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Comment Spoiler: OMG, more Braid pulling (Score 1) 269

Just read the first chapter. I can't believe it. The new author is a chip off the old block. He managed to include a braid-tugging scene. Other than that, I think he did a good job. Hopefully he picks up the pace; the pacing of the first chapter was a lot like RJ, perhaps a tiny bit faster and cleaner.
Windows

EU Wants Multiple Browser Bundling On New PCs 464

An anonymous reader writes with a link to Ars Technica's report that "the EU is considering forcing Windows users to choose a browser to download and install before they can first browse the Internet, according to The Wall Street Journal (subscription required). While the latest Windows 7 builds let you uninstall IE8, 'third-party browser makers like Opera, Mozilla and Google are pushing for tough sanctions against Microsoft. The EU would rather have a "ballot screen" for users to choose which browsers to download and install as well as which one to set as default. The bundling requirement might end up becoming a responsibility for manufacturers.'"
Google

Harsh Words From Google On Linux Development 948

jeevesbond writes "The alpha version of Google Chrome is now available for GNU/Linux. Google Chrome developer and former Firefox lead Ben Goodger has some problems with the platform though. His complaints range from the lack of a standardised UI toolkit, inconsistencies across applications, the lack of a unified and comprehensive HIG, to GTK not being a very compelling toolkit. With Adobe getting twitchy about the glibc fork and previously describing the various audio systems as welcome to the jungle, is it time to concentrate on consolidation and standardisation in GNU/Linux in general, and the desktop in particular?"

Comment Good material for this new Programming Course (Score 2, Interesting) 233

I'm developing a course for aspiring computer programmers. I've been at it on and off for the past year. The reading list is done, the course outline and coverage isn't entirely done but is shaping up. This sounds like material that should be covered. Does anyone have a good writeup or recommended book for inclusion in the course? The Programmers Stone guys sort of cover this material.

You can see the course here:

From Beginner to Master A Computer Programmer's Reading Course So, you want to be a computer programmer?

Comment Use djbdns, watch your security problems vanish (Score 1) 109

I sat down last week and installed djbdns. I thought it would be a big hairy project, like learning BIND was. Back in the day, before Slashdot existed, I used Cricket's book on BIND. Good book, but BIND is finicky and the book is THICK.

Anyhow, in a couple hours I had djbdns installed and working. I had to keep checking. I couldn't believe it was that easy. But it was. djbdns doesn't allow recursive queries or zone transfers by default. djbdns has privilege separation, just like qmail. The configuration is a breeze. The file format is very robust and easy to edit. Most knobs and configuration items can be configured by using "echo" to echo values into little files in the configuration directory.

djbdns doesn't need restarting like bind does. djbdns doesn't die and restart; you can run "svc -t /service/tinydns" and it rereads the configuration instantly and starts serving it with changing its process ID.

I wish I'd installed djbdns years ago. If not for the licensing issues, it would have taken over the world and we'd have a much safer internet. djbdns even prevents cache poisoning, an old technique for hijacking domain names.

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