[buug] Linux Security Site

Zeke Krahlin ezekielk at netzero.net
Thu Mar 9 02:17:10 PST 2000


Rick Moen wrote on Wed, 8 Mar 2000 18:58:14 -0800:

> But, since that 1980s company need not be important in people's lives,
> in modern computing, there's hardly any call for "boycotting" them.
> You don't have to boycott buggy whips, do you?

If the majority of motorists were still forced to use buggy
whips, then yes, I'd motivate people to 
boycott them.

Perhaps a better term than "boycotting" is "cease using" their
products...which will finally 
put an end to the majority of  desktop PC users running their
systems with the computer's version 
of a buggy whip. Linux is moving quickly now, to provide that
solution. I'm glad that enough people 
are now computer savvy enough to be aware of the type of company
Micro$oft is, what they have been
denied as a result, and that better options are available...or
will soon be.

> > My current goal is to find/install all the necessary plug-ins, so
> > Linux can play Real Audio files, shockwave, etc.
> 
> http://vancouver-webpages.com/plugins/  is one place to start.

Excellent!

> Two of the key points about Linux are (1) Processes are long-lived
> (months at a time).  (2) You make extensive use of networks.
> 
> Using Linux with those two aspects compromised is like bicycling
> without being allowed to use your feet.  It's crippling.
> 
> And dual-booting does exactly that.  Which is _bad_.  More than
> you know, obviously.  Which is why I'm harping on that point.

I did not realize that dual-boot is such a poor compromise. What
you are emphasizing, then, is that running Windoze as a slave OS
to Linux, via a network interface, then gives you a truly robust
Linux box. So I need to get such a network running on my own
desk...and once accomplished, I will be capable to give my
clients the best Linux system for their needs, at very minimal
expense.

> > I was hoping there'd be some sort of ssh for DOS, but I guess
> > not.
> 
> Nope.  However, you can run an entire, miniature, non-X-based Linux
> system from a boot floppy (which in turn mounts the root filesystem on a
> RAMdisk).  

I can certainly do that. Really, no big deal, since I was
previously accustomed to running Unix remotely, via my DOS
connection. I have Tom's "rtbt - Linux on a Floppy" ready to go,
whenever. Then I can just run the ssh client.

I really miss having Unix shell access to the 'Net...but the ISP
that provided it, no longer exists. 

> > I have certain peripherals that may eventually interface with
> > Linux...but not at this time. They are: my LS-120 Imation
> > SuperDrive (parallel, not USB)...
> 
> Supported.
> http://www.torque.net/parport/paride.html

Great!

> Whether anyone
> has written Casio-PDA sync software for Linux is unknown to me.

I'm keeping my eyes peeled, checking into PDA-related message
boards and newsgroups. Hopefully, there will be a utility soon,
that will allow me to back up my Casio to my PC. w/Linux. 

> > ...and Logitech scanner (parallel, not USB).
> 
> Cannot be supported, because Logitech refuses to cooperate with
> open-source programmers.  

That's a shame, and rather rude of them. I really love my
Logi-scanner: has pass-through for regular sheets, photos,
etc....but if a page is too large, or you want to scan a book,
the scanner can be removed from its cradle, and be guided across
the surface of the book or over-sized sheet.

> http://www.buzzard.org.uk/jonathan/scanners.html

Thanks.

> http://www.torque.net/linux-pp.html

Okay!

> I cite that as an example of how useful the LDP site is.  Trust the LDP.
> The LDP is your friend.

Thanks!

> > Also, some valuable Internet services require Windows, such as
> > dialpad.com's free long distance.
> 
> But there are alternatives with Linux support, such as Quicknet's.

No kidding? Dialpad.com allows you to call anyone in the U.S.,
from your personal web page they provide...and the recipient
needs only a plain telephone. The voice quality is not the best,
but most of the time, is quite adequate for conversation. And the
price is right: no fee whatsoever. They generate money from the
ads placed on your page...no intrusion on your voice calls in any
way.

After perusing Quicknet's page, it looks to be a device that
enhances PC-to-PC voice calls, not PC-to-phone (in which case you
must pay the LD fee). I believe that there are some free services
for PC-to-PC, for Linux users, without having to buy special
hardware like Quicknet's...though obviously not as good quality.
If Quicknet provided free LD calls, then I'd snatch it up right
away. What I'm looking for is PC-to-phone web-based service, for
free, that lets you connect with Linux.

> See, that's not the right attitude.  You should look for what the
> user cannot _currently_ do, or can do only poorly, because he doesn't
> yet have a Linux box to do it on.

I'm just beginning to get a grasp of that: for instance, that
your Linux connections are much more secure from viruses and
intrusion than is Windoze. But if they *can't do on Linux, all
the things they want to do in Windoze, I don't think I'd get
beyond square one.

And of course (besides safer connections), another great selling
point is Linux's stability: no more daily crashes and freeze-ups!
(Except Netscape, dammit...but I just discovered xKill which sure
beats re-boots...only once Netscape stops working, it refuses to
work when re-loaded within the same Linux session...so one needs
to re-boot anyway; but at least *that re-boot is much safer.)

> > Our first
> > meeting at BAFUG was a great pleasure, BTW. Disappointed,
> > however, in not seeing you there.
> 
> I now live in Menlo Park (and work in Sunnyvale).  Berkeley's
> a bit of a trip, especially through rush-hour traffic.

No, I wouldn't want you to stress yourself over such bad traffic,
or have an accident...just so we could benefit by your
participation. I hope that you are enjoying your new residence,
and have found a social environment closer to home, to meet your
interests. 

Absorbing your thoughtful explanations and advice, my physician
has found it necessary to accommodate this rapid spurt in the
enlargement of my cerebrum (the only one I have for now), by
surgically adjusting my cranium to hold much larger quantities of
gray matter. I can almost hear the sutures of my skull creaking
from the  challenges you put before me! It's a whole new world
for me, with no lack of intriguing ideas and adventures.

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