my wife's a debian user too but she doesn't know or care:-)
I heard that! I have few complaints about anything as long as her console emulators and whatever single player FPS she's on works. I'm thinking about Tenebrae for when she gets bored with Unreal.
What Debian is trying to do is build a robust backend infrastructure for installers. The installer has to run on 11 different architectures. Some of those 11 architectures may have variants as well. Any number of install methods must also be sanely supported. Someone will probably produce the graphical wonder you're wanting for commodity x86 machines. On the other hand, it may be necessary to install a rack mounted ARM server through a serial console.
I doubt it would be easy to adapt Mandrake's GUI first x86 centric installer to Debian's needs. An installer that primarily consists of libraries and hardware tables can be more easily adapted to the full spectrum of archs and installation methods.
Mac OS has supported a "no clobber" install for years and years. You pop a CD in, hit reinstall OS, and it MOVES the system folder and makes a new one. It can even keep all your custom extensions if you want it to. It has, I dare say, every option you need to install. OS X has these features as well, archive and install, format and install, etc.
True enough but one of those custom extensions is probably what made the machine sick in the first place. The actual procedure is do the clean install and painstakingly move extensions and preferences over one at time until the machine destabilizes again. Then you tell the customer that whatever it was is problem and put everything else back. If the customer absolutely insists on having the Destabilizer feature then you have to find something else to disable that resolves the conflict and hopefully the customer can live without.
I'd love to see you run XBox Live on one of those hacked XBoxes. I'd say it's working just fine.
If you're careful then it is perfectly possible. I see no reason why a mod couldn't be switchable. Flip the switch one way to use the XBox as a media player or MAME machine. Flip it the other way to use it as a straight XBox.
Just remember to never attempt to get on XBox Live with the mod active. With some of these mods, it doesn't act as a game console anyway.
I haven't seen a mod whose purpose is to enable cheating on XBox live. All of the mods I've seen are for repurposing the XBox. XBox DRM is useless for preventing repurposing.
Re:Who can forget "Riptide"?
on
Retro Vision
·
· Score: 1
The only thing that made it remotely watchable was the "you know what I mean Vern" guy hatch a new get rich quick scheme every week. One week he was going to separate gold from seawater by putting a plugged in toaster into it. Crazy shit.
I can't believe I remembered that.
Re:Buy Transformers DVD
on
Retro Vision
·
· Score: 4, Interesting
When the autobots fire a laser beam, decepticons really get it up the ass.
It still severely lacked in the fatality department. The Autobots and Decepticons must have been piloting non-lethal weaponry for UN peacekeepers. If it was really necessary for the plot, someone would be knocked down with a smoking hole in him until the next scene. Otherwise the consequences were "Hey! That really scorched my paint!" or something.
The movie had some fatality it but only characters from the old line of toys bought it in the first twenty minutes. I think the idea was you were supposed to throw your dead Transformers in the trash and go buy some new ones. Well, Starscream died a bit later but they trot his ghost back out in afternoon programming so you could go buy Starscream again.
Re:thank you Mister Rogers and Gi joe
on
Retro Vision
·
· Score: 2, Interesting
Cartoon Network was playing GI Joe late Saturday nights for awhile. I remember thinking it was kinda corny but still fun as a kid. The "still fun" must have worn off somewhere in the last 15 years. It was just incredibly bad.
I came across a site with Transformers episodes once. I was able to watch a few of those. I liked Transformers a bit better that GI joe as kid..might have had something to do with it. I loved the way Transformers could ravage several conservation laws at least 20 times an episode. Optimus must have a pocket dimension or something that he kept his trailer part in when he was a robot. For that matter, where did Omega Supreme keep his friggen body when he was robot? Then we have Astrotrain carrying around several Decepticons the same size he is in shuttle form, with scads of personal space for each one I might add. Come to think of it, damn near every action cartoon is incredibly bad. I still think Transformers is the king of implausible topology.
Re:Jump the shark
on
Retro Vision
·
· Score: 3, Funny
I'm just waiting for jump the shark for websites.
"Remember that funny website all the tech nerds used to hang out on? I think it was DotSlash or Slashthroat or something like that........"
"Yeah it really JTSed when they started moderating trolls down. The trolls were the only good part of the site....."
At least the firmware approach means that the drivers will work on non-x86 arches as well. I realize that video cards are whole nother kettle of fish but it would be nice if video cards just exposed a 3D api and all the interesting stuff happened on the card itself. It would be more optimal that what nvidia does now. Yeah it would be nice if the entire piece of hardware was open but least this approach lets us treat the hardware as a periphreal and not a black box that gets chucked into the kernel.
I would say counting burger-flipping McJobs as "Manufacturing Jobs" on official government reports is a lie. "Look 'Manufacturing jobs' went up 7% last quarter." Unfortunately, someone thought it would be a brilliant election year tactic but the Dems found about it too soon and had a field day with it.
However XP and Win2000 can be made more secure than 9x even if it isn't out of the box. That is to say it is much easier to harden XP and 2000 than it is 9x. I suspect that the reason why default installs aren't as hardened as they could be is that it makes the OS less convienient for non-techies. I'll be interested in the difference XP Service Pack 2 makes.
The main problem with MS newer OSes is that they are more network capable than 9x but the built-in security capabilities aren't well used in default installs.
Users who learn a way that works but isn't the right way can go on forever until stops.
OS and software upgrades are traumatic for those people. The one upside is that I can show a correct way to read the mail or open the document and maybe slip in a couple more "helpful tricks".
There's any number of things that most people who aren't mechanics know better than to do their cars. Don't turn without looking both ways. Don't speed through residential streets. Don't drive with the pedal floored all the time. This is just common sense. I've seen any number of otherwise intelligent human beings lose all common sense the instant the hand touches the mouse. It boggles the mind.
I understand your point of view, believe me. You just want to get something installed so you can get some work done. I'd probably let someone like you have more leeway...once I was truly convinced you knew your shit.
Some of my most bitter work experiences have been caused by wannabe sysadmins creating a big mess for me to fix. When you manage to surmount cut budgets, prima donnas, politics, shoddy product and manage to get things working at least on a minimal level, you don't want anybody screwing around with the machines. It invariably generates hair tearing. I have to do things like explain to indignant teachers "No you can't install that software you brought from home.
"But I paid..."
"For a copy that is licensed only your home machine. Unlicensed software could get us sued......"
"Well I don't see why..."
A few of those and few more who insist on local administrator access to their machines (and you know they don't know jack shit) and you start wanting to rein in the worst of the chaos.
I know Policy can go too far but some of the worst problems are caused by someone who took aim at their own feet with a shotgun and managed to blast a few innocent bystanders in the process.
You've just been ordered to migrate from sendmail to Exchange server.
That one works in either direction. I'd regard the nasty things like nitro myself. If it's working doooon't screw with it. Exchange and Sendmail? That's like trying to choose between a root canal and a rectal exam.
It supposed to be a done deal that should SCO go under that their assets revert to Canopy. However, IBM isn't just a defendant. IBM's counterclaims are a real lulu. IBM is going to want blood when this is all over. I imagine that when all is said and done, Canopy will wind up with the assets but IBM will have yet another ruling or settlement (eg. Berkeley/AT&T) against the assets. It will be even harder to pull a stunt like this with what remains.
Of course, IBM could demand what is left of SCO as recompense for its troubles. Who knows, a judge might even let IBM have them.
While were at it, lets build Clockwork Orange lidlock restraining systems into the couch. You can't start watching unless you are properly seated. There will be no sneaky getting up to pee during commercials. You'll be absolutely committed to your quality entertainment.
I am absolutely driven by people saying I can't do something.
Remember that kid we all knew when we were growing up that would take any dare? It was fun at first but you had to watch what you said around him after a while. Who wanted to explain to the kid's mom that he dared him to jump in front of a train? Darl seems to be just that sort of easily manipulated hothead.
Darl is no little kid. He's a rather nasty adult. He's already walked up to the biggest bully on the block and punched him in the nose. What else can we goad him into doing?
I like another poster's suggestion.
Hey Darl! We know you read Slashdot. So I'm going to make a dare with you. McDonalds is your largest customer. They even have a contractual relationship with you. And we all know what SCO says contracts are for. McDonalds has also been piloting Linux POS terminals in Germany at least...quite possibly with an eye to migrating from SCO's products. Darl, there is no way in hell you would win a suit against McDonalds. Their legal department would burn the SCO pimple right off of Utah's ass. Go ahead Darl. Sue McDonalds. I double dog dare you. You can't sue McDonalds and win.
When real yet unmassively funded competition moves in, Pizza Hut and Dominos temporarily go back to 6 dollar pizzas to destroy their smaller compitition. They can use to profits elsewhere to temporarily operate at a loss in selected local markets. Such meditated destruction from a large player also discourages any other small business from opening.
It seems to me that current laws and regulations are designed to entrench the position of the largest winners by ensuring no else gets to be a winner.
AOL was very quick to say that Gnutella and WASTE were unauthorized software releases. That makes the legal status of the original binaries/source murky at best. In any case, it would take a trial for a definte answer.
Not that it matters, anyone can implement the protocols.
Slashdot Mirror
my wife's a debian user too but she doesn't know or care :-)
I heard that! I have few complaints about anything as long as her console emulators and whatever single player FPS she's on works. I'm thinking about Tenebrae for when she gets bored with Unreal.
What Debian is trying to do is build a robust backend infrastructure for installers. The installer has to run on 11 different architectures. Some of those 11 architectures may have variants as well. Any number of install methods must also be sanely supported. Someone will probably produce the graphical wonder you're wanting for commodity x86 machines. On the other hand, it may be necessary to install a rack mounted ARM server through a serial console.
I doubt it would be easy to adapt Mandrake's GUI first x86 centric installer to Debian's needs. An installer that primarily consists of libraries and hardware tables can be more easily adapted to the full spectrum of archs and installation methods.
Mac OS has supported a "no clobber" install for years and years. You pop a CD in, hit reinstall OS, and it MOVES the system folder and makes a new one. It can even keep all your custom extensions if you want it to. It has, I dare say, every option you need to install. OS X has these features as well, archive and install, format and install, etc.
True enough but one of those custom extensions is probably what made the machine sick in the first place. The actual procedure is do the clean install and painstakingly move extensions and preferences over one at time until the machine destabilizes again. Then you tell the customer that whatever it was is problem and put everything else back. If the customer absolutely insists on having the Destabilizer feature then you have to find something else to disable that resolves the conflict and hopefully the customer can live without.
I'd love to see you run XBox Live on one of those hacked XBoxes. I'd say it's working just fine.
If you're careful then it is perfectly possible. I see no reason why a mod couldn't be switchable. Flip the switch one way to use the XBox as a media player or MAME machine. Flip it the other way to use it as a straight XBox.
Just remember to never attempt to get on XBox Live with the mod active. With some of these mods, it doesn't act as a game console anyway.
I haven't seen a mod whose purpose is to enable cheating on XBox live. All of the mods I've seen are for repurposing the XBox. XBox DRM is useless for preventing repurposing.
The only thing that made it remotely watchable was the "you know what I mean Vern" guy hatch a new get rich quick scheme every week. One week he was going to separate gold from seawater by putting a plugged in toaster into it. Crazy shit.
I can't believe I remembered that.
When the autobots fire a laser beam, decepticons really get it up the ass.
It still severely lacked in the fatality department. The Autobots and Decepticons must have been piloting non-lethal weaponry for UN peacekeepers. If it was really necessary for the plot, someone would be knocked down with a smoking hole in him until the next scene. Otherwise the consequences were "Hey! That really scorched my paint!" or something.
The movie had some fatality it but only characters from the old line of toys bought it in the first twenty minutes. I think the idea was you were supposed to throw your dead Transformers in the trash and go buy some new ones. Well, Starscream died a bit later but they trot his ghost back out in afternoon programming so you could go buy Starscream again.
Cartoon Network was playing GI Joe late Saturday nights for awhile. I remember thinking it was kinda corny but still fun as a kid. The "still fun" must have worn off somewhere in the last 15 years. It was just incredibly bad.
I came across a site with Transformers episodes once. I was able to watch a few of those. I liked Transformers a bit better that GI joe as kid..might have had something to do with it. I loved the way Transformers could ravage several conservation laws at least 20 times an episode. Optimus must have a pocket dimension or something that he kept his trailer part in when he was a robot. For that matter, where did Omega Supreme keep his friggen body when he was robot? Then we have Astrotrain carrying around several Decepticons the same size he is in shuttle form, with scads of personal space for each one I might add. Come to think of it, damn near every action cartoon is incredibly bad. I still think Transformers is the king of implausible topology.
I'm just waiting for jump the shark for websites.
"Remember that funny website all the tech nerds used to hang out on? I think it was DotSlash or Slashthroat or something like that........"
"Yeah it really JTSed when they started moderating trolls down. The trolls were the only good part of the site....."
If it gets modded insightful, you'll have the answer to your question.
This article is going to have a high s/n ratio. NOT!
At least the firmware approach means that the drivers will work on non-x86 arches as well. I realize that video cards are whole nother kettle of fish but it would be nice if video cards just exposed a 3D api and all the interesting stuff happened on the card itself. It would be more optimal that what nvidia does now. Yeah it would be nice if the entire piece of hardware was open but least this approach lets us treat the hardware as a periphreal and not a black box that gets chucked into the kernel.
I would say counting burger-flipping McJobs as "Manufacturing Jobs" on official government reports is a lie. "Look 'Manufacturing jobs' went up 7% last quarter." Unfortunately, someone thought it would be a brilliant election year tactic but the Dems found about it too soon and had a field day with it.
Yes, but my question is, will Darl prefer peanut butter or jelly? Personally, I think he's a grape jelly kind of guy.
I'm not sure its up to Darl. When it comes to tossing salads some guys like chocolate syrup.
However XP and Win2000 can be made more secure than 9x even if it isn't out of the box. That is to say it is much easier to harden XP and 2000 than it is 9x. I suspect that the reason why default installs aren't as hardened as they could be is that it makes the OS less convienient for non-techies. I'll be interested in the difference XP Service Pack 2 makes.
The main problem with MS newer OSes is that they are more network capable than 9x but the built-in security capabilities aren't well used in default installs.
Users who learn a way that works but isn't the right way can go on forever until stops.
OS and software upgrades are traumatic for those people. The one upside is that I can show a correct way to read the mail or open the document and maybe slip in a couple more "helpful tricks".
There's any number of things that most people who aren't mechanics know better than to do their cars. Don't turn without looking both ways. Don't speed through residential streets. Don't drive with the pedal floored all the time. This is just common sense. I've seen any number of otherwise intelligent human beings lose all common sense the instant the hand touches the mouse. It boggles the mind.
I understand your point of view, believe me. You just want to get something installed so you can get some work done. I'd probably let someone like you have more leeway...once I was truly convinced you knew your shit.
Some of my most bitter work experiences have been caused by wannabe sysadmins creating a big mess for me to fix. When you manage to surmount cut budgets, prima donnas, politics, shoddy product and manage to get things working at least on a minimal level, you don't want anybody screwing around with the machines. It invariably generates hair tearing. I have to do things like explain to indignant teachers "No you can't install that software you brought from home.
"But I paid..."
"For a copy that is licensed only your home machine. Unlicensed software could get us sued......"
"Well I don't see why..."
A few of those and few more who insist on local administrator access to their machines (and you know they don't know jack shit) and you start wanting to rein in the worst of the chaos.
I know Policy can go too far but some of the worst problems are caused by someone who took aim at their own feet with a shotgun and managed to blast a few innocent bystanders in the process.
You've just been ordered to migrate from sendmail to Exchange server.
That one works in either direction. I'd regard the nasty things like nitro myself. If it's working doooon't screw with it. Exchange and Sendmail? That's like trying to choose between a root canal and a rectal exam.
It supposed to be a done deal that should SCO go under that their assets revert to Canopy. However, IBM isn't just a defendant. IBM's counterclaims are a real lulu. IBM is going to want blood when this is all over. I imagine that when all is said and done, Canopy will wind up with the assets but IBM will have yet another ruling or settlement (eg. Berkeley/AT&T) against the assets. It will be even harder to pull a stunt like this with what remains.
Of course, IBM could demand what is left of SCO as recompense for its troubles. Who knows, a judge might even let IBM have them.
While were at it, lets build Clockwork Orange lidlock restraining systems into the couch. You can't start watching unless you are properly seated. There will be no sneaky getting up to pee during commercials. You'll be absolutely committed to your quality entertainment.
I am absolutely driven by people saying I can't do something.
..quite possibly with an eye to migrating from SCO's products. Darl, there is no way in hell you would win a suit against McDonalds. Their legal department would burn the SCO pimple right off of Utah's ass. Go ahead Darl. Sue McDonalds. I double dog dare you. You can't sue McDonalds and win.
Remember that kid we all knew when we were growing up that would take any dare? It was fun at first but you had to watch what you said around him after a while. Who wanted to explain to the kid's mom that he dared him to jump in front of a train? Darl seems to be just that sort of easily manipulated hothead.
Darl is no little kid. He's a rather nasty adult. He's already walked up to the biggest bully on the block and punched him in the nose. What else can we goad him into doing?
I like another poster's suggestion.
Hey Darl! We know you read Slashdot. So I'm going to make a dare with you. McDonalds is your largest customer. They even have a contractual relationship with you. And we all know what SCO says contracts are for. McDonalds has also been piloting Linux POS terminals in Germany at least.
Then again, in a vain attempt to turn back the tide of hatred directed at it, SCO might turn around and sue Microsoft. What a twist that would be!
But they could just settle the whole thing out of court quickly. After all Microsoft respects Intellectual Property. *nudge* *nudge* *wink* *wink*
If I go six months without reading or posting to SCO stories do I get a chip?
When real yet unmassively funded competition moves in, Pizza Hut and Dominos temporarily go back to 6 dollar pizzas to destroy their smaller compitition. They can use to profits elsewhere to temporarily operate at a loss in selected local markets. Such meditated destruction from a large player also discourages any other small business from opening.
It seems to me that current laws and regulations are designed to entrench the position of the largest winners by ensuring no else gets to be a winner.
AOL was very quick to say that Gnutella and WASTE were unauthorized software releases. That makes the legal status of the original binaries/source murky at best. In any case, it would take a trial for a definte answer.
Not that it matters, anyone can implement the protocols.