“The UK government has a ‘level playing field’ policy for use of Open Source Software, but although it is supposed to be considering “OSS solutions alongside proprietary ones in IT procurements”, this does not seem to have produced much in the way of significant deployments or contracts. And who is to blame for this apparent lack of movement? A smoking pistol placed before a Parliamentary Committee last week seemed to implicate that well-known partisan of Open Source Software IBM.” TheRegister reports. And all this while the press is expecting IBM to give a talk at Desktop Linux Consortium’s conference on Monday about Linux on the desktop.
Open Source Not Ready for Desktop, IBM Told UK Government
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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How do you account for the security of OpenBSD if the model is so flawed? Or for the NSA’s choice to use Linux in its security research? I think people like that have a lot more credibility than you do on this particular issue.
“For starters how is the EULA unfair you have the option to decline the agreement. ”
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If you want to use M$ products you HAVE TO agree to the EULA.I Agree. Everyone decline the EULA = No more M$ crap software.
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” if the end user of the software is keeping their systems up to date with the current patches and their firewall ect is secure. ”
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My friend was doing an install of winxp last month, after about an 50min the computer booted into the desktop where he was greeted by the latest virus, Msblaster. Seriously why would M$ connect to the internet during a setup and not turn on the firewall.
Also, you are aware of the 30+ exploits in IE that M$ WILL NOT ackknowledge. What you need to understand is that their patches are distrubted AFTER an outbreak instead of pre-empetivly.
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“your theory is flawed, along with the theory of open source code is more secure. Someone planted a backdoor in the kernel version 2.6 this past week.”
Alright explain to me why:
Apache(open source) = 65%marketshare, 5%virii/worms
ISS(Closed source) = 25%marketshare, 85%virii/worms
Also the backdoor never was planted, it was detected by a custom script and was removed immedeatly.
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“So in closing, NO one knows of how many backdoors are planted in open source software,”
LOL how do you know theirs no backdoors/malicous code in you closed source s/w. Can you audit it?NOPE!
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whoops that should be “lls”
Google or /. for NSA.
http://www.google.com/search?q=NSA+Microsoft
http://slashdot.org/search.pl?query=NSA
Direct links.
http://cryptome.org/nsa-sabotage.htm
Various links and dicussions about proprietary software and backdoors.
http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=03/11/06/058249
Well worked out post on the subject
http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=84891&cid=7404866
To me it’s obvious to trust a group of international hackers who’s code anyone in theory can read and check more than a company who only want money via several ”non-ethical” ways, and lick and have licked (see above) in the past a certain governments’… ehhh.. back…
PS> Dreamweaver and Photoshop are not desktop apps. They’re workstation apps. So there’s no point bringing up these sorts of apps in this discussion.
Maybe there’s a point in bringing up your ignorance, though. Dreamweaver and Photoshop are desktop applications. They run on desktop computers. While Photoshop was, at one point, supported on SGI workstations, it is now only developed for Mac and PC desktops. There is nothing preventing it from running on low, mid, or high performance desktop computers.
Dreamweaver is also a desktop application. It has never had a version written for any workstation class PC (Sun, SGI, et. al…).
All other questions aside —
How does support for your camera relate to an OS’s place on desktops in the workplace?
Well, gee, since I’m an art director for a digital media company the support for digital cameras, dv cameras, smart card readers, DVD burners, and scanners is very relative to the desktops in my workplace.
Lastly, that is an open ended question, the code is still written by Professionals and supported by an Organization that is providing the service updates.
Supported is a big word. They’ll provide patches but they won’t cover your ass if a failure is breaking down your setup. That’s not much different from OSS to me.
So in closing, NO one knows of how many backdoors are planted in open source software, it is impossible to say there are not any. The code is written all over the place, and everyone’s intentions are not good.
That’s very true what you’re saying… but you can say the same thing for closed source software. You have to trust the author as you can’t audit their code yourself. That’s why some open projects like OpenBSD are trying to avoid that by auditing the code whenever possible.
Second, the code that is written is not like the code written in a Commercial structured environment. I find it amazing how someone would trust system code off the internet or just because it is open source. A corporation that develops software is using principles, guidelines, and so on.
Of course, but you don’t have to trust the code blindly. You can audit the code if you want. You can say the same thing for closed source software… Yes, there are principles and guideleines, but do you think every developer are following them? If yes, then why there’s so many buffer overflows and stupid holes in Windows? Btw, I don’t flame MS, I know that Linux has as many holes, but Windows is a commercial software. Sadly, their licence don’t protect you from their oopsies.
Anonymous,
There are obviously specialized uses for which Linux is not ideal (although for many such uses, companies have begun writing in-house software). But how does one generalize from this, to the idea that it has no appropriate role on desktops in the workplace? That just doesn’t make sense. The fact that your company would be insane to try to adopt linux on its machines means very little in the grand scheme of things.
What can I say? Its ready for my desktop… But then I’m an obseessive nut who spent 8 hours a day 7 days a week for 9 months learning everything there was to know about Linux because I wanted to know what these Geeks were going on about when they said it was superior…
But for ordinary every day users… Perhaps not… They simply wouldn’t have the time, patience or determination that is required to become a proficent Linux user. But I don’t get what the debate is about? I mean surely the reasons for that can’t be a mystery to anyone?
I think it’s sad – and I think it is especially sad that Linux developers cannot agree on the need for standardisation… Standardisation is something that happend to the modern industrial world over 150 years ago – it is the driving force behind the industrial and ecconomic might of all developed nations… Perhaps when Linux developers accept that their lust for diversity is stifiling development, quality control, innovation and true mass scale acceptance, they might realise that genuine cooperation and a trully collective effort is really the ONLY way forward.
Q
Q
Well, I work in the Enterprise with Unix/Linux/Windows environment and the last thing I would want to do is spend my whole night studying operating systems. I want to spend time with my girlfriend/friends, also my other hobby motocross. Yes, it has its place, but it needs like you said standards. Then it needs be a operating system, without all the bundled applications that are of little use to the end user.
Second, an installation process that detects ALL hardware, if not detected have it available for download or manufacturer disk. Have the installation of software a point and click ordeal instead of the present disorganized state. This is a big jump that I believe linux will never quite be able to make.
Lastly, a version of linux that does not go bankrupt, stop supporting after a few months, stability, and the most important one STANDARDS. Without these critical functions included, it will remain the hobby operating system. With the current revelation of Redhat, just stating to use ‘Windows’ and droping support for (home versions) I do not see it happening.
Lastly, that is an open ended question, the code is still written by Professionals and supported by an Organization that is providing the service updates. Your theory is flawed, along with the theory of open source code is more secure. Someone planted a backdoor in the kernel version 2.6 this past week.
The main development is done on bitkeeper. When the malicious code was found on the CVS VERSION, bitkeeper stopped and sent out an alert. No code was in any danger.
As for the so-called “out of control development process”, every patch that is submitted to the project owner, the project owner then reviews it and then merges it into the main tree.
In a large development effort there is a review process done by people who have been deligated an area of development. Joe Bloggs may be in charge of all submissions regarding the html rendering within kdelibs for example.
The development process in the opensource world is open and transparent. Stop trying to bring about some sort of “reds under the bed” scare tatics because you only make yourself look like a bigger nimrod.
Lastly, a version of linux that does not go bankrupt, stop supporting after a few months, stability, and the most important one STANDARDS. Without these critical functions included, it will remain the hobby operating system. With the current revelation of Redhat, just stating to use ‘Windows’ and droping support for (home versions) I do not see it happening.
If you were going to use Linux in a commercial environment, you would purchase the Red Hat Enterprise versions which come with a fixed support period.
Again, stop coming up with “reds under the bed” scare tatics to somehow push your agenda.
Red Hat has NEVER said Linux was suitable as a home desktop solution. Hells bells, last year Red Hat said it would make a big push into the corporate desktop market via Red Hat enterprise, they were asked whether they would go into the home market, and even back THEN they said they had no intention.
Red Hat has never in the whole time they existed stated that Linux was perfect for the home user desktop, even when they sold Red Hat Linux 9, they said on their site that the focus audiance was hobbiests and Linux enthusiasts.
As for going backrupt, I would have greater concern owning software that requires activation and the company who produces it going belly up then some other company purchases the assets in a fire sale and forces all the old customers to upgrade to their offering.
>Anyone have any info on my camera: Panasonic VDR-M30 ? I
> cannot get it recognized under Linux.
works fine for me running GearSoft.
http://www.gearsoftware.com/
The Panasonic device is using DVD-RAM as storage you can mount
the camera just like a normal harddrive. ITs real easy
to do..
I hope i helped you with this!
****My friend was doing an install of winxp last month, after about an 50min the computer booted into the desktop where he was greeted by the latest virus, Msblaster. Seriously why would M$ connect to the internet during a setup and not turn on the firewall. ****
Seriously why one would connect computer to the Internet while installing an OS? This is big NO-NO for any OS, Linux included.
Why would not you explain your friend that first he/she must install OS, configure properly network settings, enable integrated Windows XP firewall or if it is WIn2K- install third-party firewall, and THEN plug netwrok cable to computer to connect it to the Internet?
Same applies to Linux: firewall configuration depends on the distro you use, there are more than 100+ of them. You never if one had firewall disabled by default. Better safe than sorry.
By the way, you know why disabling firewall made sense? Because FTP may not work with firewall (passive FTP will), some games fail to work with firewall, KaZaa and many other free music/movies sharing applications demand access to your computer from any other computer.
MS is about to ship Win XP with firewall enabled. I predict that in a month after that happens there will be a lot of articles in ZDNet and other media, flames in Slashdot about bad bad bad Microsoft breaking applications, abusing its monopolistic position, and forcing home users either abandon KaZaa or risk screw their computer by playing with firewall settings.
That all will be labelled as a conspiracy from Microsoft to control your computer, an example of how monopolist decides what you can and can not do with your software, and RIAA/Microsoft plot to stop users from sharing music.
Happy now?
***Also, you are aware of the 30+ exploits in IE that M$ WILL NOT ackknowledge.***
Microsoft is in real big denial on that one. I have Win XP with IE will ALL patches applied, tried that infamous Web page listing 30+ IE exploits MS does not acknowledge, and know what?
MS really DOES NOT acknowledge most of these exploits, up to the point that my IE refused to be exploited.
That level of denial is outrageous!
“Same applies to Linux: firewall configuration depends on the distro you use”
isnt there the netfiler/iptables imbedded into the kernel?
>isnt there the netfiler/iptables imbedded into the kernel?
In Win XP an integrated firewall is embedded into the kernel, too.
What commands did you use to mount the DVD-RAM disc after connecting the USB cord? I get an error saying unrecognized device, and no new /dev entries to attempt to mount (afaik).
“If you want to use M$ products you HAVE TO agree to the EULA.I Agree. Everyone decline the EULA = No more M$ crap software.”
Not entirely accurate. If you want to install Windows 9x, all you have to do is run the command “setup /iw” and it will skip the EULA. Since you did not agree to it, you are legally not bound by it even if click-wrap liscences are considered a legal contract. Easy way to get around it.
Don’t you have to agree to it when you open the packagine? And who is going to be installing the 9x series?
It never ceases to amaze me the amount of general prejucide that’s directed at Open Source. Believe it or not, MS had some degree of success in their FUD-spreading when they portrayed the OSS community as hobbyists, hackers, and amateurs. I have quite a few friends who run Windows exclusively and they’re quite good with it (working their way through their bachelors’ in comp eng while doing helpdesk stuff on the side…by no means computer illiterate). I’m almost afraid to use my desktop in front of them. If something goes wrong with Evolution and I have to kill a daemon from the command line (very seldome, but once in a blue moon it’ll happen), they’re all over me with “eh, that’s Open Source for ya!” and “really…and you put up with this…” and all sorts of other tongue-in-cheek responses. Of course two weeks after something like this happens, one of the guys who was doing it is reinstalling XP. Why? He was trying to burn a cd when it bluescreened, shut down, and wouldn’t boot up again. The OS just ate itself. Apparently, THIS is acceptable behavior. The occasional Evolution quirk is not.
Go figure.
We are getting plenty of support from IBM. 😉
Follow the IBM link here:
http://linux.pegasosppc.com/
R&B
http://www.genesi.lu