It begs the question, is the BitKeeper server on a public IP? Does it display at least an "authorized use only" message on login? Does it even require a login?
In the last application I was writing for a client that used graphics routines I downloaded Intel's performance primatives libraries and they worked very well. Very fast, quite impressive. I'd love to see AMD release something similar and link against either dynamically from within graphics code.
... and this is a feature, not a bug. It means that the "kernel maintainers" end up making changes to your driver for you if necessary when its obvious that they're going to change ABI features, etc.
From time to time a variable changes names or an interface is rewritten, or a feature is changed (like global spinlocks). In those cases, its easier as the person who is doing that work to be able to see the source to all drivers affected.
In the case of a change to your own driver, you're expected to do that maintenance work yourself still, and send it upstream to the kernel.
As an example, I download the drivers for network cards from Scyld and recompile them and install them into my running system without problems. I can unload my network drivers, compile new ones, and reinstall them, then bring back up my network cards without rebooting or touching my "kernel" sources.
No offence to yourself or anyone else who does "Linux from scratch" boxes, but without real personnel and research time, its often a complete waste of effort. It is very difficult to keep up with the patching that goes on across a few hundred disparate packages on your system. This is where a good vendor comes in.
A) Fedora, RedHat, et. al. download and install such updates themselves. In the case of RedHat Enterprise Linux (not a desktop OS), you can schedule updates from their website.
B) Root can read any directory on the computer, and since the scripts to do the updates should be installed by the vendor, your first question is moot.
Think for a moment of Windows -- if that virus / spyware / etc. didn't have administrator access, and the virus scanner running in the background does, then the scanner can 0WN the virus in no time.
If however the virus also has admin power, it can hide itself, shut off the virus scanner (I love that one), or even uninstall the definitions files.
Its not possible on a normally configured *nix box for a virus running as a normal user to reconfigure the OS and harm anything but that user's files (arguably a big problem in and of itself).
Given that executables are typically only writable by root (those under/usr/bin,/bin, etc.), these can't be infected the way Windows binaries are.
Rootkits, the primary plague on *nix boxes depend on being able to get root on your computer to work properly (duh).
And if Nortel crashed any harder than they already did, what would you do then?
What if your solution was bought out by some big monolithic company who decided to discontinue support for your product (EOL) and migrate it to their own?
I'm happier with OSS where I can guarantee *someone* can fix it if its broken, even if it ends up being me.
There end up being *plenty* of support companies for OSS because of the "we can fix it ourselves" factor -- and they tend to be better at it too, in my experience (than the support for proprietary products).
Compare a professional Apache support company with Microsoft for IIS support.
The only issue I see is that if you were to produce a PostScript output of your document with embedded fonts, you'd end up with the document's source *including* the font's source in rendering if you did it wrong.
If you did it right, the font PS would essentially be a "system header file" for your output.
Personal helicopters are already available and have been for some time -- with a good computerized guidance and hover control system, anyone with some lessons should be able to fly one.
There is no social contract on the web for me to view ads. Firstly, the web is too young for such a beast to be true -- secondly, if your ads aren't being viewed then blame the sites that host them or yourself for your poor marketing skills.
There are ads I leave unblocked; like the banners on Slashdot; but I definately block the big obtuse ones under stories.
Its purely personal and psychological. I heard a great radio poll the other day actually (stolen from a book whose name I've since forgotten); would you rather attend two concerts in your lifetime, each the most incredible experiences of music ever produced by all mankind but never listen to music other than those two occasions, or listen to music your whole life, but never hear anything better than mediocre at best?
Slashdot Mirror
And some of us indent the code randomly, and counter-intuitively to how the flow works.
... )
Afterall, if you can't count braces, you don't deserve to code.
(that's a joke
Didn't Linus spend a great deal of time and energy developping Linux?
Have you paid him for a copy lately?
It begs the question, is the BitKeeper server on a public IP? Does it display at least an "authorized use only" message on login? Does it even require a login?
If no to the last two, go for it.
Part of this is that some people don't understand why people write OSS.
Some of us just code because we love it.
Some of us also happen to be perfectionists and want code to be better than it is now, for no better reason than because it could be.
Those people end up creating things like Enlightenment.
In the last application I was writing for a client that used graphics routines I downloaded Intel's performance primatives libraries and they worked very well. Very fast, quite impressive. I'd love to see AMD release something similar and link against either dynamically from within graphics code.
Meanwhile, I just invented the hyper-duper drive that will get us to Mars in less than a year.
I defined it as an engine or engine-like system that can propel or pull objects to other planets quickly.
That way I can get $$$ from anyone building such a thing.
--
Sarcasm, duh
... and this is a feature, not a bug. It means that the "kernel maintainers" end up making changes to your driver for you if necessary when its obvious that they're going to change ABI features, etc.
From time to time a variable changes names or an interface is rewritten, or a feature is changed (like global spinlocks). In those cases, its easier as the person who is doing that work to be able to see the source to all drivers affected.
In the case of a change to your own driver, you're expected to do that maintenance work yourself still, and send it upstream to the kernel.
As an example, I download the drivers for network cards from Scyld and recompile them and install them into my running system without problems. I can unload my network drivers, compile new ones, and reinstall them, then bring back up my network cards without rebooting or touching my "kernel" sources.
You think two or three games make MS successful?
Sure, those had great launches; but take a good look at how many games Nintendo owns the exclusive rights to.
Think Mario (and spin-offs), Zelda, Donkey Kong (and spin-offs), etc.
Some software is finished when it reaches version == pi, others aim for e.
Microsoft also aims at infinity, just different.
For context ...
I maintain a home computer which is some amalgamation of RedHats 6.x through 9 + Fedora Core updates.
For work, I maintain almost 100 RedHat based servers for clients, some with only dial-in access via modem for support.
No offence to yourself or anyone else who does "Linux from scratch" boxes, but without real personnel and research time, its often a complete waste of effort. It is very difficult to keep up with the patching that goes on across a few hundred disparate packages on your system. This is where a good vendor comes in.
A) Fedora, RedHat, et. al. download and install such updates themselves. In the case of RedHat Enterprise Linux (not a desktop OS), you can schedule updates from their website.
B) Root can read any directory on the computer, and since the scripts to do the updates should be installed by the vendor, your first question is moot.
You don't administer many solid boxes do you?
But their virus scanner is.
Think for a moment of Windows -- if that virus / spyware / etc. didn't have administrator access, and the virus scanner running in the background does, then the scanner can 0WN the virus in no time.
If however the virus also has admin power, it can hide itself, shut off the virus scanner (I love that one), or even uninstall the definitions files.
For the average user, using root is almost never necessary -- software upgrades are run in the background with appropriate privileges by cron, etc.
Power users know how to set up sudo and or other systems to give themselves root access for specific reasons.
PS, don't worry -- we don't hire people who log in as root here. I administer the boxes -- and I almost never need to use root.
Its not possible on a normally configured *nix box for a virus running as a normal user to reconfigure the OS and harm anything but that user's files (arguably a big problem in and of itself).
/usr/bin, /bin, etc.), these can't be infected the way Windows binaries are.
Given that executables are typically only writable by root (those under
Rootkits, the primary plague on *nix boxes depend on being able to get root on your computer to work properly (duh).
I'm visualizing tricked-out personal choppers.
...
Visual distractions 101
Last year the story ran about a $30k personal helicopter.
And if Nortel crashed any harder than they already did, what would you do then?
What if your solution was bought out by some big monolithic company who decided to discontinue support for your product (EOL) and migrate it to their own?
I'm happier with OSS where I can guarantee *someone* can fix it if its broken, even if it ends up being me.
There end up being *plenty* of support companies for OSS because of the "we can fix it ourselves" factor -- and they tend to be better at it too, in my experience (than the support for proprietary products).
Compare a professional Apache support company with Microsoft for IIS support.
The only issue I see is that if you were to produce a PostScript output of your document with embedded fonts, you'd end up with the document's source *including* the font's source in rendering if you did it wrong.
If you did it right, the font PS would essentially be a "system header file" for your output.
Personal helicopters are already available and have been for some time -- with a good computerized guidance and hover control system, anyone with some lessons should be able to fly one.
The SGI Altix 350:
Advanced design that scales to 32 processors and 384GB of memory per system.
There is no social contract on the web for me to view ads. Firstly, the web is too young for such a beast to be true -- secondly, if your ads aren't being viewed then blame the sites that host them or yourself for your poor marketing skills.
There are ads I leave unblocked; like the banners on Slashdot; but I definately block the big obtuse ones under stories.
Export control, telephone switching, etc. are government monopolies in most western countries.
Its purely personal and psychological. I heard a great radio poll the other day actually (stolen from a book whose name I've since forgotten); would you rather attend two concerts in your lifetime, each the most incredible experiences of music ever produced by all mankind but never listen to music other than those two occasions, or listen to music your whole life, but never hear anything better than mediocre at best?
Many people answered each way.