Itanium 2 faster then Power4? I doubt it. Again, this is apples to oranges comparisons. Also, has ANYONE ever seen a Itanium system? I thought not. I work on RS/6000 machines and I really doubt an Itantium 2 system could even compare to a IBM RS/6000 (Power4 Based). First off, most RS/6000 machines come equpied with SMP (sometime only having one chip installed, but most are complete). Also, the Regatta p690 machine is THE BEST in my opinion. Only thing that comes close might be the top level Sun machines. Also, this same technology was used in Deep Blue (the machine that beat Gary Kasparov many years ago). All that Deep Blue was was a specially programmed SP system (RS/6000 Super Parallel). Comparing Intel's yet to be produced Itanium 2 which is an evolutionary step of the Itanium which did not really sell all that well. Point is....POINT ME TO THE BENCHMARKS! Since you can't(no silicon kind of stops that), well we shall see. Personally, I would rather run AIX on it. It's proven at least.
Which makes me wonder....the RS/6000 servers all have a bult in recovey mode that is accessed by holding a f key (F5 usually during boot which will trigger a boot off of CD, floppt or rmt0 (tape)). There's also a SMS mode if your really screwed and want to try to repair it in SMS (System Management Services). These are both more then a general BIOS type of service. One allows booting off of the mksysb tape and then going into a maintenence mode to fix things like forgotten root passwords and invalid superblocks on the boot disk (of course you really should mirror your drives on one of these machines). Why not just revamp BIOS a bit and have it do some things other then POST configuration type stuff. This could be done similarly to what the some of the first IBM PC's did when no diskette was in the drive. They just loaded the basic interpreter so you could still do something. Although I don't think you could save to disk back then. Plus with it being on flash rom, it would be fast as well.
I think the hype can be good. At least it raises attention about something much more devastating then an incorrectly issued Thunderstorm/Tornado Warning (issuing one when there isn't/not issuing one when there is but they can't find it). In recent years we have seen NASA's budget cut slowly but surely by our congress and our president (BOTH Clinton and Bush). Now, we have a space station, but no science can occur because of the budget cuts (unless you count studies on long exposure to zero g). Point is, the space station could very well be used as a science outpost to study these things as well as a launching point for anti asteroid shuttles. Spending more on finding them won't do anything to help repel them. NASA needs more money. Scientists who are studying antimatter and fusion reactors need more money. A nuclear warhead could help, but I doubt it would scratch an asteroid the size of NT7 2002. We need something with a little more kick (antimatter charges in a mag field maybe???). I don't know. All I do know is even with 19 years lead time, I doubt we could have killed this asteroid.
Anyone who wants a better idea of the kind of problem something like this can create should read Thunderstrike! by Michael McCollum. Besides being a decent sci-fi book, it discusses many ways of deflecting this kind of thing. Orbital Modification (basically slowing or speeding up the rock so it will not hit us...we speed by before it gets to where it would hit us.....), Destruction, and bringing it into orbit for mining are all in the novel. While, I know it is fiction, but how may things just in our lifetimes have been science fiction at some point? Maybe the device I am typing on now?? Point is, there is a very real danger. Sure, not as much of a danger as us being in a car accident or something, but there is a danger and it should definitely be looked at. Total extinction is something we can fight. The Dinosaurs did not have the brains to do this. We have the brains and with enough time, the means to get something done. Just starting this project after one is discovered though may not be enough time to get things done.
Sometimes things should just be done for the sake of humanity and not for money. There is scientific proof that this will happen and has happened in the past. More proof then the global warming folks have anyway.
I don't believe the OS is Java based. I think it's Java enabled. Meaning, one could write Java applications and download them to the phone. Motorola has their own OS for these(I believe it's called iDEN). The i95cl, i85 and all NEXTEL phones have had this since the i50s came out (except color).
The threat is known, it's orbit watched and we have 60+ years to do something about it. Even with as little as 5 years and a more precise trajectory, I'm sure we could build something riduculously nasty to introduce it to... A government in panic mode can do a lot of things in that time, devoting all it's resources to survival.
This is no more evident then the reconstruction of the Pentagon. It's pretty much complete by the way. Just saw it yesterday.
Yep! I was about to say this. Kodak's DCS line are just digital cameras based in SLR bodies. This is not what Silcon Film has been vaporizing. Silicon Film is a cool concept, but I think not having the LCD is a disadvantage. LCD's are great for seeing if you need to snap another pic quick because you screwed up the framing and cut someone's head off.
Bluetooth tanking? I think it's about to take off. The Ericsson T68 has it as well as PDA's, printers and other devices. I remember when people said the same thing about USB and then, Apple brought out the iMac with NO legacy stuff. BOOM....USB took off. Now, Apple has brought out iSync which will sync your computer with your PDA (Palm only....grumble), your cell phone and other devices using SyncML. Bluetooth will now explode. Bluetooth isn't for networking. It's for Personal LANs. It could be used to connect your printer that's in a better place across the room, or it could be used to keep your headset connected with your cellphone. It has the chance to make wires for things such as PDA's and Cellphones (well except for power) non existant. No, I don't think it's tanking....I think it's ready for take off. And YOU KNOW Microsoft can't stand for Apple to be on top in something. My prediction, Activesync will become SyncML compatible and it will work with phones now and not only syncing over Bluetooth, but 802.11b as well (why can't I do this now??).
That may be true, but why advertise? Broadcasting the SSID is like saying look at me! I have a wirless network! Also, there's one thing that I always do when I leave for a extended period of time (a week or so)....I turn off the radio. Problem solved. BTW, I didn't use Netstumbler. I used the app builtin to my handheld. This is a layer that one has to go thru, and not a full security solution. All the layers put together is your whole solution. Should WiFi be stronger in it's security? Hell yeah, but no matter how much network security you have someone will always be able to break it. Not broadcasting the SSID is something that should be done. If it was a big deal to implement, well, maybe not but it isn't. I agree with him. Besides, Script Kiddies aren't likely to know enough or be able to get some of the tools they need to crack these things. Those are the one's I am more afraid of. Not saying that they don't have the knowledge...some don't and some do, but it adds another thing they have to do to get thru.
You know I thought this when I first read it, but now I know better!;) No, I didn't get owned and noone got access to my network, but this is security you can see. When you turn the broadcast off, then the SSID isn't transmitted (well duh) and, also, even on clients that do have a matching SSID, you will not see the AP in your handheld's Wireless app, but you will see it is on the network. This makes it easy for some warchalkers and crackers to just pass it on by. Especially ones who have no idea why a WiFi AP would be installed in say a unassuming house in suburbia. Why investigate every house and business when you just have to look for all of the clueless folks who broadcast their SSID.
Boy can't add eh? Look and add all of the temp ranges and you shall see 6,291 have air conditioning and keep in in some crazy ranges. I don't like my house like an ice box, so I have to say that I am in the 73-76 range. I applaud those who have there's greater then 80, but BOY I bet they have shweaty balls and boobs (geek girls too ya know!).
Oh Pocket PC 2002 (CE 3.0 based) is MUCH better then WinCE 2.11. It has a whole new look and every thing is much better then the crud that was 2.11. To make a note, I poke at the start menu, and it's right there. Two pokes!:) Also, any app you have used recently has an icon at the top of the start menu. Also, you can close them, but that really just puts them in background. You can use WISbar to do a true program close, or use the memory applet under settings. One thing I like about some apps is some are putting a exit action on a menu that closes the app (PocketTV and several others....). It's real important to manage how many apps you are running so your PDA does nto bog down. It would have been real nice if Microsoft would have listened to the user here. Sure, they say it will automatically close the apps as it needs resources, but I don't trust it. Current Pocket PC's are very good compared to the old WinCE. Sure, it may not be a Zaurus running Linux, but at least you can get apps for it (instead of having to write all of your own...you can still write programs, but you'd use eVB or eC++).
Ad-free client for the Gnutella peer-to-peer file sharing system.
As for KMerlin, I could not find any. If I had a Redhat or Mandrake system I would try to figure out what I'd need to build the spec file htne build an RPM, but right now I am happy doing what I have bene doing and My Redhat or Mandrake system can wait.
I tried. But he refused and said that he could do it alone.
Boy that guy is a stubborn person. This is like learning everything all over again. It really is for folks like this who have learned Windows/DOS a long time ago. Some people can't apply then learn the differences as well as most of the Slashdot readership. That guy must have been a MCSE or something. He can't admit that another OS can be better if it does things differently. Oh and he needs to clue himself in about companies using Linux (from the earlier post)....of course Linux use is spreading to more companies everyday (Xerox uses it in some printers now I understand). This guy also thinks he knows computers because he can grok Windows. If all you know is Windows, well, you don't know much. My MOM knows Windows and she would not know where to start with Linux (what's a login....what's root?).
Now for the FAT32 thing...I was going to say something about the security and whether permissions work properly, but I am not sure and I can't find the answer, so I won't guess! In the case of your friend, I don't think it would have been much of an issue as he'd probably be in Windows 50-60 percent of the time as he was learning it. If it was a permanent thing, then of course you would not run fat32. Of course I would not know as I don't run FAT32 for Linux but more for speed then security.
Your friend wasn't ready for it to begin with. It was nice he tried! I am glad you found someone else to help. Now, for me, I am going to try and find a machine I can dedicate to Linux (No DUAL BOOT! I hate it...it sucks). Next after that I intend to find a RS/6000 (for AIX....Love AIX!:) ).
Yes and you shouldo it THE RIGHT WAY. First off, one mistake you mad was installing/showing him something that needed to be compiled instead of sticking to binaries. Users do not want to compile their software. They want to use it. If KMerlin was not available in a RPM (PLEASE....use RPM on Mandrake and Redhat.....installing from source makes the file system a total mess...never mind when he trys to uninstall it.), use something else, or MAKE a RPM for him. I used ccMSN (Not sure if it had a RPM available or not). Going outside a Distros or a UNIX's packaging system should never ever be done on a desktop system unless there is no other way (and for the developers, why don't you MAKE a RPM????).
As far not being able to see the Linux partitions in a dual boot situation.....how about installing on a FAT32 file system?? I know, it should not be done that way, but it would have worked well for this guy and he would have been able to see his home directory on Windows and Linux.
Video on Linux, well, with exceptions of Ogle and maybe xaw, well, it sucks. I even think Ogle was not the greatest ( I think I had a RPM for it.), but it worked for me.Windows is Leaps and bounds ahead of Linux here. You can't even see Quicktime on Linux, although that's not the community's help for lack of trying (Sorenson CODEC anyone?).
Limewire.....why is there not a binary RPM for this??? I found a SRC rpm, but nothing compiled. Also, in trying to get his Limewire to work, you probably blitzed the Kaffe installation he may have needed for Java! NEVER just rm the directory until you look into why it was there in the first place. If it's an empty directory, well, thats one thing. If there's stuff in there you just broke a whole lot of stuff.
I have no idea what your Linux experience is. If it is extensive, your post sure did not show that. I don't mean to sound like I am flaming you, but you have to help these folks and do things the right way FIRST. Then, when that doesn't work, only do you try the hacker way (and teach him by displaying the read me.....don't just blindly./configure && make, su then make install. Sometimes by doing that, you miss the important stuff telling you that you must have x installed or y not installed. It may have provided insight to why you were having your problem. Best of all, you build good habits in him. Tell him use a RPM or DEB (if Debian) all the itme if possible and only use a tarball when the need is dire or there is no other way. You will have a much more manageble system for a new user.
Also, and I am going to probably follow this rule as well eventually, but never install Linux on the same machine when the main produciton was occuring on Windows. Set this up with the intention that he would LEARN on this system, and only use it if he's not trying to get something done. Dual booting sucks(and is cool all at the same time) and if all he has to do is login, well, that will improve his opinion drastically. If he has cable modem service, set both machines up on a Cable/DSL router. Setup Apache and show him how he can test web pages internally (no servers on RR ya know). Actually SPEND a evening a week with him and TEACH him how to use it. If he asks why and you say it's just done that way, that's not acceptable. Find out WHY Linux does it the way it does, and tell him (if you can). Don't just install it and try to instruct him on the phone and in e-mail. Maybe you'd have had a Linux lover on your hands instead of a hater.
Yeah. No more new laws concerning cell phones or wireless. Wireless equipment can be used safely and effectively for many things in a car.....GPS based way of delivering online maps (onboard computer pulls up new maps when traveling), it could also be used for regular web surfing too. But we ALREADY have laws on the books for distracted driving (what you are when your gabbing on the phone and driving at the same time). We should probably increase the fine butt loads for those who are multiple offenders of distracted driving and those who cause a death because of it. I am sorry to hear about your friends father, but making a new law making it unlawful to use cell phones and wireless internet in a car is not going to bring him back or save lives. People will continue to be assholes.
By the way, you mention the Zealot Attractor factor as a Pro -- I'd call it a Con. The average WalMart associate is going to be more likely to think the geeky guy hanging out in the electronics section is looking to swipe something than be grateful for his help selling PCs.
Which brings up my number one pet peeve about walking into any store that carries computer anything or even Radio Shack now (unfortunately). When I go to these places, I know EXACTLY what I am looking for and I go in, go to where it is (by reading the freaking signs), I get it, I pay, I walk out. How come the freaking clueless blueshirts insist on talking to me or asking if I need help? Go back to your l33t talk with your buds about Quake and let me get my stuff and get out of here. Did I ask for your help? Did I ask your opinion on which video card I should get (usually cuz they thing I should spend lots of bucks on the piece o shit card of the week instead of the Nvidia card I have in my hand). When I do ask you something, if you don't know, then don't try and tell me you think it will work. Tell me you don't know. I'll say thank you and leave you alone. Don't try to sell me something I don't want! I remember walking up to someone who was so confused right after a salesman walked away to check on something...I ask that person what did they want to do. They tell me I only want to do internet and chat and maybe type up my resume and they are selling me this $$$$ machine...do you think it's ok? Usually, they point out a machine fine for, well, geeks like us, or a machine that's underpowered even for today's stuff. I point them to the correct machine (one which will do what they want, not one with all kind of toys like we'd like, and will not cost them an arm and a leg). They buy it. They go home. They are happy. They also won't buy without me or another computer friend again. These guys working at CompUSA and Best Buy almost all worked at a Grocery store last week. They are the rice boy equivalent to geeks. They think that PC over there is nice cuz of the case! Well, they don't know jack and I wish they'd just leave me alone when I go to make my purchases, or at least HELP ME GET my purchases instead of chatting with yer buds that work there. Honestly the Quake/SOF/PS/2 talk can wait 5 minutes while you grab a hard disk for me.
Which won't work for scanners dude. You don't even have to do that for printers. I never said it should be enabled by default. If there's no better way to do it then it should stay as is. What I am saying is that there should be a better, more secure way to do it in the first place. The way it is now, you have to do this to let a non root user to use a parallel port scanner. Then your security depends on saned not having a buffer overflow. I don't have this problem with Windows or on a Mac. It just works. It's little problems like this that stop me from using Linux for anything but a server. There's more then that, but this is a big one that would make me happy if it would go away.
You can set the SUID bit on the program that accesses the parallel port directly, and make sure it is owned by root.
chmod u+s file
It will run as root then, and could represent a local security hole, but that's the compromise you make for direct access to the hardware as a normal user in any case.
OK, and why would I want to create this local hole? That is again a great example of what is wrong with Linux. GRANTED, I realize security is good (I am a AIX Sysadmin....), but would this really break many things if it was just allowed? The user is allowed to acess the Monitor, the mouse, the keyboard, parts of the hard disk, all of the rest of the hardware, but why not the parallell port AND by default?? I know, XP has a similar problem if a proper driver isn't written (why it took until XP was done to get games to truely work on the NT kernel). A desktop user isn't going to know to change the SUID bit. I know how to do it too, but I also know the pitfalls of doing it and would never do it even on my home system. It's stupid and should never have to be done to get hardware to work. What happens if this local hole is discovered by a user (maybe a Linux system setup in a library, being accessed by a hacker)?? Mayhem is what would happen. Maybe it wouldn't, but are you going to take the chance?? I don't think anyone is asking for better hardware support. Linux is getting better everyday in this respect. I don't have time (or a machine available....yet!) to use it as a desktop. It will most likely be moved on my home network in a server capacity as I know this is a strength of it right now. I do believe in Linux and Like it, it's just not going to be running my desktop for a little while yet. Heck my wife even likes the dumb games that come with it (Gnibbles is her favorite). One thing I like about XP is I finally taught her why it's good to have signon's. She can have her wallpaper and theme and I can have mine...stupid reason, but that's the best thing she likes about it!;) That will get her trained for when I do go Linux (when she quits her job...then we really would not need it except for somethings...).
Um, because you can't find a tech at 4 am to fix that printer that won't print that's connected properly and mostly configured properly except for that config file is missing one semicolon or whatever. That's what you'd need on Linux unless you had knowledge yourself. If your car has a flat, most drivers can manage to get the spare on. The car analogy is bad. Most little car problems can be fixed by just about anyone. Sometimes little computer problems can't be fixed unless you talk to the developer. A good example is my printer example. You can now if you are in a pinch and your printer dies, you can buy a new printer 24/7 in my area (Meijer and Walmart has em as well as zip drives, CD-R blanks and some emergency type things for computers...no, no MB's yet!). Now at 4 am you go to print that Master's Thesis due at 9 am, but that new printer (most likely a winprinter) does not work. You can't call your Linux guru cuz he's in bed (just turned in BTW...you see I know hacker's just go to sleep at 4!;) ). What do you do? Well, you fail. On windows, you just insert the disk that came with it or you download the newest driver and your done. Your paper is printed and you get your master's degree. Why can't Linux do that? Do sysadmins and hackers really have time to make a new driver in a pinch situation? That's what would have to be done if there's no driver for the printer. Is this the hacker's fault? Well, sometimes. Sometimes it's the manufacturer's fault as well (won't give up the specs or whatever). This is why if I had to choose a NIX based OS, I'd probably choose OS/X now. I don't have the time to fix little things when it doesn't work. I just want that printer to print dammit and I don't want to have to edit 5 text files and recompile something to do it! Again, to the coder's who say well learn how to code, well, bite me. You should have wrote it right in the first place, or at least show an effort to make it usable by mear mortals or heck even tech support folks.
THANK YOU! Exactly my point! If your going to have Anti Aliased fonts then dadgummit make it easy to use by god! I don't mind delving a text file for sendmail.....at least you'd feel good if you got sendmail to work....antialiasing, well, just looks, um, nicer, but doesn't really do anything productive like sendmail does.....it just makes it look better. I can put up with the ugly text. I can't put up with a no working mailserver so into the text file I go!:)
Yeah. I didn't see him asking us to remove anything (except maybe the default install) or cyhange the filesystem. While I agree with some of the things, some he does have wrong if Linux is to remain like it is...jack of all trades, master of none unless you really know what your doing.
Take printing for example. Printing is a &^$%*&^ bitch! While I like postscript, it's still a freaking pain in the butt to print.
Oh and one he didn't mention but is my favorite beef is scanners. I have a parallel port scanner currently and I cannot get the thing to work reliably under Linux at all. Also, since the driver accesses the parallel port directly, you must be root to make a scan and that's bullshit.
Sure, you may say if you don't like it, write some code. Well, I am sorry, but Linux has grown up and has to be used and configured by people who....GASP....can't code. So, to Linux developers, you need to THINK about useability things the next time you write something (especially if you work for Red Hat or a distro....). EVEN programmers and sysadmins don't want to necessarily work for a week to get a damn printer to work when it just works right under Windows and on OS/X.
Also, X is nice and has a lot of good things, and in my opinion...is getting better. We don't need to drastically change it, but just tweak it some more. For example, make it dead easy to add new fonts (sorry, Mandrake's solution isn't easy...yet) and changing screen resolutions and for god sakes work with the printer hackers to make thos TrueType fonts PRINT! So what if the wm can see em, that's only half of it. The other is being able to produce a document on a printer with nice looking fonts. If the WM can see it, that's good, but not very useful if the print server or app can't use em! Also, one problem I have when booting Linux on my system is after the kernel loads, my screen blanks out until X loads. I think this is a framebuffer issue, but you got me on how to fix it. I have tried and tried and went to IRC and even had some help there, but I still can't see boot messages until after and sometimes what you want to see is not in dmesg.
Networking is fine under Linux, don't change it much. His complaint about Filesharing I don't agree with. I WANT to make it a chore to do because I WANT the thing to be secure. Just having the ability to chare your whole C drive on Windows machines is a mistake that should not happen, but is very easy to do (well, on older Windows machines....XP bitched a storm when I accidently tried to do it then I thought well, better not do that anyway!;) ).
Games I don't need so much on Linux. I mainly use Linux to do work, not play, but I do play sometimes. Tux Racer is a surprisingly good game! So is the Lemmings clone (don't remember the name, but it's like Lemmings, but with Penguins). Somepeople need gamnes though, so I agree with that.
Some things he says are fixed, I don't agree with. I don't need or want Microsoft Office. What I think should be done by every one is to DECIDE on a STANDARD office memo, letter file format. If everyone used the same file format, then I could create a doc in Open Office and open it in Word with NO CONVERSION! Proprietary standards need to go with Word processing and Spreadsheets especially. Databases and Presentation software being inter compatible is not entirely necessary, although most Databases support ODBC now, so it can happen there too. If just the Word Processing and Spreadsheets could be read by every wordprocessor and spreadsheet program, then they could add things that could help you format and generate the file instead of proprietary things in file formatting. So if that was done, we'd need no MS Office. We could then create files in Linux, AIX, OS/X, BSD or whatever using Open Office and then a Windows user could read it with Office.
Right now, I don't have time to screw with Linux. I would rather buy a used RS/6000 and have it at home so I could test things at home for work. If I did need a server, and I might be setting one up soon, I would use Linux and install NO X, just use it as a file server, and internal webserver at home. Don't get me wrong, I like Linux and want to use it, but when just doing BASIC things under Linux is a pain, well, it makes me long for Windows as wrong as that may be!
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Itanium 2 faster then Power4? I doubt it. Again, this is apples to oranges comparisons. Also, has ANYONE ever seen a Itanium system? I thought not. I work on RS/6000 machines and I really doubt an Itantium 2 system could even compare to a IBM RS/6000 (Power4 Based). First off, most RS/6000 machines come equpied with SMP (sometime only having one chip installed, but most are complete). Also, the Regatta p690 machine is THE BEST in my opinion. Only thing that comes close might be the top level Sun machines. Also, this same technology was used in Deep Blue (the machine that beat Gary Kasparov many years ago). All that Deep Blue was was a specially programmed SP system (RS/6000 Super Parallel). Comparing Intel's yet to be produced Itanium 2 which is an evolutionary step of the Itanium which did not really sell all that well. Point is....POINT ME TO THE BENCHMARKS! Since you can't(no silicon kind of stops that), well we shall see. Personally, I would rather run AIX on it. It's proven at least.
Which makes me wonder....the RS/6000 servers all have a bult in recovey mode that is accessed by holding a f key (F5 usually during boot which will trigger a boot off of CD, floppt or rmt0 (tape)). There's also a SMS mode if your really screwed and want to try to repair it in SMS (System Management Services). These are both more then a general BIOS type of service. One allows booting off of the mksysb tape and then going into a maintenence mode to fix things like forgotten root passwords and invalid superblocks on the boot disk (of course you really should mirror your drives on one of these machines). Why not just revamp BIOS a bit and have it do some things other then POST configuration type stuff. This could be done similarly to what the some of the first IBM PC's did when no diskette was in the drive. They just loaded the basic interpreter so you could still do something. Although I don't think you could save to disk back then. Plus with it being on flash rom, it would be fast as well.
I think the hype can be good. At least it raises attention about something much more devastating then an incorrectly issued Thunderstorm/Tornado Warning (issuing one when there isn't/not issuing one when there is but they can't find it). In recent years we have seen NASA's budget cut slowly but surely by our congress and our president (BOTH Clinton and Bush). Now, we have a space station, but no science can occur because of the budget cuts (unless you count studies on long exposure to zero g). Point is, the space station could very well be used as a science outpost to study these things as well as a launching point for anti asteroid shuttles. Spending more on finding them won't do anything to help repel them. NASA needs more money. Scientists who are studying antimatter and fusion reactors need more money. A nuclear warhead could help, but I doubt it would scratch an asteroid the size of NT7 2002. We need something with a little more kick (antimatter charges in a mag field maybe???). I don't know. All I do know is even with 19 years lead time, I doubt we could have killed this asteroid.
Anyone who wants a better idea of the kind of problem something like this can create should read Thunderstrike! by Michael McCollum. Besides being a decent sci-fi book, it discusses many ways of deflecting this kind of thing. Orbital Modification (basically slowing or speeding up the rock so it will not hit us...we speed by before it gets to where it would hit us.....), Destruction, and bringing it into orbit for mining are all in the novel. While, I know it is fiction, but how may things just in our lifetimes have been science fiction at some point? Maybe the device I am typing on now?? Point is, there is a very real danger. Sure, not as much of a danger as us being in a car accident or something, but there is a danger and it should definitely be looked at. Total extinction is something we can fight. The Dinosaurs did not have the brains to do this. We have the brains and with enough time, the means to get something done. Just starting this project after one is discovered though may not be enough time to get things done.
Sometimes things should just be done for the sake of humanity and not for money. There is scientific proof that this will happen and has happened in the past. More proof then the global warming folks have anyway.
I don't believe the OS is Java based. I think it's Java enabled. Meaning, one could write Java applications and download them to the phone. Motorola has their own OS for these(I believe it's called iDEN). The i95cl, i85 and all NEXTEL phones have had this since the i50s came out (except color).
The threat is known, it's orbit watched and we have 60+ years to do something about it. Even with as little as 5 years and a more precise trajectory, I'm sure we could build something riduculously nasty to introduce it to... A government in panic mode can do a lot of things in that time, devoting all it's resources to survival.
This is no more evident then the reconstruction of the Pentagon. It's pretty much complete by the way. Just saw it yesterday.
Yep! I was about to say this. Kodak's DCS line are just digital cameras based in SLR bodies. This is not what Silcon Film has been vaporizing. Silicon Film is a cool concept, but I think not having the LCD is a disadvantage. LCD's are great for seeing if you need to snap another pic quick because you screwed up the framing and cut someone's head off.
Bluetooth tanking? I think it's about to take off. The Ericsson T68 has it as well as PDA's, printers and other devices. I remember when people said the same thing about USB and then, Apple brought out the iMac with NO legacy stuff. BOOM....USB took off. Now, Apple has brought out iSync which will sync your computer with your PDA (Palm only....grumble), your cell phone and other devices using SyncML. Bluetooth will now explode. Bluetooth isn't for networking. It's for Personal LANs. It could be used to connect your printer that's in a better place across the room, or it could be used to keep your headset connected with your cellphone. It has the chance to make wires for things such as PDA's and Cellphones (well except for power) non existant. No, I don't think it's tanking....I think it's ready for take off. And YOU KNOW Microsoft can't stand for Apple to be on top in something. My prediction, Activesync will become SyncML compatible and it will work with phones now and not only syncing over Bluetooth, but 802.11b as well (why can't I do this now??).
Nah they reveal their SSID's on my car every morning. So they are insecure,
Amen to that! Sheesh! I thought it would never be released!
That may be true, but why advertise? Broadcasting the SSID is like saying look at me! I have a wirless network! Also, there's one thing that I always do when I leave for a extended period of time (a week or so)....I turn off the radio. Problem solved. BTW, I didn't use Netstumbler. I used the app builtin to my handheld. This is a layer that one has to go thru, and not a full security solution. All the layers put together is your whole solution. Should WiFi be stronger in it's security? Hell yeah, but no matter how much network security you have someone will always be able to break it. Not broadcasting the SSID is something that should be done. If it was a big deal to implement, well, maybe not but it isn't. I agree with him. Besides, Script Kiddies aren't likely to know enough or be able to get some of the tools they need to crack these things. Those are the one's I am more afraid of. Not saying that they don't have the knowledge...some don't and some do, but it adds another thing they have to do to get thru.
Another aside, how many clueless admins will not even change the routers/ap's default password (admin on Linksys).
You know I thought this when I first read it, but now I know better! ;) No, I didn't get owned and noone got access to my network, but this is security you can see. When you turn the broadcast off, then the SSID isn't transmitted (well duh) and, also, even on clients that do have a matching SSID, you will not see the AP in your handheld's Wireless app, but you will see it is on the network. This makes it easy for some warchalkers and crackers to just pass it on by. Especially ones who have no idea why a WiFi AP would be installed in say a unassuming house in suburbia. Why investigate every house and business when you just have to look for all of the clueless folks who broadcast their SSID.
Boy can't add eh? Look and add all of the temp ranges and you shall see 6,291 have air conditioning and keep in in some crazy ranges. I don't like my house like an ice box, so I have to say that I am in the 73-76 range. I applaud those who have there's greater then 80, but BOY I bet they have shweaty balls and boobs (geek girls too ya know!).
Um...u pay to see ads every day if you are a cable subscriber and sometimes in more ways then one (pop up ads thru road runner any one??).
Oh Pocket PC 2002 (CE 3.0 based) is MUCH better then WinCE 2.11. It has a whole new look and every thing is much better then the crud that was 2.11. To make a note, I poke at the start menu, and it's right there. Two pokes!:) Also, any app you have used recently has an icon at the top of the start menu. Also, you can close them, but that really just puts them in background. You can use WISbar to do a true program close, or use the memory applet under settings. One thing I like about some apps is some are putting a exit action on a menu that closes the app (PocketTV and several others....). It's real important to manage how many apps you are running so your PDA does nto bog down. It would have been real nice if Microsoft would have listened to the user here. Sure, they say it will automatically close the apps as it needs resources, but I don't trust it. Current Pocket PC's are very good compared to the old WinCE. Sure, it may not be a Zaurus running Linux, but at least you can get apps for it (instead of having to write all of your own...you can still write programs, but you'd use eVB or eC++).
Yep. RPMfind is your friend! Plugged in Limewire and found the following:
:) ).
Found 2 RPMs for limewire
limewire-2.0.2-1.src.rpm
limewire-2.0.2-1.noarch.rpm
The Summary was as follows for both rpm's:
Ad-free client for the Gnutella peer-to-peer file sharing system.
As for KMerlin, I could not find any. If I had a Redhat or Mandrake system I would try to figure out what I'd need to build the spec file htne build an RPM, but right now I am happy doing what I have bene doing and My Redhat or Mandrake system can wait.
I tried. But he refused and said that he could do it alone.
Boy that guy is a stubborn person. This is like learning everything all over again. It really is for folks like this who have learned Windows/DOS a long time ago. Some people can't apply then learn the differences as well as most of the Slashdot readership. That guy must have been a MCSE or something. He can't admit that another OS can be better if it does things differently. Oh and he needs to clue himself in about companies using Linux (from the earlier post)....of course Linux use is spreading to more companies everyday (Xerox uses it in some printers now I understand). This guy also thinks he knows computers because he can grok Windows. If all you know is Windows, well, you don't know much. My MOM knows Windows and she would not know where to start with Linux (what's a login....what's root?).
Now for the FAT32 thing...I was going to say something about the security and whether permissions work properly, but I am not sure and I can't find the answer, so I won't guess! In the case of your friend, I don't think it would have been much of an issue as he'd probably be in Windows 50-60 percent of the time as he was learning it. If it was a permanent thing, then of course you would not run fat32. Of course I would not know as I don't run FAT32 for Linux but more for speed then security.
Your friend wasn't ready for it to begin with. It was nice he tried! I am glad you found someone else to help. Now, for me, I am going to try and find a machine I can dedicate to Linux (No DUAL BOOT! I hate it...it sucks). Next after that I intend to find a RS/6000 (for AIX....Love AIX!
Yes and you shouldo it THE RIGHT WAY. First off, one mistake you mad was installing/showing him something that needed to be compiled instead of sticking to binaries. Users do not want to compile their software. They want to use it. If KMerlin was not available in a RPM (PLEASE....use RPM on Mandrake and Redhat.....installing from source makes the file system a total mess...never mind when he trys to uninstall it.), use something else, or MAKE a RPM for him. I used ccMSN (Not sure if it had a RPM available or not). Going outside a Distros or a UNIX's packaging system should never ever be done on a desktop system unless there is no other way (and for the developers, why don't you MAKE a RPM????).
./configure && make, su then make install. Sometimes by doing that, you miss the important stuff telling you that you must have x installed or y not installed. It may have provided insight to why you were having your problem. Best of all, you build good habits in him. Tell him use a RPM or DEB (if Debian) all the itme if possible and only use a tarball when the need is dire or there is no other way. You will have a much more manageble system for a new user.
As far not being able to see the Linux partitions in a dual boot situation.....how about installing on a FAT32 file system?? I know, it should not be done that way, but it would have worked well for this guy and he would have been able to see his home directory on Windows and Linux.
Video on Linux, well, with exceptions of Ogle and maybe xaw, well, it sucks. I even think Ogle was not the greatest ( I think I had a RPM for it.), but it worked for me.Windows is Leaps and bounds ahead of Linux here. You can't even see Quicktime on Linux, although that's not the community's help for lack of trying (Sorenson CODEC anyone?).
Limewire.....why is there not a binary RPM for this??? I found a SRC rpm, but nothing compiled. Also, in trying to get his Limewire to work, you probably blitzed the Kaffe installation he may have needed for Java! NEVER just rm the directory until you look into why it was there in the first place. If it's an empty directory, well, thats one thing. If there's stuff in there you just broke a whole lot of stuff.
I have no idea what your Linux experience is. If it is extensive, your post sure did not show that. I don't mean to sound like I am flaming you, but you have to help these folks and do things the right way FIRST. Then, when that doesn't work, only do you try the hacker way (and teach him by displaying the read me.....don't just blindly
Also, and I am going to probably follow this rule as well eventually, but never install Linux on the same machine when the main produciton was occuring on Windows. Set this up with the intention that he would LEARN on this system, and only use it if he's not trying to get something done. Dual booting sucks(and is cool all at the same time) and if all he has to do is login, well, that will improve his opinion drastically. If he has cable modem service, set both machines up on a Cable/DSL router. Setup Apache and show him how he can test web pages internally (no servers on RR ya know). Actually SPEND a evening a week with him and TEACH him how to use it. If he asks why and you say it's just done that way, that's not acceptable. Find out WHY Linux does it the way it does, and tell him (if you can). Don't just install it and try to instruct him on the phone and in e-mail. Maybe you'd have had a Linux lover on your hands instead of a hater.
Yeah. No more new laws concerning cell phones or wireless. Wireless equipment can be used safely and effectively for many things in a car.....GPS based way of delivering online maps (onboard computer pulls up new maps when traveling), it could also be used for regular web surfing too. But we ALREADY have laws on the books for distracted driving (what you are when your gabbing on the phone and driving at the same time). We should probably increase the fine butt loads for those who are multiple offenders of distracted driving and those who cause a death because of it. I am sorry to hear about your friends father, but making a new law making it unlawful to use cell phones and wireless internet in a car is not going to bring him back or save lives. People will continue to be assholes.
By the way, you mention the Zealot Attractor factor as a Pro -- I'd call it a Con. The average WalMart associate is going to be more likely to think the geeky guy hanging out in the electronics section is looking to swipe something than be grateful for his help selling PCs.
Which brings up my number one pet peeve about walking into any store that carries computer anything or even Radio Shack now (unfortunately). When I go to these places, I know EXACTLY what I am looking for and I go in, go to where it is (by reading the freaking signs), I get it, I pay, I walk out. How come the freaking clueless blueshirts insist on talking to me or asking if I need help? Go back to your l33t talk with your buds about Quake and let me get my stuff and get out of here. Did I ask for your help? Did I ask your opinion on which video card I should get (usually cuz they thing I should spend lots of bucks on the piece o shit card of the week instead of the Nvidia card I have in my hand). When I do ask you something, if you don't know, then don't try and tell me you think it will work. Tell me you don't know. I'll say thank you and leave you alone. Don't try to sell me something I don't want! I remember walking up to someone who was so confused right after a salesman walked away to check on something...I ask that person what did they want to do. They tell me I only want to do internet and chat and maybe type up my resume and they are selling me this $$$$ machine...do you think it's ok? Usually, they point out a machine fine for, well, geeks like us, or a machine that's underpowered even for today's stuff. I point them to the correct machine (one which will do what they want, not one with all kind of toys like we'd like, and will not cost them an arm and a leg). They buy it. They go home. They are happy. They also won't buy without me or another computer friend again. These guys working at CompUSA and Best Buy almost all worked at a Grocery store last week. They are the rice boy equivalent to geeks. They think that PC over there is nice cuz of the case! Well, they don't know jack and I wish they'd just leave me alone when I go to make my purchases, or at least HELP ME GET my purchases instead of chatting with yer buds that work there. Honestly the Quake/SOF/PS/2 talk can wait 5 minutes while you grab a hard disk for me.
Yes but if Handspring does not release a ROM update having it doesn't really do you any good does it?
Joel
Which won't work for scanners dude. You don't even have to do that for printers. I never said it should be enabled by default. If there's no better way to do it then it should stay as is. What I am saying is that there should be a better, more secure way to do it in the first place. The way it is now, you have to do this to let a non root user to use a parallel port scanner. Then your security depends on saned not having a buffer overflow. I don't have this problem with Windows or on a Mac. It just works. It's little problems like this that stop me from using Linux for anything but a server. There's more then that, but this is a big one that would make me happy if it would go away.
You can set the SUID bit on the program that accesses the parallel port directly, and make sure it is owned by root.
;) That will get her trained for when I do go Linux (when she quits her job...then we really would not need it except for somethings...).
chmod u+s file
It will run as root then, and could represent a local security hole, but that's the compromise you make for direct access to the hardware as a normal user in any case.
OK, and why would I want to create this local hole? That is again a great example of what is wrong with Linux. GRANTED, I realize security is good (I am a AIX Sysadmin....), but would this really break many things if it was just allowed? The user is allowed to acess the Monitor, the mouse, the keyboard, parts of the hard disk, all of the rest of the hardware, but why not the parallell port AND by default?? I know, XP has a similar problem if a proper driver isn't written (why it took until XP was done to get games to truely work on the NT kernel). A desktop user isn't going to know to change the SUID bit. I know how to do it too, but I also know the pitfalls of doing it and would never do it even on my home system. It's stupid and should never have to be done to get hardware to work. What happens if this local hole is discovered by a user (maybe a Linux system setup in a library, being accessed by a hacker)?? Mayhem is what would happen. Maybe it wouldn't, but are you going to take the chance?? I don't think anyone is asking for better hardware support. Linux is getting better everyday in this respect. I don't have time (or a machine available....yet!) to use it as a desktop. It will most likely be moved on my home network in a server capacity as I know this is a strength of it right now. I do believe in Linux and Like it, it's just not going to be running my desktop for a little while yet. Heck my wife even likes the dumb games that come with it (Gnibbles is her favorite). One thing I like about XP is I finally taught her why it's good to have signon's. She can have her wallpaper and theme and I can have mine...stupid reason, but that's the best thing she likes about it!
Um, because you can't find a tech at 4 am to fix that printer that won't print that's connected properly and mostly configured properly except for that config file is missing one semicolon or whatever. That's what you'd need on Linux unless you had knowledge yourself. If your car has a flat, most drivers can manage to get the spare on. The car analogy is bad. Most little car problems can be fixed by just about anyone. Sometimes little computer problems can't be fixed unless you talk to the developer. A good example is my printer example. You can now if you are in a pinch and your printer dies, you can buy a new printer 24/7 in my area (Meijer and Walmart has em as well as zip drives, CD-R blanks and some emergency type things for computers...no, no MB's yet!). Now at 4 am you go to print that Master's Thesis due at 9 am, but that new printer (most likely a winprinter) does not work. You can't call your Linux guru cuz he's in bed (just turned in BTW...you see I know hacker's just go to sleep at 4! ;) ). What do you do? Well, you fail. On windows, you just insert the disk that came with it or you download the newest driver and your done. Your paper is printed and you get your master's degree. Why can't Linux do that? Do sysadmins and hackers really have time to make a new driver in a pinch situation? That's what would have to be done if there's no driver for the printer. Is this the hacker's fault? Well, sometimes. Sometimes it's the manufacturer's fault as well (won't give up the specs or whatever). This is why if I had to choose a NIX based OS, I'd probably choose OS/X now. I don't have the time to fix little things when it doesn't work. I just want that printer to print dammit and I don't want to have to edit 5 text files and recompile something to do it! Again, to the coder's who say well learn how to code, well, bite me. You should have wrote it right in the first place, or at least show an effort to make it usable by mear mortals or heck even tech support folks.
THANK YOU! Exactly my point! If your going to have Anti Aliased fonts then dadgummit make it easy to use by god! I don't mind delving a text file for sendmail.....at least you'd feel good if you got sendmail to work....antialiasing, well, just looks, um, nicer, but doesn't really do anything productive like sendmail does.....it just makes it look better. I can put up with the ugly text. I can't put up with a no working mailserver so into the text file I go! :)
Yeah. I didn't see him asking us to remove anything (except maybe the default install) or cyhange the filesystem. While I agree with some of the things, some he does have wrong if Linux is to remain like it is...jack of all trades, master of none unless you really know what your doing.
Take printing for example. Printing is a &^$%*&^ bitch! While I like postscript, it's still a freaking pain in the butt to print.
Oh and one he didn't mention but is my favorite beef is scanners. I have a parallel port scanner currently and I cannot get the thing to work reliably under Linux at all. Also, since the driver accesses the parallel port directly, you must be root to make a scan and that's bullshit.
Sure, you may say if you don't like it, write some code. Well, I am sorry, but Linux has grown up and has to be used and configured by people who....GASP....can't code. So, to Linux developers, you need to THINK about useability things the next time you write something (especially if you work for Red Hat or a distro....). EVEN programmers and sysadmins don't want to necessarily work for a week to get a damn printer to work when it just works right under Windows and on OS/X.
Also, X is nice and has a lot of good things, and in my opinion...is getting better. We don't need to drastically change it, but just tweak it some more. For example, make it dead easy to add new fonts (sorry, Mandrake's solution isn't easy...yet) and changing screen resolutions and for god sakes work with the printer hackers to make thos TrueType fonts PRINT! So what if the wm can see em, that's only half of it. The other is being able to produce a document on a printer with nice looking fonts. If the WM can see it, that's good, but not very useful if the print server or app can't use em! Also, one problem I have when booting Linux on my system is after the kernel loads, my screen blanks out until X loads. I think this is a framebuffer issue, but you got me on how to fix it. I have tried and tried and went to IRC and even had some help there, but I still can't see boot messages until after and sometimes what you want to see is not in dmesg.
Networking is fine under Linux, don't change it much. His complaint about Filesharing I don't agree with. I WANT to make it a chore to do because I WANT the thing to be secure. Just having the ability to chare your whole C drive on Windows machines is a mistake that should not happen, but is very easy to do (well, on older Windows machines....XP bitched a storm when I accidently tried to do it then I thought well, better not do that anyway!;) ).
Games I don't need so much on Linux. I mainly use Linux to do work, not play, but I do play sometimes. Tux Racer is a surprisingly good game! So is the Lemmings clone (don't remember the name, but it's like Lemmings, but with Penguins). Somepeople need gamnes though, so I agree with that.
Some things he says are fixed, I don't agree with. I don't need or want Microsoft Office. What I think should be done by every one is to DECIDE on a STANDARD office memo, letter file format. If everyone used the same file format, then I could create a doc in Open Office and open it in Word with NO CONVERSION! Proprietary standards need to go with Word processing and Spreadsheets especially. Databases and Presentation software being inter compatible is not entirely necessary, although most Databases support ODBC now, so it can happen there too. If just the Word Processing and Spreadsheets could be read by every wordprocessor and spreadsheet program, then they could add things that could help you format and generate the file instead of proprietary things in file formatting. So if that was done, we'd need no MS Office. We could then create files in Linux, AIX, OS/X, BSD or whatever using Open Office and then a Windows user could read it with Office.
Right now, I don't have time to screw with Linux. I would rather buy a used RS/6000 and have it at home so I could test things at home for work. If I did need a server, and I might be setting one up soon, I would use Linux and install NO X, just use it as a file server, and internal webserver at home. Don't get me wrong, I like Linux and want to use it, but when just doing BASIC things under Linux is a pain, well, it makes me long for Windows as wrong as that may be!