Linked by Thom Holwerda on Tue 28th Feb 2012 23:11 UTC
Linus Torvalds on requiring the root password for mundane tasks. "So here's a plea: if you have anything to do with security in a distro, and think that my kids (replace 'my kids' with 'sales people on the road' if you think your main customers are businesses) need to have the root password to access some wireless network, or to be able to print out a paper, or to change the date-and-time settings, please just kill yourself now. The world will be a better place." Yes, it's harsh (deal with it, Finns don't beat around the bush), but he's completely and utterly right. While there's cases where it makes sense to disable certain settings (public terminals, for instance), it is utterly idiotic that regular home users have to type in their root password for such mundane tasks.
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Member since:2005-07-06
Member since:2009-06-30
I don't exactly agree with Tom's opinion - it makes sense for me to use different OS than OSX on Mac - that's just my personal preference (I find OSX GUI, albeit smooth and flashy, rather limiting).
But then there are two points I agree with him:
- Mac was designed for OSX and OSX was designed for Mac. This is difficult to beat as the detail hardware specs are only known to Apple devs. Contrast it with a PC - an OEM may design the hardware for Windows but Windows (just like Linux) is only made for a generic PC.
- Linux and OSX both are Unix-based systems. There are simply less incentives for switching the system. In most cases the user can simply install missing apps.
Member since:2008-08-03
there should be 2 levels:
- root: master of the universe
- admin: capable of common tasks that affect all users on a box and yet is not capable to make liefe impossible (if you get my drift)
That's what groups are for. Restrict common admin tasks to members of admin groups. Don't make any accounts members of the wheel/operator/admin/etc. groups unless the people who posses them can be trusted. For kids, salespeople, accountants, etc. a regular account with no privileged group memberships should be good enough. They can su to a different account with admin group membership on the occasions where they do need to do admin tasks.
Member since:2010-01-22
will look into this 
Member since:2006-11-13
another distro for a macbook air ? WHY... the thing is designed for Mac OS... either you buy into that deal or you don't. I don't try to feed my cat dogfood either after all.
The issue has nothing to do with hardware. The security is ALL software!
As for using a different OS on Apple hardware... I don't see any problem with that. Apple makes decent hardware, so why are we not allowed to run our own software on that decent hardware.
Look around! Most laptops are crap and made of plastic, or feel pasticy. Most have low battery life compared to Apple laptops. Also most laptop manufacturer buy into this crap low resolution widescreen monitors - because it's cheaper (thanks to all the LCD TV's). When last did you see a 1.6 ratio laptop monitor? Apple still makes those!
Features
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/13/13 14:35 UTC
The third and final WWDC product I want to talk about is - of course - OS X 10.9 Mavericks. While iOS 7 was clearly the focus of this year's WWDC, its venerable desktop counterpart certainly wasn't left behind. Apple announced OS X 10.9 Mavericks, the first OS X release not to carry the name of a big cat.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/11/13 17:07 UTC
We already talked about iOS 7 yesterday (after a night of sleep, it's only looking worse and worse - look at this, for Fiona's sake!), so now it's time to talk about the downright stunning and belly flutters-inducing new Mac Pro. As former owner and huge, huge, huge fan of the PowerMac G4 Cube - I haven't been this excited about an Apple product since, well, I would say the iMac G4. This is the Apple I used to love.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/10/13 23:13 UTC
Apple held its big keynote event thing at WWDC earlier this evening, but since I was away with friends I've had to read up on it later in the evening. The company announced iOS 7, OS X 10.9 Mavericks, and they gave a preview of the new Mac Pro. Especially the Mac Pro impressed me, and while iOS 7's new Holo/Metro-inspired theme looks messy and garish to me, I do commend Apple for finally breaking the mold. This news item will focus on iOS 7 - I'll dive into the Mac Pro and OS X 10.9 tomorrow (it's late here now).
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/08/13 14:57 UTC
And yes, the PRISM scandal is far, far from over. More and more information keeps leaking out, and the more gets out, the worse it gets. The companies involved have sent out official statements - often by mouth of their CEOs - and what's interesting is that not only are these official statements eerily similar to each other, using the same terms clearly designed by lawyers, they also directly contradict new reports from The New York Times. So, who is lying?
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/07/13 11:40 UTC
This story is getting bigger and bigger. Even though most Americans probably already knew, it is now official: the United States government, through its National Security Agency, is collecting the communications and data of all American citizens, and of non-Americans using American services, through a wide collaboration with the large companies in technology, like Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook, and so on. Interestingly enough, the NSA itself, as well as the US government, have repeatedly and firmly denied this massive spying on Americans and non-Americans took place at all.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/04/13 12:45 UTC
Ah, patents - the never-ending scourge of the technology industry. Whether wielded by companies who don't actually make any products, or large corporations who abuse them because they can't compete in the market place or because they're simply jerks, they do the industry a huge disservice and are simply plain dangerous. According to The Wall Street Journal (circumvention link), president Obama is about to take several executive actions to address patent trolls - which may seem like a good idea, but I am very worried that all this will do is strengthen the positions of notorious patent system abusers such as Apple and Microsoft.
Linked by nfeske on 05/31/13 10:12 UTC
With version 13.05, the developers of the Genode OS Framework take measures to ensure that Genode continues to scale well with a growing number of users and the steadily broadening platform coverage. Further highlights are the improved SoC support for Exynos 5, OMAP4, Raspberry Pi, i.MX, and new components for realizing headless systems.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/29/13 16:59 UTC
At the D11 conference, Apple CEO Tim Cook once again took the stage to be interviewed by Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher. While most of the interview can be replicated by picking and reading 10 random Apple fanblog stories - there were still a number of very interesting things that warrant some closer scrutiny.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/24/13 17:26 UTC
So, the Xbox One disaster continues. Microsoft's policy for dealing with the used games market has reportedly leaked - and it's a clear and direct attack to destroy the used games market. Prices for used games will be set at the retail value of a new game, and retailers have to hook into Microsoft's computer systems and comply with Microsoft's terms and conditions.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/21/13 21:38 UTC
At an event earlier today, Microsoft unveiled the next Xbox - the third model, but confusingly named Xbox One. The big focus was TV, integrated Kinect, and all the other stuff we all expected to be forced down our throats. I think it took them 25 minutes to actually come to what should be the core of the story: gaming. Nothing groundbreaking in the gaming department, except for how Microsoft intends to handle the used games market and borrowing games from friends: pay up, buddy!More Features »
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Member since:
2010-01-22
I agree (up to a point):
there should be 2 levels:
- root: master of the universe
- admin: capable of common tasks that affect all users on a box and yet is not capable to make liefe impossible (if you get my drift)
another distro for a macbook air ? WHY... the thing is designed for Mac OS... either you buy into that deal or you don't. I don't try to feed my cat dogfood either after all.
TomUK