The director of platform strategy at Microsoft, Bill Hilf has lead the Linux and open source software technology group at Redmond for the past two years and formerly headed the global Linux technical strategy of IBM. He says reliability and predicability are the key factors which give Microsoft's software the edge over Linux and open source alternatives.
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Member since:2005-07-10
Kaiwai,
Re: "Lets also remember that the idea of 'no access to root' on Linux distributions is a new concept too; with Ubuntu being the first to take that approach; so whilst Microsoft is going back to the original security approach used in NT 3.1 of no one had admin privilages by default, Linux is finally doing the same thing in that regards, via the use of sudo."
I believe you're a little confused. Ubuntu Linux has a shorter history in the Linux community than distributions such as SUSE Linux and Red Hat Linux. Even though the word "Linux" gets generalized a little to often you have to keep in mind not all Linux distributions are the same.
As for the Limited User retricted access this has been a part of "Linux" since it's creation by Linus Torvalds. The strong security methods take example from Unix where it's up to the I.T. Administrator, not the end user to install programs and configure the system. A lot has changed over the years but security has always been the forefront of the Linux community. The exception being with developers such as Linspire Inc where they tried to make their customers believe there is no need to follow the Linux security model and instead let users run with full Administrator rights.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_distribution
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_Linux_distributions
Member since:2005-06-29
Member since:2005-07-06
I believe you're a little confused. Ubuntu Linux has a shorter history in the Linux community than distributions such as SUSE Linux and Red Hat Linux. Even though the word "Linux" gets generalized a little to often you have to keep in mind not all Linux distributions are the same.
Yes, but when I refer to Linux, I am talking about distributions; Ubuntu was the first distribution I saw out there that refused to allow people to login as either root or access root via su; you were forced to use sudo; the only other UNIX like operating system that had it before Ubuntu would be MacOS X.
As for limited user, yes, I am aware, that it isn't a new concept, the idea of elevating ones privilages temporarily to get something down, then after it has done, lowering them back, isn't something new, but what I am trying to emphasise is the fact that in terms of it being in the mainstream of linux distributions and actually being properly used, its a new concept. Yes, sudo has always been there, but at the same time, you could also use su if you wanted; distributions now stop people from accessing root functionality directly.
Member since:
2005-07-06
Each has their own experience. However if you compare on technical levels, Windows XP Kernel is certainly more advanced in terms of Asynchronous IO in kernel mode, unified driver model etc.
It is unfortunate, however, that a large portion would rather bad mouth Microsoft than actually looking at each product, divorced from its parent company, and looking at the technologies behind them.
Windows NT kernel is VERY advanced, and with the security improvements Vista brings, which lets be honest, actually finally brings Windows NT line back to the original NT 3.1 level of security (before they started compromising like crazy, for the sake of backwards compatibility), Windows Vista should be a BIG improvement over Windows XP.
Lets also remember that the idea of 'no access to root' on Linux distributions is a new concept too; with Ubuntu being the first to take that approach; so whilst Microsoft is going back to the original security approach used in NT 3.1 of no one had admin privilages by default, Linux is finally doing the same thing in that regards, via the use of sudo.