NationStates Jolt Archive

Okay, I've been playing around with this issue for a while now, and I'm suprised it hasn't come up already. Microsoft released Windows Genuine Advantage notification (in it;s first incarnation) ages ago, and the first I heard about it was when the little bubble told me to restart my computer as updates had been installed. Finally working out how to turn automatic update off, I realised what it was on the surface. 'You gits!' I cried, and blocked it on my firewall. Thought nothing of it until my parents PC, also got the same update, but it hadn;t been downloaded or installed. This time I read the EULA and was shocked by what I found. Sorry for the quote, I couldn't work out how to host it.


NOTICE: THIS UPDATE FROM MICROSOFT WILL HELP YOU KNOW IF YOU ARE RUNNING A PROPERLY LICENSED, GENUINE COPY OF WINDOWS XP. SOME UPDATES AND OFFERS FROM MICROSOFT REQUIRE A GENUINE COPY OF WINDOWS XP.

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INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR SYSTEM (FOR EXAMPLE, YOUR WINDOWS PRODUCT KEY AND IP ADDRESS) WILL BE SENT TO MICROSOFT. MICROSOFT WILL NOT USE THE INFORMATION TO IDENTIFY OR CONTACT YOU.

BEFORE INSTALLING, PLEASE READ AND ACCEPT THE LICENSE TERMS BELOW.
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MICROSOFT SOFTWARE SUPPLEMENTAL LICENSE TERMS

MICROSOFT WINDOWS GENUINE ADVANTAGE NOTIFICATIONS FOR MICROSOFT WINDOWS XP

Microsoft Corporation (or based on where you live, one of its affiliates) licenses this supplement to you. The following license terms describe additional use terms for this supplement. These terms and the license terms for the software (Microsoft Windows XP) apply to your use of this supplement. If there is a conflict, these supplemental license terms apply.

BY USING THIS SUPPLEMENT, YOU ACCEPT THESE TERMS. IF YOU DO NOT ACCEPT THEM, DO NOT USE THIS SUPPLEMENT.

If you comply with these license terms, you have the rights below.

1. Application of Terms. The terms also apply to any Microsoft updates, supplements, Internet-based services, and support services for the software, unless other terms accompany those items. If so, those terms apply.

2. PURPOSE OF SUPPLEMENT. THIS SUPPLEMENT UPDATES WINDOWS XP AND IS DESIGNED TO NOTIFY YOU IF YOU ARE USING AN IMPROPERLY LICENSED COPY OF WINDOWS XP. TO EFFECTIVELY ENCOURAGE THE USE OF PROPERLY LICENSED SOFTWARE, THIS SUPPLEMENT CANNOT BE UNINSTALLED.

3. Validation. This supplement also includes the Windows Genuine Advantage validation tool. The tool will check whether you have a properly licensed copy of Microsoft Windows XP (“Windows XP”) installed. Installation of the validation tool may be required in order to install certain Microsoft software or to use services such as Windows Update. If you have a properly licensed copy of Windows XP installed, you receive special benefits, which are listed on the following link: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=39157.

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I'm not the only one, it would seem, the story has hit the Beeb (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/5144698.stm), and is it me or does this sound very similar to the Sony Spyware scandal a few months back?

Nothing really new as Windows update has been tracking all this info in the first place. The last attempt is this was hacked too.

Is it me or does this sound very similar to the Sony Spyware scandal a few months back?
Very similar. And it smacks of the same illegality that dogged them when they bundled IE with Windows a wee while back. But then, loads of companies are guilty of this; the most infuriating being Apple’s insistence of bundling Quicktime and Itunes.

I've read about this. I read a story a few weeks ago about how this got installed on a hospital's computer network (the computers on the network) by accident. Turns out, even though they had a legal corporate liscense to use the software on multiple computers, somebody either stole and used a key from one of the hospital's computers, or there was a glitch. All the computers in the hospital stopped working simultaniously.

This is why I use linux. Aside from the fact that I never get virii, spyware, malware, adware, any-combination-of-the-above, the security is much better, better memory management, no highly inefficent registry, support for a much wider range of hardware, oh yeah, and its free.

Ewww.

But help me out here - the only nuisance is that you get pop ups telling you to buy an original copy, right? Not that that isn't annyoing enough, but at first I thought they were gonna sic the Microsoft hit squad on you (and we all know there is such a thing as a Microsoft hit squad <.<).

Ewww.

But help me out here - the only nuisance is that you get pop ups telling you to buy an original copy, right? Not that that isn't annyoing enough, but at first I thought they were gonna sic the Microsoft hit squad on you (and we all know there is such a thing as a Microsoft hit squad <.<).

What I read was that now it just puts up popups, the thing that I read was before they got sued for having it disable the "illegal" computers. Aparently, stuff would happen by mistake, and legal owners of the software would have their computers quit working for no reason. Also, not many people like the idea of having their privacy invaded by having all this stuff (and who knows what else) being sent back to Redmond every few weeks.

Oh, you think Micro$soft are bad with Windows XP.

Think what Apple have done to Mac OS X ... they have complete control over the OS and hardware they sell.

Ewww.

But help me out here - the only nuisance is that you get pop ups telling you to buy an original copy, right? Not that that isn't annyoing enough, but at first I thought they were gonna sic the Microsoft hit squad on you (and we all know there is such a thing as a Microsoft hit squad <.<).
Not quite. You do get pop-ups if you have a pirated copy, yes. But section 6 of the EULA says it uses hardware data to determine if the computer its on is the same as the one it was initially on. Ie it takes a snapshot of your setup. If you replaced your processor, for example, you're screwed. It also connects to the internet repeatedly - expensive if you're on dial up. And section seven says they share the snapshot data with other companies - to what end, I wonder?

What I read was that now it just puts up popups, the thing that I read was before they got sued for having it disable the "illegal" computers. Aparently, stuff would happen by mistake, and legal owners of the software would have their computers quit working for no reason.Whoa, okay, that would also explain the thread title...
Also, not many people like the idea of having their privacy invaded by having all this stuff (and who knows what else) being sent back to Redmond every few weeks. That, too.

My copy is actually legal, it came with the laptop - so will they still monitor me? Probably, eh?

Well, I hardly ever do any Windows updates (the last ones I did were like a year ago to plug some holes before some virus could eat its way in there), so fuck them. For now. :/

Not quite. You do get pop-ups if you have a pirated copy, yes. But section 6 of the EULA says it uses hardware data to determine if the computer its on is the same as the one it was initially on. Ie it takes a snapshot of your setup. If you replaced your processor, for example, you're screwed. It also connects to the internet repeatedly - expensive if you're on dial up. And section seven says they share the snapshot data with other companies - to what end, I wonder?

Solution, use Windows 2000. Still works nicely.
Oh, I don't use Windows Update on my home PC because downloading updates via modem is not an option.

If Windows didn't cost almost as much as my PC alone - or if it did, but was actually reliable, i'd be happy to buy a copy.

In the meantime, they can send the hit squad after me, if they like.

In the meantime, they can send the hit squad after me, if they like. Awesome. I may just have started an urban legend. Remember, you heard it here first. :cool: :p

Whoa, okay, that would also explain the thread title...
That, too.

My copy is actually legal, it came with the laptop - so will they still monitor me? Probably, eh?

Well, I hardly ever do any Windows updates (the last ones I did were like a year ago to plug some holes before some virus could eat its way in there), so fuck them. For now. :/
Some people on the BBC site reported problems with store installed copies of windows too. I'm seriously considering trying linux, but I don't want to lose all my games.:(

What I read was that now it just puts up popups, the thing that I read was before they got sued for having it disable the "illegal" computers. Aparently, stuff would happen by mistake, and legal owners of the software would have their computers quit working for no reason. Also, not many people like the idea of having their privacy invaded by having all this stuff (and who knows what else) being sent back to Redmond every few weeks.

Hmmm, yes. It's bad to inconvenience people who don't have a legal copy of the software.

No problems at work, lots of unused Windows XP CDs lying about. :p

(Yes, I'm an IT Admin. I use Windows 2000 with an Windows XP virtual machine for testing).

Additionally it looks at the registration keys. If you have had to have windows reinstalled by a service company aftere your machine crashed at some point (not that that happens often - much), then there is a high chance that your registration keys are now a generic regestration - and as such your version will report as being illegal - even though it is not.

MS are over the top on this one. Perhaps when Gates finally steps down they will start being more reasonable - this whole excessive anti-piracy thing derives directly from him.

Hmmm, yes. It's bad to inconvenience people who don't have a legal copy of the software.
Thats the point, it also appears to inconvenice legal users as well.

Not quite. You do get pop-ups if you have a pirated copy, yes. But section 6 of the EULA says it uses hardware data to determine if the computer its on is the same as the one it was initially on. Ie it takes a snapshot of your setup. If you replaced your processor, for example, you're screwed. It also connects to the internet repeatedly - expensive if you're on dial up. And section seven says they share the snapshot data with other companies - to what end, I wonder?

That thing about the taking the snapshot of your hardware has been around sence Windows XP was released I thought? That actually happened to me once. What'd I do? Downloaded a pirated copy. Fuck them.

Additionally it looks at the registration keys. If you have had to have windows reinstalled by a service company aftere your machine crashed at some point (not that that happens often - much), then there is a high chance that your registration keys are now a generic regestration - and as such your version will report as being illegal - even though it is not.

MS are over the top on this one. Perhaps when Gates finally steps down they will start being more reasonable - this whole excessive anti-piracy thing derives directly from him.

Coincidently, Gates did just recently step down (in the last week or two) as cheif software architect. Some new guy named Ozzys in his place now. He's still head of the company though, I believe, he sits on the board.

Coincidently, Gates did just recently step down (in the last week or two) as cheif software architect. Some new guy named Ozzys in his place now. He's still head of the company though, I believe, he sits on the board.

He announced that he was going to withdraw gradually. Actually leaving it to others in 2008. (Hence my comment.)

That thing about the taking the snapshot of your hardware has been around sence Windows XP was released I thought? That actually happened to me once. What'd I do? Downloaded a pirated copy. Fuck them.

OK, under Windows previous to XP you could change the hardware and still use the same install of Windows (with the usual problems associated with a complete change of motherboard drivers like crashes and instability).

Under XP, certain hardware changes trigger a re-activation as it thinks you've put Windows on a new PC. Windows 2000 is good that you can change your motherboard and it tries to work still.

OK, under Windows previous to XP you could change the hardware and still use the same install of Windows (with the usual problems associated with a complete change of motherboard drivers like crashes and instability).

Under XP, certain hardware changes trigger a re-activation as it thinks you've put Windows on a new PC. Windows 2000 is good that you can change your motherboard and it tries to work still.
Thats what I thought was the case. I had to replace the motherboard when we had W98, but never had to fix anything under XP *touch wood*

Old news. XP has always based its registration on taking a snapshot of your system and combining that with the CD key to produce the registration key. If you then install it on another computer or make a major upgrade withing three months it'll balk and ask you to call the people in Redmond. They almost always issue you a new registration, though.

Since it's possible to install the samo OS in two computers (after three months) and keep using them at the same time what the WGA does is just make sure that doesn't happen, by sending the same information that has already been sent out on a more periodical basis.

Annoying, but nothing like the Sony rootkit.

He announced that he was going to withdraw gradually. Actually leaving it to others in 2008. (Hence my comment.)

I think right now he is still Chairman on the board. I'm not sure if Microsoft would actually run without Bill. I mean, think about it. People say he's a dumbass because he makes shitty software, etc, etc. But what they don't understand is that it doesn't matter what kind of software he makes... he has an irongrip on the industry. Sure, he's losing a little ground to OSX and Linux, but even so... hell, 95% of the desktop computers in the world are still probably running Windows. The guy wasn't even a computer genius, that was his business partner. Bill was the business brain behind it... and you have to admit, he's good at what he does. I use linux, yes, but thats because I understand his tactics to an extent, and see that he knows he doesn't have to make all that good of software to keep the bucks rolling in. But I do respect him. The man is brilliant. I'm betting that after Bill pulls out, Microsoft is gonna crash within a few years thereafter. Only Bill could have gotten Microsoft to what it is, and only he could keep it at what it is, the thing is... I don't really think he minds much anymore. He's the richest man in the world, he doesn't need any more money, he accomplished what he wanted. I think he sees his market share losing ground, and I think he's ready to let Microsoft go under, though, that doesn't mean it has to go under while under his command. Abandon ship. Genius.

Thats what I thought was the case. I had to replace the motherboard when we had W98, but never had to fix anything under XP *touch wood*

Under XP, reinstall definitely. I'd reinstall anyway as a clean install is better than a bad upgrade attempt.

Under XP, reinstall definitely. I'd reinstall anyway as a clean install is better than a bad upgrade attempt.

Ew, I hated the upgrades. Always left a buncha junk behind. I felt like I was building a mansion ontop of rotton stilts.

I'm betting that after Bill pulls out, Microsoft is gonna crash within a few years thereafter.
I agree with what you say about Bill, but I don't think MS is going to roll over and die after he leaves. It's just too big, even if the people left in charge are incompetent (and I doubt Bill would left someone incompetent in charge) the sheer size, inertia, and market share will allow it to go on without too much trouble.

Plus, Bill could come back at any time if he sees there's trouble, like Jobs did for Apple and Tramiel didn't for Commodore (or Atari).

I've read about this. I read a story a few weeks ago about how this got installed on a hospital's computer network (the computers on the network) by accident. Turns out, even though they had a legal corporate liscense to use the software on multiple computers, somebody either stole and used a key from one of the hospital's computers, or there was a glitch. All the computers in the hospital stopped working simultaniously.

This is why I use linux. Aside from the fact that I never get virii, spyware, malware, adware, any-combination-of-the-above, the security is much better, better memory management, no highly inefficent registry, support for a much wider range of hardware, oh yeah, and its free.
While I am an avid *nix fan myself I hardly see it supporting a “wider” range of hardware then windows. And almost every distro has its security flaw as well.

I noticed IE7 Beta 2 and MS Office 2007 Beta 2 required WGA just to install.
And IE7 needs SP2 which is possibly the most annoying XP service pack ever released.

Hmmm, yes. It's bad to inconvenience people who don't have a legal copy of the software.It's worse to inconvenience people that do have a legal copy..

Hmmm, yes. It's bad to inconvenience people who don't have a legal copy of the software.
I have been seeing this screw with legit systems sense they pushed a beta WGA update

That and its frigging anoying working with them on campus.

To be safe on our large networks all updates need to be applied before connecting it to the network, but WGA can not be updated localy so we have to mess around with our network registering system to get these people around having to register so they can update then move into general population.

I noticed IE7 Beta 2 and MS Office 2007 Beta 2 required WGA just to install.
And IE7 needs SP2 which is possibly the most annoying XP service pack ever released.
We got a screwed with slipstream automated install ... makes setting up SP2 better

But you have not seen anoying till you have to install SP2 on over 3000 machines in under a week (not just lab machines but students individual sometimes illigit often FUBAR bogged down porn infected computers)

porn infected

You make that sound like a bad thing.

While I am an avid *nix fan myself I hardly see it supporting a “wider” range of hardware then windows. And almost every distro has its security flaw as well.

I don't see Windows running on macs/sgis/suns/ipods/amigas whatever elses. It is true though that as far as x86 machines go, Windows does have better hardware support, mostly due to snotty hardware vendors that refuse to release drivers or open the source to their drivers for the linux community.

And of course they all have their security holes, everything does. Also, the average joe install of some out of date distro is going to have alot more holes than one that avidly keeps up with patching the software. But linux/unix are both more secuirty oriented by design, take note of how it is so layred, having the kernel, all the way through the user level applications. The userlevel application cannot access the underlying stuff unless it is explicitly inteded to. Windows was just designed as one big clump... you get into one part of it, your in ALL of it. Also, from what I have found, the linux/unix community tends to find and make their patches for security holes more redily available much quicker than Microsoft does for Windows. There were IE holes that sat open for months getting hacked that Microsoft knew about and ignored. On linux, if a hole opens up, some hacker patches it the same day and posts it on bugtraq, the developers integrate it into the next release, and it is up to the user to download those patches and install them. If the user doesn't do that, then it's the users fault. Provided, most people are not quite so avid about patching their stuff and making sure to update every day, etc, but for say, a web admin administering a site with heavy traffic and many intrusion attempts? They get on the ball after they get rooted once or twice because they wern't paying attention and didn't patch Apache (or OpenSSL or ProFTPD or what-the-hell-ever) for 6 months.

You make that sound like a bad thing.
If it is porn infected it has plenty of other issues as well I can almost grantee. There is a STRONG corrolation

If it is porn infected it has plenty of other issues as well I can almost grantee. There is a STRONG corrolation

Yet, I balance gigs and gigs of sweet, sweet porn, and no spyware or adware or viruses or anything. It's all about common sense, really.

I agree with what you say about Bill, but I don't think MS is going to roll over and die after he leaves. It's just too big, even if the people left in charge are incompetent (and I doubt Bill would left someone incompetent in charge) the sheer size, inertia, and market share will allow it to go on without too much trouble.

Plus, Bill could come back at any time if he sees there's trouble, like Jobs did for Apple and Tramiel didn't for Commodore (or Atari).

I didn't think Jobs came back to Apple because he saw it was in trouble. I thought he was fired sometime along 1997, and THEY realized they were in trouble and begged him to come back. As for Microsoft, I'm sure Bill would not intentionally leave somebody incompetent in charge... but theres only one Bill. Besides, I think Microsoft is in trouble right now, and I think Bill knows it. I don't think he's just leaving so he can get some time with his family or whatever.

To somebody who wrote that microsoft is just too big to crash:

From the comment section of a blog, run by a microsoft emplyee:

To those who are wanting to "vent" - If you guys are so frustrated with the situation at Microsoft, why don't you get the hell out and get a real job somewhere else. That company needs people who will survive the "tough times". And tought times are times any organization goes through. Be the rats to jump off the ship, except that ship ain't sinking, because it's too big.

Do you mean too big as the Titanic was?
I guess some penguins are waiting on the iceberg ;-)
http://minimsft.blogspot.com/2006/03/vista-2007-fire-leadership-now.html

I wonder how many non-windows users there is on a forum like nationstates?
Hell, Max Barry uses linux, that should make everybody sure that linux is better ;)

On WGA, it took me a few seconds to find WGA remover for Windows XP on Google.

Yet, I balance gigs and gigs of sweet, sweet porn, and no spyware or adware or viruses or anything. It's all about common sense, really.
I agree and understand, but I suppose what I meant by “Infected” is a bit more on the side of porn mal-ware then strait up porn collection

Hell I probably would not notice a porn collection unless I watched the virus scan really closely but when ya get popups while trying to work on it…

On WGA, it took me a few seconds to find WGA remover for Windows XP on Google.
Easy yes but if you have auto updates on on or ever want to download an update you have to re-install wga and un-install it again

Anoying

I wonder how many non-windows users there is on a forum like nationstates?
Hell, Max Barry uses linux, that should make everybody sure that linux is better ;)

Problem with Linux is which flipping version to use!
And my penchance for buying weird computer hardware with no Linux drivers.

Problem with Linux is which flipping version to use!
And my penchance for buying weird computer hardware with no Linux drivers.

Use whatever version pleases you ... I can give some recomendations sure but they all have their advantages

Easy yes but if you have auto updates on on or ever want to download an update you have to re-install wga and un-install it again

Anoying

Microsoft web site does have their patches for stand-alone download as EXE.
Kinda handy if your firewall blocks Windows Updates.

I agree and understand, but I suppose what I meant by “Infected” is a bit more on the side of porn mal-ware then strait up porn collection

Hell I probably would not notice a porn collection unless I watched the virus scan really closely but when ya get popups while trying to work on it…

I have an entire porn server. Well, unfortionatly it's not with me right now, as I am in the dorms, it is at my parent's house. It's a 486 with a promise EIDE card and an 80GIG 7200rpm drive, hooked to a backpack sized UPS. And its a Linux file server. :)

Use whatever version pleases you ... I can give some recomendations sure but they all have their advantages

I'll ask when I decide to repartition my home PC. ;)
But I'll probably have Windows XP as one partition due to my collection of Windows games.

Problem with Linux is which flipping version to use!
And my penchance for buying weird computer hardware with no Linux drivers.

I'm partial to Gentoo. I also like Slackware (for my 486s...)

I have an entire porn server. Well, unfortionatly it's not with me right now, as I am in the dorms, it is at my parent's house. It's a 486 with a promise EIDE card and an 80GIG 7200rpm drive, hooked to a backpack sized UPS. And its a Linux file server. :)
They let you run an external server from the dorms? Or just internal serving?

And are you talking samba? Or FTP … or something like NFS or something else?

I'll ask when I decide to repartition my home PC. ;)
But I'll probably have Windows XP as one partition due to my collection of Windows games.
Hint if you want to try a *nix system with NO hardware issues and no partitioning or hardware needed

Virtual machine (Combination of VMXbuilder to build the VM and VMware player to play it)

Has come in uber handy over the last year or so.

oh no

the evil microsoft is watching us

i dont have time to save myself. take my tinfoil hat and save yourself

Very similar. And it smacks of the same illegality that dogged them when they bundled IE with Windows a wee while back. But then, loads of companies are guilty of this; the most infuriating being Apple’s insistence of bundling Quicktime and Itunes.
What's more infuriating is Quicktime and ITunes being bundled with Windows machines from all the major system retailers. God I hate Quicktime and ITunes is useless and tantamount to spyware for me.

I'm partial to Gentoo. I also like Slackware (for my 486s...)
... For a beginer something like FC5 or Ubuntu may be a better choice

... though I was thrown in the deep end myself FreeBSD was my first and still is my primary server choice

I'm partial to Gentoo. I also like Slackware (for my 486s...)

Looked at Gentoo. I do want my Linux to be like Windows in interface.
I do have copy of Redhat 6.2 but it was awful ... video card issues.

What's more infuriating is Quicktime and ITunes being bundled with Windows machines from all the major system retailers. God I hate Quicktime and ITunes is useless and tantamount to spyware for me.
Yeah I am just happy that the DIVX decoders also handle quicktime files

Hint if you want to try a *nix system with NO hardware issues and no partitioning or hardware needed

Virtual machine (Combination of VMXbuilder to build the VM and VMware player to play it)

Has come in uber handy over the last year or so.

I've use VMWare at work. Fine for Windows servers but playing Doom 3 on an emulator doesn't sound like it'd work well. :p

I've use VMWare at work. Fine for Windows servers but playing Doom 3 on an emulator doesn't sound like it'd work well. :p
No I am talking about emulating the *nix envyronment not the windows... why would you be playing Doom 3 in a virtual *nix envyronment?

Yeah I am just happy that the DIVX decoders also handle quicktime files
And I hate Real Player, it and Quicktime are invasive pieces of shit. You can't boot either without them adding themselves to the start up registry.
Real alternative and quicktime alternative plus a half dozen codec packs and Media Player Classic ftw.

I agree and understand, but I suppose what I meant by “Infected” is a bit more on the side of porn mal-ware then strait up porn collection

Ah, the glory of bittorrent and just being able to weed out anything but the video files while downloading. :)

Hell I probably would not notice a porn collection unless I watched the virus scan really closely but when ya get popups while trying to work on it…

On my sister's comp, that used to drive me wild. Hiding IE, installing Firefox and Nod32 took care of it. Months on, not a single piece of mal- or spyware, just stupid tracking cookies that Nod32 gets rid of anyway, or so its logs tell me. IE really should not be made available to people who don't know how to use a computer properly.

They let you run an external server from the dorms? Or just internal serving?

And are you talking samba? Or FTP … or something like NFS or something else?

Naw, it was just at my parent's house. I have a buncha computers that I like to watch porn on, and I wanted to keep it all in one place, so I just put togather a 486 and use it as a fileserver for it. It uses FTP (I get pissy with Samba for some reason, even though it is arguably more suitable for the job), I had something on my Windows boxes (forget what it's called) that lets me "mount" a FTP as a drive and access the files just like I normally would (except a bit slower, as it is through an ethernet cable), same for my linux boxes (differnet thing, I believe it's a kernel module I found somewhere that lets me mount FTP servers.) I use ProFTPD on the server, I don't even have a monitor or keyboard on the thing, it just sits in my closet, if I need to do anything to it I use ssh.

It is a shame I can't run a server FROM the dorms (as in, to everyone else on the net), we have 1.7MB/s connections here (up and down stream). :eek:

Naw, it was just at my parent's house. I have a buncha computers that I like to watch porn on, and I wanted to keep it all in one place, so I just put togather a 486 and use it as a fileserver for it. It uses FTP (I get pissy with Samba for some reason, even though it is arguably more suitable for the job), I had something on my Windows boxes (forget what it's called) that lets me "mount" a FTP as a drive and access the files just like I normally would (except a bit slower, as it is through an ethernet cable), same for my linux boxes (differnet thing, I believe it's a kernel module I found somewhere that lets me mount FTP servers.) I use ProFTPD on the server, I don't even have a monitor or keyboard on the thing, it just sits in my closet, if I need to do anything to it I use ssh.

It is a shame I can't run a server FROM the dorms (as in, to everyone else on the net), we have 1.7MB/s connections here (up and down stream). :eek:
Ah alrighty ... and you are probably thinking of webdrive for the windows boxes ... though you used to be able to do it nativly in windows before SP2

And personaly for ftp server I chose VSFTP

Ah, the glory of bittorrent and just being able to weed out anything but the video files while downloading. :)



On my sister's comp, that used to drive me wild. Hiding IE, installing Firefox and Nod32 took care of it. Months on, not a single piece of mal- or spyware, just stupid tracking cookies that Nod32 gets rid of anyway, or so its logs tell me. IE really should not be made available to people who don't know how to use a computer properly.
Ehhh less popups but I have not seen an actual correlation between mal-ware and ff usage

... For a beginer something like FC5 or Ubuntu may be a better choice

... though I was thrown in the deep end myself FreeBSD was my first and still is my primary server choice

LoL, I think I have an old toshiba laptop with FreeBSD on it somewhere. FreeBSD isn't as hard to install as Gentoo was I don't think. I do like the robustness of FreeBSD... it feels very solid, but I couldn't get used to it for some reason. Felt too ridgid almost, which is what some people like about it I suppose, but I think I'm a scatterbrain so...

I'm partial to Gentoo.

Gentoo? *spits*

No, I kid, but the compile times really are annoying and IMHO just not worth it. Apt is just so much more convenient than portage.

And I hate Real Player, it and Quicktime are invasive pieces of shit. You can't boot either without them adding themselves to the start up registry.
Real alternative and quicktime alternative plus a half dozen codec packs and Media Player Classic ftw.
Yeah personally the DIVX codec packs for WMP does me just fine. If in the *nix environment VLC or XINE usually gets it

No I am talking about emulating the *nix envyronment not the windows... why would you be playing Doom 3 in a virtual *nix envyronment?

You mean emulating Linux on Windows XP! Yep.

Actually I've been trying to make VMPlayer work on Windows XP SP2 PC except the only time it will run if you are Domain Admin and not the local user (who is a Admin of the PC). Very frustrating as it works on Windows 2000 SP4.

LoL, I think I have an old toshiba laptop with FreeBSD on it somewhere. FreeBSD isn't as hard to install as Gentoo was I don't think. I do like the robustness of FreeBSD... it feels very solid, but I couldn't get used to it for some reason. Felt too ridgid almost, which is what some people like about it I suppose, but I think I'm a scatterbrain so...
Yeah gentoo is harder on the install if you do not use default kernel packages … though you don’t have to use defaults on FreeBSD either so if you want to make it just as hard you can.

And I usually use FreeBSD for server operations , I tend to lean back on debian or ubuntu if I want just a desktop environment

Gentoo? *spits*

No, I kid, but the compile times really are annoying and IMHO just not worth it. Apt is just so much more convenient than portage.

Everyone I talk to loves apt-get so much, but I always hated it for some reason. Yuck, it felt like I was buying those little premade hamburgers that are already in the circle instead of patting and seasoning them myself.

Ehhh less popups but I have not seen an actual correlation between mal-ware and ff usage

I've had the experience that most malware is due to people clicking "yes" on whatever pops up. Never giving a "yes" option is just easier to set up in FF so that's why I use that - when people ask for help with their comps, that is my basic condition. "If you want my help, you will not use IE and you will never click yes without understanding what you are agreeing to." Works surprisingly well. That, and a firewall... ;)

Gentoo? *spits*

No, I kid, but the compile times really are annoying and IMHO just not worth it. Apt is just so much more convenient than portage.

Everyone I talk to loves apt-get so much, but I always hated it for some reason. Yuck, it felt like I was buying those little premade hamburgers that are already in the circle instead of patting and seasoning them myself.

LoL, I think I have an old toshiba laptop with FreeBSD on it somewhere. FreeBSD isn't as hard to install as Gentoo was I don't think. I do like the robustness of FreeBSD... it feels very solid, but I couldn't get used to it for some reason. Felt too ridgid almost, which is what some people like about it I suppose, but I think I'm a scatterbrain so...
Yeah gentoo is harder on the install if you do not use default kernel packages … though you don’t have to use defaults on FreeBSD either so if you want to make it just as hard you can.

And I usually use FreeBSD for server operations , I tend to lean back on debian or ubuntu if I want just a desktop environment

Gentoo? *spits*

No, I kid, but the compile times really are annoying and IMHO just not worth it. Apt is just so much more convenient than portage.

Everyone I talk to loves apt-get so much, but I always hated it for some reason. Yuck, it felt like I was buying those little premade hamburgers that are already in the circle instead of patting and seasoning them myself.

I've been trialing Firefox 2.0 Betas (downloaded a nightly release today).

Works nicely except no skins or other nice things seem to work with betas as the FireFox extension manager is too much like WGA sometimes.

Damn, I was lagging.

I think I'm a bit of a machiochist. I know the speedups I get out of using Gentoo are at best marginal, but the compile times really do get to me sometimes. The speedups you get out of using Gentoo are relative... it takes alot of trial and error and work to find whats right. Exceptional use on the use flags. If you just put something like "USE="X"" or whatever, thats not going to give you any benefit, you have to look at ALL the use flags they have available and go through each one picking out what you know you want, and what you know you dont want, tell it exactly what to compile in and exactly what not to, then you get some benefits. Less junk compiled in means smaller binaries, means less storage wasted (which isn't really that big a deal to tell the truth, with the size of today's hard drives, its almost irrelivant), but what is relivant is with the smaller binaries, that means that it takes less TIME to read off the disk, meaning the programs start faster, sometimes much faster. On that same note, with the CFLAGS etc, you can tell it to compile programs with different optimizations, in some cases this makes a world of differnece, in others it doesn't, and sometimes you can break shit if your over zealous. What I learned was to compile things that I open and close alot with -Os (like Firefox and OpenOffice) because they are exceptionally large programs that don't do much "processing" on their own, even when your using them, but it is important how fast they start up, so I make the binary smaller in exchange for some runtime efficiency, because in stuff like that, startup time is what is most important. On the other hand, things that run almost ALL the time that I don't open and close that much, but that I want to run very fast while they are running (X, GKrellM, Fluxbox, a buncha system deamons, stuff like that), I compile those at -O3 so they take longer to start up, but once they're running, their code runs very processor efficently. This is what I find useful about Gentoo. I havn't found another distro that allows me to do all this as easily. You could do it on any of them, of course, it'd just be much more of a pain in the ass to keep up with it all. I have also found that once you get the system up and running about how you want it, most of the big libraries and such are already compiled in, so say, when I want to install just one more program, I don't really have to wait for a ton of dependancies to compile because they've already been compiled as dependancies of other programs by now.

Now doing an "emerge world -e".... thats a different story. That'd take days, even on my 1.4GHz machine. :(

I've had the experience that most malware is due to people clicking "yes" on whatever pops up. Never giving a "yes" option is just easier to set up in FF so that's why I use that - when people ask for help with their comps, that is my basic condition. "If you want my help, you will not use IE and you will never click yes without understanding what you are agreeing to." Works surprisingly well. That, and a firewall... ;)

I hate that. A popup could come up that said "Would you like to install this virus that will eat all the files on your hard drive and render your computer unusable for the next year." YES or NO, and my mother would just be like "oh ok" and click "YES" just to get it off the screen. Silly.

The tool is downloaded and installed voluntarily but Microsoft has said it could become mandatory in the future.
Well, I have to say that's bloody misleading. I have it installed but didn't voluntarily do it. I have Windows Update on automatic, so the damn thing just installed itself. That's a damn devious way round Microsoft has gone into installing it's spyware, imo.
The majority of ppl have update on automatic cause it's a pain in the butt to manually go through it all regularly. And so Microsoft tries to weasel it's way out by claiming they not 'forcing' it on you.


So now I get told off everytime I boot up that I might be the victim of software fraud.

wow.

Whoever thought buying a Windows XP disc with a photocopied cover in Shenzhen (China) for ~$3US could possibly be illegal?

I'm as shocked as you are.

Yeah personally the DIVX codec packs for WMP does me just fine. If in the *nix environment VLC or XINE usually gets it
You can't use that with embedded media in Firefox, what embedded media will work.

You can't use that with embedded media in Firefox, what embedded media will work.

Mplayer and mplayer plugin is a very neat solution for *nix.

I got hacked numerous times on Windows, even with firewalls. Also got many viruses. On linux, I've never gotten a virus, and I only got rooted once. The guy who rooted me was a moderator in the offical #2600 IRC channel, because I fucked his girlfriend and then proceeded to make fun of him for having a small penis. Turns out the guy is the most amazing hacker I have ever met. Very, very smart guy. Anyway, later on he and I became good friends (and I have yet to root his *tips hat to Thrust* FreeBSD box), and he's taught me much about computers. Now I think he's in the Air Force and does some computer shit for them, so I don't get to talk to him much anymore, kinda sucks.

For me, the biggest problem with Linux is installing the damn thing. If you're lucky, it will go smoothly. If you're unluckly, you might spend days or weeks pulling your hair out, kicking the computer, and uttering numerous 4-letter words. I'm getting too old for such aggrivation.

What Linux really needs is pre-installed boxes, even though DIY geeks would consider that heresy.

What I really dislike about this is the way Microsoft have gone about doing it.
Did you know that the WGA Notifications was found to ping a Microsoft server after each system restart? Something the company did not disclose when it was first released.
And the fact that it's distributing WGA Notifications via the Automatic Updates feature in Windows as a "high priority" update, even though it is not a security update.
That's very underhand, imo.

I almost feel like using the upyours smiley, juxtaposing it next to the word Microsoft. But I won't, cause I hate that smiley.
But I do feel like doing it.

So now I get told off everytime I boot up that I might be the victim of software fraud.

wow.

Maybe it thinks you have an original copy and it's its way of saying "ha ha, we duped you!"

Hm, I have no idea if I installed this or not.

Well, I have to say that's bloody misleading. I have it installed but didn't voluntarily do it. I have Windows Update on automatic, so the damn thing just installed itself. That's a damn devious way round Microsoft has gone into installing it's spyware, imo.
The majority of ppl have update on automatic cause it's a pain in the butt to manually go through it all regularly. And so Microsoft tries to weasel it's way out by claiming they not 'forcing' it on you.
That was my problem as well. I have since turned off Automatic Update. This may soon cease to be a problem, as new updates may not work without WGA.