Discussions

Funny.  All this in response to a publicly held contest to produce a video clip themed "We're Linux".  Nowhere in the description at Linux Foundation does it state it is an advert or ad campaign.  Go to Linux Foundation, view the winner and runner up, then come back and have some useful criticism.

matthews said:

Ubuntu said:

*snip*

Compared to how many different incompatible distros and kernel versions? Suprising as it may be to you, Win32 is really the only platform you need to target on Windows unless your app needs more than 4GB of address space. If you do, than you probably have the resources to handle the cost of compiling a 64-bit version (better yet just target .NET).

matthew said:

Compared to how many different incompatible distros and kernel versions?

The difference being that individual GNU+Linux users can ignore the existence of other distributions and kernel versions, going to bed happy in the knowledge that the developers of their system de jour are not wasting time managing packages for anyone other than themselves.  For however many forks of Windows, there will be a subset of code that has to get maintenance for every branch.  So until Microsoft can manage to reclaim the glory of XP in a subsequent release of the system, Windows users are going to have to put up with a developer that has divided attention.

bureX said:

Ubuntu said:

*snip*

After the download, there is one more box that will ask you to confirm your action. I think it's quite enough.

How can you be sure it's safe?

- Software signing

- Smart screen filter (IE), or an equivalent in Firefox, Chrome, etc.

- Your sanity (e.g. you just downloaded an application that will allow you to earn 100$ per day)

What can Windows do to make your software run safely?

- DEP

- System file protection

- UAC

What can software developers do to make sure they don't require any additional security measures?

- Stop dumping files in \windows, \windows\system32, etc., just stick to their own designated folder

- Avoid calling priviledged API instructions

- Do more testing in various scenarios

My point is... Linux is not more secure than Windows and hiding behind its tiny market share and presenting it as a security feature is a really dumb thing to do.

What I agree with:

- The registry is no place for ordinary apps. Only windows should use it as it's internal configuration settings database. Let ordinary apps access only their designated Program Files\WhateverSoft folder and put any configuration settings over there. If the app wants to invoke itself on startup, it has to call the API Function e.g. "whateverInvokeAtStartup()" which will ask the user if that really is what the user wants and only then edit the registry accordingly (not by the app, but by Windows).

- UAC shouldn't be so "EEEEEGH EEEEEGH WARNING ACHTUNG!" to turn off Aero and consume the entire screen just to allow one app to do what it needs to.

My point is... Linux is not more secure than Windows and hiding behind its tiny market share and presenting it as a security feature is a really dumb thing to do.

Assuming that the desktop install base alone is representative of all machines running GNU+Linux that are connected to the Internet is a really dumb thing to do.  There always has been a significant enough number of GNU+Linux systems running servers to warrant at least the same amount of attention by crackers as Windows has.

Ubuntu said:

k2t0f12d said:

*snip*

Although a card that doesn't need firmware and is 100% FSF would have been better, there was absolutely nothing technical preventing the cards from working.

What prevented the cards from working is that their firmware is proprietary therefore it's ILLEGAL to include it together with the drivers in the Linux kernel just as it's ILLEGAL (in some countries) to include MP3 or DVD playback capability in an OS without paying the licenses to certain organizations - this way Windows for a long time didn't have MP3 playback and even Windows XP SP3 doesn't have DVD playback unless your install 3rd party software.

Ubuntu said:

... their firmware is proprietary therefore it's ILLEGAL to include it together with the drivers in the Linux kernel just as it's ILLEGAL (in some countries) to include MP3 or DVD playback capability in an OS without paying the licenses to certain organizations. ...

Yes, I know all that.  And it isn't always true that firmware is illegal to redistribute, otherwise there would be no linux-libre.  Legality is the wrong emphasis to make.  Laws change.  Usually sold at top dollar under the direction of corporations for the worse and to the detriment of the citizenry, and only occasionally for the better.  But they do change.

Redistribution is part of the real problem, since it is intolerable to prevent people from sharing, which is an essential freedom regarding functional works.  The worst thing with this issue is that source code is not given.  Without source you cannot study or modify, fix bugs, or even verify what the program is really doing.  That is why a 100% FSF card would be better to have.

GoddersUK said:

Bas said:

*snip*

Heretic.

Windows


Apple


GNU+Linux

Dr Herbie said:

You mean he actually bowed? Doesn't he know he's the President of the USA?  I mean, he's actually being polite and showing some humility!  How dare he. The USA has a reputation for arrogance to uphold abroad; he's going to spoil it!

I acutally read one report that he 'prostrated himself'.  Come one, people are just sitting there trying to think of things to criticise him for and this was a bit weak.

Herbie

Why bow?  No one had even thrown a shoe at him yet!

I just bought two wireless pci adaptors, more or less at random from trade.co.nz, and loaded them up under Fedora 10 and Archlinux.

Card 1 is an ASUS WL-138G V2.  The kernel module loaded automatically as soon as the card was in and the computer was booted; however, ifconfig would not bring the device up.  It output the error SIOCSIFFLAGS: no such file or directory.  Downloading firmware required by the card and installing it corrected the problem (which were the file(s) SIOCSIFFLAGS was discovering missing).

It uses the b43 module and of course, requires firmware.

Card 2 is an Ovislink AirLive WT-2000PCI.  Same problem..same solution.

It uses the rt61pci (rt2x00) kernel module, and is one of the two known Ralink card types that also require firmware.


Even at random and with no previous compatibility research I was unable to get a card that doesn't function under a modern Linux kernel.  Although a card that doesn't need firmware and is 100% FSF would have been better, there was absolutely nothing technical preventing the cards from working.

Moodzulu said:

k2t0f12d said:

*snip*

Ok then, its about time that the choir started maybe singing something worth listening to and articulating the words so that people will hear what they are singing. Speaking for myself, I hear nothing, just a load of amateurs all singing way off tune.

By the way what are your views on the "white- space" and the "universal information system" and someone called Mr.Urgo Diamu.

Interesting, interesting, and fascinating 

Moodzulu said:

k2t0f12d said:

*snip*

Ofcourse change wont come overnight, but we have to start somewhere. We have to change the way we educate our children and it is from them that change will come. We have now to be able to radically change the way we think and really start to think outside the box. 

When future generations look back at where we are today in our so called "civilized world",  they will find it hard to comprehend our stupidity.

Speaking for myself, you are preaching to the choir.

Moodzulu said:

Bigtent said:

*snip*

Imagine  is how the human race has progressed. One day it wil be just as John Lennon imagined.

Once we start thinking in different and new ways instead of the ways we have so far been made to think, then this will happen.

When we start to listen to what a man such as Jaques Fresco has to say, and learn from his wisdom and start to think about things the way he does, we will realize such things.

You couldn't replace the existing system overnight without causing a lot of destruction and havoc to society.  Instead, you should do is slowly, toppling over one power structure at a time whilst savouring the moment.