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Submission + - The 10 Commandments for New Linux Users (linuxbraindump.org) 2

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: Thou shalt not log in as root. Use "sudo" or "su -" for administrative tasks. That's how it starts. The rest are at Linux Brain Dump. How does the Slashdot community feel about these commandments? Should new users adhere to these guidelines? Do you have other suggestions?
Programming

Submission + - AJAX-Solutions For Professional Coding: Reviewed (smashingmagazine.com)

Submitted by Vitaly Friedman
Vitaly Friedman writes: Web-developers can create amazing web-applications with AJAX. Netvibes, GMail and dozens of further web-projects offer a new level of interactivity we've used to give up the idea of. Modern web-applications can be designed with enhanced user interfaces and functionalities, which used to be the privelege of professional desktop-applications. AJAX makes it possible to create more interactive, more responsive and more flexible web-solutions. The article 80+ AJAX-Solutions For Professional Coding presents over 90 useful AJAX-based techniques. Auto-completion, instant field editing, menus, calendars, interactive elements, visual effects, animation, basic javascripts, as well as an extensive develope's suite.
Security

Submission + - Someone Might Be Trying to Hack My Accounts

Submitted by aplusjimages
aplusjimages writes: I think I have someone trying to hack into my forum accounts that I have throughout the Internets. I've had 2 different forums email me that my account has been temporarily locked because someone has been trying, but failed to login to my account. Both forums have given me the IP Address 70.86.138.114. My question is what should I do about this? Both protection wise and possible retaliation wise. Thanks.
Hardware Hacking

Submission + - Flaws in ARM and XScale (and likely PowerPC)

Submitted by V4Vendetta
V4Vendetta writes: Barnaby Jack developed a method for exploiting certain NULL pointer dereferences on the ARM and XScale architectures (and likely PowerPC).

In general, NULL pointer dereference flaws are considered non-exploitable. On the XScale and ARM architectures the memory address 0 is mapped, and also holds the exception vector table. The exception vector table is a set of branch instructions that correspond to different exceptions, such as software and hardware interrupts. When a case arises that writes to the 0 address with user-defined source data, it is possible to gain execution control by rewriting the exception table.

This method affects a lot of devices since most mobile phones and PDA are ARM based (iPhone?), and high-end routers often use the XScale architecture. The PowerPC architecture (used by Nintendo Wii, XBox360 and Playstation 3) also stores the vector table at a low address, and is likely vulnerable to this same attack.

This attack is more reliable than a remote stack overflow, due to the fact that no offsets are required. You will always be writing to address 0. The only data needed by an attacker is a copy of the vector table, which can be acquired by downloading and reversing the targets firmware. As embedded exploitation is still in its infancy, I don't foresee a worm in the very near future — but yes, if a worm was targeting embedded devices, this would be a reliable attack vector.
Patents

Submission + - Five Things Every Software Developer Should Know (saperlaw.com)

Submitted by BBrown
BBrown writes: Saper Law Offices, the same Chicago law firm that has been mentioned here twice before for their successes against the RIAA, has posted a blog article on the legal issues surrounding software development. The article, titled "Five Things Every Software Developer Should Know", gives a concise but informative legal tutorial on patents, trademarks, and trade secrets. Definitely a must-read for anybody involved in a small or personal business doing software development.
Enlightenment

Submission + - Father of scientific climatology says "hooey&#

Submitted by Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes: "Reid Bryson, known as the father of scientific climatology, considers global warming a bunch of hooey.

The UW-Madison professor emeritus, who stands against the scientific consensus on this issue, is referred to as a global warming skeptic. But he is not skeptical that global warming exists, he is just doubtful that humans are the cause of it."

Bryson didn't see Al Gore's movie about global warming, "An Inconvenient Truth."

"Don't make me throw up," he said. "It is not science. It is not true."

http://www.madison.com/tct/mad/topstories/197613
Businesses

Submission + - Is cash no longer legal tender? (uic.edu)

Submitted by
An anonymous reader writes: I attend the University of Illinois at Chicago. Last semester my housing arrangements went smoothly. I put down my application fee, and my deposit just fine, got a room for the semester and life went on. This semester, because there was supposedly a large number of students who did not check into their rooms last semester, we were required to make a $100 prepayment, in addition to the application fee and deposit. No problem, I think, I see the university is trying to make a quick buck off people who don't follow through with their plans. Now I do NOT have a checking account, a credit card, or anything. I am one of the few people who do EVERYTHING in cash. I don't trust the banks, I don't trust credit card companies. I also had a trip planned for out of the country, so I get my cash, and on my way to the airport, I stop by the housing office to make my prepayment. They refuse to take cash. They will not charge my university account (so I can pay the bursar or whoever I need to) in cash, and they want a check or money order. Nowhere in their letter did they say that. I fear out of technicality I am going to loose my housing since I cannot get them their money on time because they do not take cash. Is it legal for a state-owned university, let alone any business to not take legal tender?
Operating Systems

Submission + - Running Linux and Windows apps simultaneously

Submitted by
Kamen Tomov
Kamen Tomov writes: "I currently use Windows XP on the desktop and run Linux prorams on a remote machine. What virtualization and remote desktop software should I install to be able to run Linux on the same computer and to have Linux client-side applications on the Windows desktop? Should I run Linux under Windows or Windows under Linux will be better? I have a CPU that supports virtualization and 2GB of RAM."
Music

Submission + - EFF-An Update on the Innards of iTunes Plus Files

Submitted by sehlat
sehlat writes: The Electronic Frontier Foundation has been investigating the innards of iTunes-plus files. Last week, they reported on additional information apparently contained in the tracks over and above the music content itself.

This week they have published an update on their findings. Some of the mystery information appears to be cover art. However, they do mention:

While there are no watermarks, there are some other interesting fields that are likley to have privacy implications. In particular, there is a 1024 bit variant field labeled sign and a 630 byte variant field labeled chtb. These are unique for every combination of user and track we've seen. Neither of these fields existed in the FairPlay DRMed .m4p tracks that Apple has been selling in the past.
Programming

Submission + - 10 Things to Know When Starting A Facebook Applica (experienceproject.com)

Submitted by
nsheth2001
nsheth2001 writes: "By releasing a development platform, Facebook's enabled developers to create some amazing applications riding off their social network. It's not too hard to get an application of your own up and running, but it's nice to have some help, as the documentation's not complete. Here are a few tips to help you get started!"
Software

Submission + - Disable init of a service under linux:

Submitted by Tribbin
Tribbin writes: .
Disable init of a service under linux:

- X front-end (services-admin)
- ncurses font-end (sysv-rc-conf)
- terminal front-end (update-rc.d)
- Uninstall the package
- chmod a-x /etc/init.d/
- Edit the initscript
- Any of the above will do
- Reinstall the distribution
- Let somebody else do it
- Other
- This poll has way too many options
Software

Submission + - Windows, OS X and Linux: Is There A 4th Platform?

Submitted by
OOPen
OOPen writes: "An article on OSWeekly.com talks about a fourth platform. Something other than OS X, Linux and Windows and why these three platforms don't allow a fourth contender to enter. "On the other side of this issue, it's easy to just say that Microsoft isn't in a hurry to make Apple's products work well with its operating system, but if you'll remember, Microsoft's own Zune was incompatible with Vista from the very start. If they can't even get their own stuff to work right out of the box, then how in the world are we supposed to expect them to get everything else working, too? In Microsoft's case, this negligence in terms of compatibility is evident of bigger problems within the company."
IBM

Submission + - IBM Data Tapes "Fell Off the Back of the Truck

Submitted by
Demongirl
Demongirl writes: "According to Information Week, a contractor for IBM managed to lose several data tapes as he was driving through New York State. Lost as in, they might have fallen out the window, he might have gotten in an accident and they fell out or somebody took them, whatever. You get the idea. The driver does not have a clue. (He doesn't remember getting in an accident??)

The tapes contain contain information on IBM employees — current workers, as well as former employees and retirees. The tapes hold employment data on them, including names, addresses, birth dates, Social Security numbers, and beginning and end dates of employment.

The tapes were lost on February 23. IBM is only just now making the information widely known?

I dunno, maybe this is old news to you. But it's a surprise to InfoWeek certainly."

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