It's even easier with Windows - it's called Automatic Update (SP1 or later) and it does it all itself and the only part you have to worry about is when it asks you to reboot, and you click Restart Now. Alternatively, you can follow these steps:
Go to Start->All Programs->Microsoft Update.
Click the button labelled Express (if you're not the Joe Average sort and you want more options, you can click Custom).
If there are new updates, I think you click Install Now, but thanks to Automatic Update I haven't had to go past Step 2 in a long time.
That's it. Not even a command-line.
all done and it never breaks anything
I've never had an update actually break anything, but then again, I'm not a sysadmin dumb enough to put XP on a high-end server. That's what CentOS/RedHat and Windows Server 2003 are for.
If it were that easy to upgrade commercial software, users would do it but it's not
Joe Average isn't going to update anything that even requires ONE step. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, and as long as he can do his everyday computing activities, it ain't broke. Botnets attacking someone else? Not his problem.
Commercial software lacks both the resources to fix things
Resources? They're making money off the software, so don't even start about resources. Does free software make the publishers money?
the ability to co operate so that everything is in one place
The case in question is Microsoft, where different teams can communicate, just like different open-source developers. If you had been talking about two different vendors, however, you would have had a point.
Worse, some nameless companies in Redmond use their "patch" system to change EULAs and sabotage other people's software
Can you provide proof that they actually sabotage (as in deliberately subvert) other software?
It's unlikely the average user will ever bother to wade through the cesspool of monthly critical patches from every vendor to brave the very real risk is breakage of their holy, one and only PC.
As I've already said, Joe Average thinks his computer works just fine, why would he update?
They are going to sit back and laugh at those who do when they too, just like M$ themselves, get broken
If I can type this on a fully up-to-date WinXP laptop, how then is it broken?
You don't want Norton. In my experiences, it finds viruses where there are none, and fails to find any real viruses. In fact, I have often recommended for home users to replace a full subscription to it with AVG Free.
It's a lot harder to exploit now. I guess the patch that came before the last one must have done something to the updater itself, because when these critical updates came out, my laptop nagged me like a four-year-old every five minutes about rebooting until I finally gave in.
I'm not really complaining. From now on, any new computer that Joe Average gets (or if he happens to update his current box) will make sure at least Windows is up to date. Now, if only Joe knew that AVs have to be updated...
hardware problems as well as stupid things you need to hack some Make file or the kerner to get it to work
Always my example problem with Linux. Ever tried to get a WLAN NIC that doesn't have onboard firmware to work? After you master that, try installing Kubuntu.
I haven't visited YouTube much, so it may or may not have been a bad analogy on krell's part, but you're nitpicking at something pretty far offtopic from this thread. I couldn't possibly read your mind to know what you're thinking, so I'll make an educated guess based on your past behavior: you know you lost the argument, so you've resorted to tearing apart unrelated minutiae. You could work for Rush Limbaugh.
Maybe you ought to go back to posting about "M$ Windoze" and "Internet Exploiter". Those were at least mildly amusing.
After re-reading your OP, I must apologize for my misinterpretation. I was under the impression that you wanted the government to stay out of whether you patch or not, yet would blame the government for not doing anything about your cybersecurity when something happens.
No one remembers that little Sears Tower fiasco, either.
Of course, this media thing is not new. We actually were making significant progress in Vietnam forty years ago. The Tet Offensive was a major victory. However, the media didn't show us that - all they did was report the dead bodies, and we, being life-loving Americans exposed first-hand to the more horrific aspects of war, became frightened and wanted out.
I grew up in southern Virginia, where Rush Limbaugh == God and the media apparently has an unspeakable liberal bias. I don't believe any of this. If anything, the media is more into providing the sensationalist sense of shock, a kind of gradual goatse.
Okay, you think the government should find better things to do than keep systems secure, but you're going to blame them when they don't do precisely what you don't want them to do? I hope you're a kid, because I don't want you voting until you're mature enough to lose the hypocrisy.
Oops. I think IHBT. But I agree with the FP and many of the replies about Slashdot's such sorry state that you have been modded 50% Insightful.
Let me tell you a little story about DLL Hell and Linux. I was installing Kubuntu 6.06 on a system with a DWL-520E wifi card. (This particular model of NIC won't work with Linux out of the box, since it has no Flash ROM and thus the firmware needs to be loaded into RAM from a.hex file on startup.) So quite naturally, when the LiveCD booted, it didn't recognize the card. Therefore, when I installed the OS, it didn't find the need to bring its autoupdater with it. Of course, I got the card working, but trying to apt-get update firefox was a real chore. (I would use Konqueror but its accessibility options are limited and I have a visual disability.) It needed all these updated versions of packages and didn't seem to want to get them itself. I also tried downloading the Debian package, but I had the same problem installing. Suffice it to say, I didn't keep that installation, but its dosfsck at startup cleared up a small problem I was having with RSS on my Windows partition...
My point is that while "DLL Hell" is real, but Linux has its own Dependency Hell. Before you judge someone/something, make sure your own hands are clean.
It's easier for me to cite other people's opinions than it is to dig through M$'s obnoxious EULAs.
One thing wrong with that statement: opinion != fact. Also, after taking into account the domain name of your link about fastfind, it may be prudent to take such an assertion with a sizable grain of salt. Furthermore, your first/. link is a story from "BSD Vault", which suggests some form of ulterior motive or cherrypicking. Considering your posting history, mindless MS-bashing to promote an alternative is not unheard of.
The bottom line: if you want to make a statement about Microsoft's EULA, or any EULA for that matter, you have three options:
a) Actually READ the license and reference the part you're using so it can be confirmed (we see an instance of this in the update to your second link) b) Link to an analysis of the license from a NEUTRAL source (granted, CyberSource does appear to fit this criterium) c) Stifle the urge and shut up. There is nothing to gain by calling Windows "spyware" in your OP, and despite your one good link, you still haven't proved that Microsoft auctions off its users' actions.
One more thing - if Microsoft commits such horridly intentional breaches of privacy and rights that it's commonly known, why hasn't the DoJ done anything? Why aren't privacy advocates and watchdog groups in a perpetual clamor about it?
We think that was the same person who registered this account [slashdot.org], but we're not sure.
Doubt it. willyhill trolls twitter's posts
But after giving more thought to it, twitter could be using the account in some warped attempt to portray himself as an innocent being stalked by trolls. Of course, if it's true, he would have to be more than even a complete idiot to realize that it isn't working and he's wasting his time.
(My gut instinct tells me TripMaster Monkey does/did the same thing, but then again, that's just my gut instinct.)
Slashdot Mirror
- Go to Start->All Programs->Microsoft Update.
- Click the button labelled Express (if you're not the Joe Average sort and you want more options, you can click Custom).
- If there are new updates, I think you click Install Now, but thanks to Automatic Update I haven't had to go past Step 2 in a long time.
That's it. Not even a command-line.I've never had an update actually break anything, but then again, I'm not a sysadmin dumb enough to put XP on a high-end server. That's what CentOS/RedHat and Windows Server 2003 are for.
Joe Average isn't going to update anything that even requires ONE step. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, and as long as he can do his everyday computing activities, it ain't broke. Botnets attacking someone else? Not his problem.
Resources? They're making money off the software, so don't even start about resources. Does free software make the publishers money?
The case in question is Microsoft, where different teams can communicate, just like different open-source developers. If you had been talking about two different vendors, however, you would have had a point.
Can you provide proof that they actually sabotage (as in deliberately subvert) other software?
As I've already said, Joe Average thinks his computer works just fine, why would he update?
If I can type this on a fully up-to-date WinXP laptop, how then is it broken?
You don't want Norton. In my experiences, it finds viruses where there are none, and fails to find any real viruses. In fact, I have often recommended for home users to replace a full subscription to it with AVG Free.
It's a lot harder to exploit now. I guess the patch that came before the last one must have done something to the updater itself, because when these critical updates came out, my laptop nagged me like a four-year-old every five minutes about rebooting until I finally gave in.
I'm not really complaining. From now on, any new computer that Joe Average gets (or if he happens to update his current box) will make sure at least Windows is up to date. Now, if only Joe knew that AVs have to be updated...
I dunno...the screenshots in Wikipedia make the desktops look a bit bulky compared to Win9x. (although KDE aesthetics will pwn XP anytime!)
And btw, KDE got started in 1996, which I'd hardly call "early" '90s.
Sorry, that DS9 episode took all the good jokes.
hardware problems as well as stupid things you need to hack some Make file or the kerner to get it to work
Always my example problem with Linux. Ever tried to get a WLAN NIC that doesn't have onboard firmware to work? After you master that, try installing Kubuntu.
Shoot, I missed most of it.
But...but...it's Micro$oft! Evil! Antitrust! WGA! Security! DRM! Plus, it's got the added drawback of competing with beloved Apple.
So the answer is: no, it does not and will not appeal to us, and in the rare event that it does, we wouldn't dare admit it here on Slashdot.
The name is Windows, so it would be "Windows's" or "Windows'," not Window's.
Well, Not Really...
Thanks for the parody. We need more satirical posts like that.
I haven't visited YouTube much, so it may or may not have been a bad analogy on krell's part, but you're nitpicking at something pretty far offtopic from this thread. I couldn't possibly read your mind to know what you're thinking, so I'll make an educated guess based on your past behavior: you know you lost the argument, so you've resorted to tearing apart unrelated minutiae. You could work for Rush Limbaugh.
Maybe you ought to go back to posting about "M$ Windoze" and "Internet Exploiter". Those were at least mildly amusing.
I meant significant with respect to the war, not the environment.
After re-reading your OP, I must apologize for my misinterpretation. I was under the impression that you wanted the government to stay out of whether you patch or not, yet would blame the government for not doing anything about your cybersecurity when something happens.
why is it in a box?
Let's open the lid and find out...
How do tags work? What do they look like? Could someone please tell me? I've never been able to see them.
No one remembers that little Sears Tower fiasco, either.
Of course, this media thing is not new. We actually were making significant progress in Vietnam forty years ago. The Tet Offensive was a major victory. However, the media didn't show us that - all they did was report the dead bodies, and we, being life-loving Americans exposed first-hand to the more horrific aspects of war, became frightened and wanted out.
I grew up in southern Virginia, where Rush Limbaugh == God and the media apparently has an unspeakable liberal bias. I don't believe any of this. If anything, the media is more into providing the sensationalist sense of shock, a kind of gradual goatse.
Okay, you think the government should find better things to do than keep systems secure, but you're going to blame them when they don't do precisely what you don't want them to do? I hope you're a kid, because I don't want you voting until you're mature enough to lose the hypocrisy.
Oops. I think IHBT. But I agree with the FP and many of the replies about Slashdot's such sorry state that you have been modded 50% Insightful.
Not to mention the fact that his
Let me tell you a little story about DLL Hell and Linux. I was installing Kubuntu 6.06 on a system with a DWL-520E wifi card. (This particular model of NIC won't work with Linux out of the box, since it has no Flash ROM and thus the firmware needs to be loaded into RAM from a
My point is that while "DLL Hell" is real, but Linux has its own Dependency Hell. Before you judge someone/something, make sure your own hands are clean.
It's easier for me to cite other people's opinions than it is to dig through M$'s obnoxious EULAs.
One thing wrong with that statement: opinion != fact. Also, after taking into account the domain name of your link about fastfind, it may be prudent to take such an assertion with a sizable grain of salt. Furthermore, your first
The bottom line: if you want to make a statement about Microsoft's EULA, or any EULA for that matter, you have three options:
a) Actually READ the license and reference the part you're using so it can be confirmed (we see an instance of this in the update to your second link)
b) Link to an analysis of the license from a NEUTRAL source (granted, CyberSource does appear to fit this criterium)
c) Stifle the urge and shut up. There is nothing to gain by calling Windows "spyware" in your OP, and despite your one good link, you still haven't proved that Microsoft auctions off its users' actions.
One more thing - if Microsoft commits such horridly intentional breaches of privacy and rights that it's commonly known, why hasn't the DoJ done anything? Why aren't privacy advocates and watchdog groups in a perpetual clamor about it?
Moderation +1
100% Funny
Idiot mods. Didn't you read my post? I guess my
Personally, I'd rather be Insightful, because Funny doesn't get you karma.
Oh shoot. You meant the guy who trolled twitter, not twitter himself. That's the last time I'm posting when I'm just barely awake.
We think that was the same person who registered this account [slashdot.org], but we're not sure.
Doubt it. willyhill trolls twitter's posts
But after giving more thought to it, twitter could be using the account in some warped attempt to portray himself as an innocent being stalked by trolls. Of course, if it's true, he would have to be more than even a complete idiot to realize that it isn't working and he's wasting his time.
(My gut instinct tells me TripMaster Monkey does/did the same thing, but then again, that's just my gut instinct.)
jb, I don't like twitter either, but you sure seem to do a lot of thinking about his wife.