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Comment Welcome to Debian SID (unstable) (Score 1) 246

by gfolkert (#34332866) Attached to: Ubuntu May Move To Rolling Releases
I've been using Debian Sid for years, on all of my servers that aren't under contract.

I've also been using it on my desktops since *forever*

I've been using it on my laptops since about 2004.

I've had a total of a couple of hours of limited functionality, between my laptops and desktops. X barfs or my primary Desktop (Gnome or KDE) gets horked for a bit. I move to XFCE or andother Window Manager.

Servers have been rock solid except for a short time when the whole udev/hald/something changed its rules on how my NICs were named... no longer were they eth0/1/2 but eth4/5/6... Hurrah. Debian Sid is going mainstream.

Comment Re:Serious first post (Score 1) 230

by gfolkert (#34109710) Attached to: Serious Security Bugs Found In Android Kernel
Did you read TFA?

They said that the level of bugs per 1000 lines is very much less than half the "normal" amount. Though yes more than the Linux kernel itself, but some of the bugs were already addressed before release. I'd like to see *YOU* do better with getting the OS on a Mobil Device.

I mean, come on, exactly how is a remote exploit (quite a few of the bugs are this type) going to happen on these phones when these things don't even listen on what is typically expected on the "network" and then even if it does, its typically been "rooted" (and they should get all they have coming to them if they don't know why they rooted and expect it to behave just like a non-rooted one) and even then... at least on Verizon doesn't allow any connection listening services on its "mobile" ip address ranges in any case.


How about Apple let Coverity do the same run down on iOS? Never happen, at least with public results.
Better yet, Windows Phone 7? Hah... never happen period.
Nokia's stuff? better chance of winning the Mega Lottery.
Businesses

Game Prices — a Historical Perspective 225

Posted by Soulskill from the all-about-the-benjamins dept.
The Opposable Thumbs blog scrutinizes the common wisdom that video games are too expensive, or that they're more expensive than they were in the past. They found that while in some cases the sticker price has increased, it generally hasn't outpaced inflation, making 2010 a cheaper time to be a gamer than the '80s and '90s. Quoting: "... we tracked down a press release putting the suggested retail price of both Mario 64 and Pilotwings 64 at $69.99. [Hal Halpin, president of the Entertainment Consumer's Association] says that the N64 launch game pricing only tells you part of the story. 'Yes, some N64 games retailed for as high as $80, but it was also the high end of a 60 to 80 dollar range,' he told Ars. 'Retailers had more flexibility with pricing back then — though they've consistently maintained that the Suggested Retail Price was/is just a guide. Adjusted for inflation, we're generally paying less now than we have historically. But to be fair, DLC isn't factored in.' He also points out all the different ways that we can now access games: you can buy a game used, rent a game, or play certain online games for free. There are multiple ways to sell your old console games, and the competition in the market causes prices to fall quickly."

Comment Release it. This is old hat. (Score 2, Interesting) 600

by gfolkert (#30286574) Attached to: Ethics of Releasing Non-Malicious Linux Malware?

I'm sorry, but running userland "daemons" is child's play. This has been around for EONs. Please don't think you have something new here.

You problem here is that, you idea will only affect the *USER* environment, not the machine. Anything you run or install into the user environment will be bound by the standard user accounts everyone should be running as, without privileges (such as root/super user)

This separate the privileges from the user and the system quite well and delineates it.

Lets compare Windows and *NIX (in general):

Windows, I can send you and e-mail and you standard user just looks at my e-mail and via ActiveX can leverage a 10 year old exploit to install a service as a *SYSTEM ACCOUNT*. This means my process then has full access to the system... Possibly being able to wipe out the machine period, or use it for a launching pad to send out e-mails to other accounts on the system or other account in any address book or just grab your passwords (probably being abcd1234 or password or or what have you (Think Sarah Palin's Yahoo account... wooo really good password there)) for your Bank account. Its very much *THAT* simple, no stupidity involved.

Now, if for some reason ActiveX is disabled, I can just tell you how important the Microsoft update is and it needs to be run... and how you *MUST* forward it to your friends so they can be safe... Sheeple are gullible and will never be safe from this stupidity.

Now speaking of stupidity, its really the only way Linux/*NIX/*BSDs will be compromised... even then most likely only the *user's* data will be flogged. Not the whole system. Now, let us just say *I* download and run your program/update/shell/python script/perl script/etc... Sure it downloads and installs the BOINC daemon and runs in the background... to be honest who cares. Any program you run or have running to capture data from the user will only affect the *USER* not the whole system. Separation of privileges is pure and simple why the *NIX systems will not seriously fall prey to these kinds of things. And to be honest, unless you install a persistent AT job for the BOINC daemon to start or at the very least a cronjob that runs every minute... a reboot will kill your pitiful attempt.

Comment Its not the HARDWARE COST. (Score 1) 863

by gfolkert (#29823147) Attached to: IBM's Answer To Windows 7 Is Ubuntu Linux

$2K is the cost of deployment, helpdesk calls, user confusion, lost proficiency, annoyance factor and other various sundry of items.

$2K IMO is a low ball, especially since many companies are going to be coming from WinXP or Earlier (many still use Win2K and Win9X).

This means about 10+ hours (not at employee pay rates, but fully realized Employee cost rates) per machine/employee, plus the re-training syndrome due to "change".

So, remember you FANBOIs (including Fan boys and Fan girls), just because its the newest version of Windows, doesn't mean its easy. Its not for 80% of the embedded workforce using the machines. Change a menu or how its presented, or change a location or add new entry that replaces another (with same functionality but different name) or a different look of the interface... and the helpdesk lights up. I've seen it happen when we change to an updated widget that displays the EXACT SAME INFO in the same dialog, but now that it uses your "system color theme" rather than our color scheme... users get confused, they don't need/want change. They do the same job day in day out.

You'll have complaining at the drinking fountain or browsing while in queue... (lost time and productivity not withstanding)

Think a bit more broadly and you'll see the whole picture.

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