Microsft Updates and Linux Security

January 11, 2005 Leave a comment

Looks like Microsoft has now posted some updates for these vulnerabilities. Not too bad of a turn around time this around, but still multiple days for a fairly serious issue. On the issue of security, this email was recently posted to LWN. It details some issues spender from the GRsecurity team has with the current security model of the Linux kernel. While I don't agree with everything he says, he does bring up some valid points. In the comments, someone from the PaX team does bring up something that I agree with very much. We'd be well served if there was a single Security contact for the kernel . This person could serve as a single point of contact for all security related issues, route patches to the correct places, and most importantly gain the trust of the security experts who are finding the wholes (which the vendor-sec list seems not to have done).
–jeremy

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LinuxQuestions.org Featured in LinuxWorld Magazine

January 10, 2005 2 Comments

So, I opened a copy of LinuxWorld Magazine yesterday, and was quite surprised to see a 2 page article dedicated to LinuxQuestions.org. Mike had asked me some questions a while back, but 1) it was long enough ago that it had slipped my mind and 2) I didn't know the article he was writing was actually about LQ itself, I thought it was just a general topic type piece. A great surprise to say the least. Thanks Mike.
–jeremy

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Another IE Vulnerability

January 10, 2005 1 Comment

Actually, Vulnerabilities. Have you checked out Firefox yet? From the article:

Vulnerability 1 and 2, or 3 alone, in combination with an inappropriate behaviour where the ActiveX Data Object (ADO) model can write arbitrary files can be exploited to compromise a user's system. This has been confirmed on a fully patched system with Internet Explorer 6.0 and Microsoft Windows XP SP2.
Solution:
Use another product.
Doesn't appear there is a patch available yet. Thou shalt not patch on Sunday I guess.
–jeremy

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Partial CES Explaination

January 8, 2005 2 Comments

This article (note: the site appears to be having issues now, try this link also) gives an explanation of the Media Center bit of this post.
–jeremy

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Linux and Open Source Podcasts

January 8, 2005 Leave a comment

So, I've been listening to Podcasts for a while now, but have been doing so in a somewhat haphazard way (ie. every once and a while I would manually download something that looked interesting and listen). Yesterday I finally decided to get a bit more organized about it. I downloaded bashpodder so I can have the podcasts I am interested in waiting for me at work each morning. So far I have it downloading the Daily Source Code, the Linux Link Tech Show (Linc, the guy who wrote bashpodder is on the show), Linux Log, IT Conversations and a couple others. Hopefully when The Linux Show comes back, they'll have a podcast also. What other Podcasts are people listening to? If you have a good one that I am missing, leave a comment and let me know. Also, I'd like to thank Linc for putting the LQ Podcast in the default bashpodder config. If you haven't listened to the LQ Podcast yet, the latest one is available here (LQ Podcast RSS feed).
–jeremy

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Is TiVo Forsaking Us?

January 7, 2005 Leave a comment

Between the recent announcement that we'll soon have commercials while fast forwarding, rumors that some serious record-inhibiting DRM may be built into future versions and now this, are the people at TiVo going in the wrong direction? I have to say, I really like my TiVo. Every announcement they make however, makes me like them less and less. It's about time I take a closer look at MythTV. Why, TiVo – WHY?
–jeremy
BTW, when will companies learn that partnering with Microsoft is very precarious, at best. Look at the history and learn from the mistakes of others!

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Apple Gets Silly

January 7, 2005 1 Comment

It appears that Apple, who I have really been liking lately, is doing their best to make people not like them. An odd move for a company that depends so largely on its image. While I can understand their desire to keep unreleased products under wraps or their past action of suing/firing employees who leak information, filing suit against a news site is ridiculous. Not only that, they are demanding that Think Secret hand over its sources. So much for basic journalist ethics. Way to shoot the messenger Apple. You're walking a pretty fine line here and the bad press on this one could get ugly fast. We've had enough Litigious Bastards recently.
–jeremy

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Latest Linux Magazine Article

January 7, 2005 Leave a comment

My latest Linux Magazine column has been posted to LQ. Have fun! As always, if you have any suggestions for article topics, be it for the “Tech Support” column or for a feature, let me know.
–jeremy

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LinuxQuestions.org Podcast – 01.06.05

January 6, 2005 Leave a comment

The latest LinuxQuestions.org Podcast. Topics include the 2004 LinuxQuestions.org Members Choice Awards, the updated Linux Reviews section, another LQ Radio update, Firefox, mainstrem Linux and Gates at CES.
–jeremy

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Bill Gates, Windows Lockups and Communism

January 6, 2005 1 Comment

During his annual keynote speech at the international Consumer Electronics Show, Bill Gates had a Windows Media Center PC hard lock and a game demo blue screen. Ouch. Talk about a rough day at the office. That wasn't enough though. In an interview later, he basically stated that if you do not fully back intellectual-property laws that you are a communist. While I know that the USA has an odd fascination with commies, that's really going a bit far I think. Maybe I'd feel differently if I was worth tens of billions of dollars, but the current system clearly seems broken to me.
–jeremy

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