., and most applications are aware of these folders.
It was the first personal computer that could do more things than just turn on different lights.
This was when the Altair was cutting edge, and here was a computer that had a display (and all upper case characters).
Woz's engineering skills at the time were incredible. I have no idea if he's still any good!
Not anymore. The courts have ruled that if a satellite company offers one local station, they HAVE to offer ALL stations in that market.
But what if 3 years down the road Microsoft decides it is not going to allow product activation on the original version of XP, making you upgrade to XP 2005...