Open Source: Hacker's Nightmare

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Tuesday September 04, 2007 · 12:07 AM PDT

2007/09/04 · 00:07

NimbleX is the latest lightweight Linux distribution to hit the internets; it's somewhat unique in that it uses the KDE desktop environment in less than 100MB. It's something of a breakthrough, especially when considering that Open Office itself clocks in at around 200MB.

I found that my old test machine was too powerful for this distribution, so it was tested under VirtualBox, the free virtual machine player that lets you run other operating systems on top of your currently running one--kind of handy if you don't want to burn an ISO disk, or are trying to avoid becoming yet another bot in the Storm botnet (the most powerful supercomputer in the world). Or perhaps you just want to avoid the latest rootkit

But Columbia — it was some kind of corporate thing — had put spyware on the CD. That kept people from copying it, but it also somehow recorded information about whoever bought the record. The spyware became public knowledge, and people freaked out. There were some lawsuits filed, and the CD was recalled by Columbia.

fareast

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Saturday September 01, 2007 · 11:10 AM PDT

2007/09/01 · 11:10

If you are interested in getting that really old machine up and running again, with as little as ~32MB of ram, then there is a shiny new competitor to PuppyLinux and Damn Small Linux: TinyMe.

I know that Ubuntu is all the rage now, but I have had some serious issues with getting wireless working on my Thinkpad (Intel 3945 a/b/g) when using the roaming feature (e.g., at coffee shops, airports, etc.) and so have been using PCLinuxOS for the past couple of months; the fact that it allows you to use the 'productivity' of Beryl (think 3D spinning cube, Mac-like Expose feature) is only a plus.

When I heard that TinyMe was released by the same group of folks who put out PCLinuxOS, I was naturally intrigued, having a really old Compaq (7 years old) lying around gathering dust.

fareast

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Wednesday August 29, 2007 · 7:40 AM PDT

2007/08/29 · 07:40

This is not really an Open Source diary, but rather a response to the script attack that several diarists have been having trouble with. So no conversion/evangelism/etc. on Linux/Open Source, just a bit of advice on how to stay safe using the Firefox browser. If you want to chip in with info on IE (I don't Windows that well these days), Safari, Camino, then you are more than welcome to do so in the comments.

The first thing you want to do is to download Firefox from this site and then once it is installed go to the section marked preferences on the menu bar (in OS X) under the word Firefox. Windows users please chip in where this is located.

Once you have opened up the preferences, you need to check the box located on the tab marked 'security', 'warn me when sites try to install add-ons'; you can also take extra precautions by going either to the Firefox website and getting add-ons, or under Tools, clicking add-ons, which will take you to the same site.

fareast

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Monday August 27, 2007 · 12:29 AM PDT

2007/08/27 · 00:29

Lunar July. Ghost Month. Specifically, the worst day of Ghost Month, the 15th, when the gates of hell are wide open, and all manner of bedevilment occurs. People in Asia are offering up big tables full of food, burning incense, and burning ghost money to appease the hungry spirits.

But some spirits are just a tad bit too voracious, and nothing can be done to fill their gluttonous wants. Those are the ones to avoid. No amount of baksheesh, food or incense will lessen the thirst of their ravening maws.

No need to push Open Source any more; when the opposition is so busy scoring own goals, you can just about pull everyone off the pitch and watch the carnage unfold.

fareast

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Tuesday August 21, 2007 · 6:41 AM PDT

2007/08/21 · 06:41

Open source is finally coming into its own. With the deathblow to the supreme FUDsters SCO in the SCO vs. Novell litigation, there's little to hold back widespread acceptance of Linux and Open Source software on the desktop, in schools, or in business settings.

fareast

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Saturday August 04, 2007 · 5:36 PM PDT

2007/08/04 · 17:36

Time to dust off these pages and fire off another shot. If you are trying to share content with others, or even yourself within your own home, be sure that you have paid for it, at least three times: once for the tape version, once for the CD version, and once for the mp3/digital DVD version, or you will be very, very sorry; the cartels want to stick it to you, making you pay for each and every listen and view--and remember, it's not copyright infringement, it's 'piracy!!!' (much scarier sounding), so prepare to be boarded, you rotten scalawag:

Defendant was required to provide the name and address of each person who used his computer during the three years prior to commencement of the lawsuit.

I always keep a running log dating back three tears detailing the name and address of everyone who has accessed my computer, don't you?

fareast

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Monday July 30, 2007 · 6:26 AM PDT

2007/07/30 · 06:26

Whoopsie! Last time I diaried about Open Source in China, I was, well, pwned. Seems that things aren't as bad as I feared. Consider that

Linux has been riding on a wave in China, topping the growth of all operating systems in the first quarter of 2007, says an industry analyst.

Then again, check out what a Chinese Linux ad looks like:

fareast

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Saturday July 28, 2007 · 8:32 PM PDT

2007/07/28 · 20:32

It's all over for Linux and Open Source. You can read the gory details here. What has happened to lead to this horrible state of affairs, you may well ask; simply put, Microsoft has conquered China, leaving Linux and Open Source in the dust. But how, exactly? Well,

Thanks to some major concessions on source code and a precipitous price drop, the Chinese government has now thoroughly embraced Windows and Office. And thanks to a major about-face in the way that it deals with piracy, Microsoft has also won over the Chinese people.

Sounds pretty convincing, does it not? Then again, let's look a little closer:

In 2003, Microsoft began a program that allowed select partners to view the source code of Windows, and even make some modifications. China was one of 60 countries invited to join the program.

Hmmm. Source code. Sounds like Open Source! But what about the price?

Microsoft has made it easy for Chinese users to purchase legal copies by offering a $3 Windows/Office bundle to Chinese students.

Three dollars for both Vista and Office 2007???!!? That's nearly free, as in beer! Echoes of Open Source again!

fareast

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Wednesday July 25, 2007 · 11:49 PM PDT

2007/07/25 · 23:49

The content and information gatekeepers want to keep you ignorant. They want to be sure that you can only watch what they decide is important, and want to control how you access that content, what you do with it, and how much you pay for it. If they close down the internet, then you'll not have a chance to see something like this: Though in this case that might be a blessing. Best not to trouble your mind with thoughts oh so complex, and think of the children, why don't you? My reaction, after the break.

fareast

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Tuesday July 24, 2007 · 11:53 PM PDT

2007/07/24 · 23:53

Pay attention, you will be quizzed after the following demonstration:

PC-BSD install, and this:

PCLinuxOS in action, (more below)

fareast

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Monday July 23, 2007 · 11:51 PM PDT

2007/07/23 · 23:51

Open Source software and systems continue to gain adherents worldwide, in addition to Japan recently deciding in favor of the Open Document Format (quite significant in and of itself), we now learn that Asia is the biggest consumer of Open Source software, but sadly

"Asia only represents 5 percent of the contributions in the open source community,"

I imagine IBM, Red Hat, Novell, as well as a few other Open Source support systems providers see the business opportunities that those figures represent.

fareast

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Sunday July 22, 2007 · 3:38 AM PDT

2007/07/22 · 03:38

Tempted to call this diary 'Open Source: Recommends', just to see how far I could push the diary pimping, but as Open Source just isn't very sexy, it has no command such as

apt-get begin impeachment

and I like neither Anne Coulter nor Bill O'Reilly, there's no way an Open Source diary (at least written by me) will ever reach that hallowed list.

Today we'll be looking at the Business Edition of SabayonLinux, a Linux distribution (or distro) from Italy that is based on the very powerful (and notoriously difficult to install) Gentoo distribution.

We'll also take a look at some excellent Open Source software that can make your computing experience on any platform more productive and more fun, thus the 'recommends'.

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Open Source: Hacker's Nightmare

Linux: TinyMe

Open Source: Staying Safe With Firefox/NoScript

Open Source: Own Goal

Open Source: Moondance

Open Source: Coming Soon

Open Source: Red Flag

Open Source: Pwned

Open Source: Open Access

Open Source: The End

Open Source: Help Desk

Open Source: Sabayon Business Edition