Yet another reason to run Open Source software...

dalecosp

So, I've a customer whose computer (Win XP) I've had a few days too long. It's full of security holes and spyware, I'm quite sure it's been rooted (the SECURITY registry has shrunk from the default 256Kb to 40) and I spend an hour in the Repair console cleaning up.

So, I restore it to day one w/o reinstalling the OS (all the registries in %system%repair to system32/config) and take it down to another client's network that has a big 'Net pipe so I can reinstall every patch that's been issued (last time I did this via modem it was an all-nighter and more, at some 200 M😎 and hit the "Windowsupdate" site.

It's all "brand new" v5, and tells me I need XP SP2, but it can only be downloaded via "automatic updating". So I set the machine to do automatic updating at 1:00 p.m., and move the system clock to 5 'til....

But does it download squat? NO :mad:

So, the 64 dollar question (or maybe more $$), is how long do I sit at the colo waiting for M$ to decided it's OK to let this box upgrade itself??? They are performing a DOS on themselves, the idiots...

If it were my box, All I'd "need is a couple of formatted 1.44MB floppies and these directions."

LordShryku

http://autopatcher.com/
I use that for the Winders boxes. My dad actually shipped his box out to me last week for this same reason. It was infested with viruses and spyware. He took it into the local Springfield shop, the charged him 400 bucks, didn't remove all the viruses and rendered the OS unbootable. But I'll be damned if I try putting him on Linux...

goldbug

Originally posted by dalecosp
It's all "brand new" v5, and tells me I need XP SP2, but it can only be downloaded via "automatic updating". So I set the machine to do automatic updating at 1:00 p.m., and move the system clock to 5 'til....

But does it download squat? NO :mad:

Actually, I'm not so sure SP2 has been released via "consumer" channels yet (WindowsUpdate or AutoUpdate).
If you really want to install it, there's an IT Professional/Developer direct-download of it on the MS site, but it's meant for redistribution, so it's 200MB+

dalecosp

Originally posted by goldbug
Actually, I'm not so sure SP2 has been released via "consumer" channels yet (WindowsUpdate or AutoUpdate).
If you really want to install it, there's an IT Professional/Developer direct-download of it on the MS site, but it's meant for redistribution, so it's 200MB+

I may well buy it. At the b/w I'm sitting on here today, I could've grabbed it twice by now.

Hey, Lord ... why not? Does he play lots of games? 😉

[edit]Thanks goldbug ... it'll be finished in about 15 minutes now... 😃[/edit]

LordShryku

No, he's a biker, who up until a couple years ago, swore to die before he touched a computer. He has trouble with Windows. The day I try teaching him about ./configure, make, su, make install...he could possibly end up with permanent injury...

dalecosp

So, you put him on FreeBSD (or Gentoo with appropriate mods to the following), run Apache suexec, and code him up a lil' script that parses the ports tree and then runs "make install clean" in the directory he double clicks on .... 🆒

Hmm, but I'm not volunteering for that one, not yet, anyway.

Besides, it's starting to sound like some other Company ... :rolleyes:

planetsim

Originally posted by goldbug
Actually, I'm not so sure SP2 has been released via "consumer" channels yet (WindowsUpdate or AutoUpdate).
If you really want to install it, there's an IT Professional/Developer direct-download of it on the MS site, but it's meant for redistribution, so it's 200MB+

I heard SP2 still doesnt work with some Microsoft Apps :p not that I can install without something bad happening.

dalecosp

Originally posted by goldbug
Actually, I'm not so sure SP2 has been released via "consumer" channels yet (WindowsUpdate or AutoUpdate).
If you really want to install it, there's an IT Professional/Developer direct-download of it on the MS site, but it's meant for redistribution, so it's 200MB+

Every box I've looked at seems to think they should be downloading it ... icons in the systray, every one of 'em.

But none of 'em have so far. However, I got the IT version, and put it on one box. "Here you go, sir, latest patches ... can't get any more up to date than that"....

My own boxen can wait. My unofficial, unspoken (but soon to be spoken) policy is that no network I control will have any windoze box with a public IP address....and I'm tuning up my BSD firewalls with even beefier rulesets....

Sxooter

Originally posted by LordShryku
No, he's a biker, who up until a couple years ago, swore to die before he touched a computer. He has trouble with Windows. The day I try teaching him about ./configure, make, su, make install...he could possibly end up with permanent injury...

Ummm, have you installed anything fairly new like Fedora Core 2 or what not? Or Morphix?

They're easier to run than Windows, and I've only run ./configure / make /make install for really obsucre things (like beta testing PostgreSQL, something I'm reasonably sure your biker buddy won't be doing.)

After all the work you've put into trying to make this machine work, and knowing that six months from now you'll have to do it again, I can't believe you still think Windows is an "easier" OS than a good Linux distro.

LordShryku

Geez...
If it was my computer and my choice, no problem. But it's not. It's a man who has only been around computers for a short time, is comfortable using Windows, is stubborn, and doesn't want to call his son 3000 miles away every time he doesn't understand something.

Sxooter

My point was that most modern easy to use distros like Gnoppix et. al. are so simple that you never have to do the ./configure/make install boogie anymore, so for the novice user, it's like learning the MAC or something. I.e. pretty easy.

It certainly looks like Windows isn't so easy to use anymore, if his is chock full of spyware and acting up this bad. If he was running an OS that isn't so susceptable to those issues, he'd require little, if any support.

XeRoZeN

Linux? I want to use that (I tried it before I MESSED MY COMPUTER UP!) But I learn the hard way my dad always taught me that "If you break it you fix it" because that's the way I was raised and I repaired it 🙁 It takes months to learn Linux and I used Windows all my life..If I install Linux will I be able to play games like CS? UT2k4? NWN? I heard Linux wasn't used for gaming oO

drawmack

Originally posted by XeRoZeN
NWN?

Cool you play NWN too

tekky

Originally posted by dalecosp
.....
So, I restore it to day one w/o reinstalling the OS (all the registries in %system%repair to system32/config) and take it down to another client's network that has a big 'Net pipe so I can reinstall every patch that's been issued (last time I did this via modem it was an all-nighter and more, at some 200 M😎 and hit the "Windowsupdate" site.

It's all "brand new" v5, and tells me I need XP SP2, but it can only be downloaded via "automatic updating". So I set the machine to do automatic updating at 1:00 p.m., and move the system clock to 5 'til....
.....

You're in CO arent you dale? if so and you dont mind a trip out towards Aurora, I can hook you up with that 200 meg file... I downloaded it to my laptop about a week ago, could easily burn it for ya...

planetsim

Originally posted by XeRoZeN
Linux? I want to use that (I tried it before I MESSED MY COMPUTER UP!) But I learn the hard way my dad always taught me that "If you break it you fix it" because that's the way I was raised and I repaired it 🙁 It takes months to learn Linux and I used Windows all my life..If I install Linux will I be able to play games like CS? UT2k4? NWN? I heard Linux wasn't used for gaming oO

You should be able to play UT, in UT2k3 there was a linux version of it on Disc 3. Id say they wouldnt get rid of something like that especially as it was such a big thing back then. As for your other games more then likely not you can use wine which is a windows emulator but id check on there site if the game is supported.

LordShryku

http://nwn.bioware.com/downloads/linuxclient.html
http://www.unrealtournament.com/ut2004/downloads.php
http://www.counter-strike.net/linux_full.html

All those have linux clients...

dalecosp

Originally posted by tekky
You're in CO arent you dale? if so and you dont mind a trip out towards Aurora, I can hook you up with that 200 meg file... I downloaded it to my laptop about a week ago, could easily burn it for ya...

No, sorry. "Missouri chicken house" is literal both ways. MU Ag Extension designed building on a farm in the Show-Me State.

I pulled it down the very day I made this post. Took a while to find on the MS site, but like I said, I'd gone to a client with a good sized pipe. I got the whole 266 MB onto my lappy in about 19 minutes...

But I do appreciate the offer a good deal. Maybe if we head out that way for vacation, I'll call ya ;-)

tekky

ahh, I always forget who I know is where... kinda sad, my home cable connection downloaded that 266 faster than my work connection.... I would think the govt would run a bit bigger pipe for a friggin mil base.... guess comcast has its advantages when it comes to 3meg each way... (god im gonna miss that when I move next week grumble (but not the cost))

dalecosp

Originally posted by XeRoZeN
Linux? I want to use that (I tried it before I MESSED MY COMPUTER UP!) But I learn the hard way my dad always taught me that "If you break it you fix it" because that's the way I was raised and I repaired it 🙁 It takes months to learn Linux and I used Windows all my life..If I install Linux will I be able to play games like CS? UT2k4? NWN? I heard Linux wasn't used for gaming oO

<kadmin@archangel> [/usr/ports/games] [16:06]
% uname -sr
FreeBSD 5.2.1-RELEASE-p3

<kadmin@archangel> [/usr/ports/games] [16:06]
% ls | grep nw
linux-nwnclient/
linux-nwserver/
nwndata/
nwnusers/

So, you get a port skeleton with FreeBSD (if you install ports). But, you must also enable linux_compat ....

FBSD is interesting. You can do all sorts of things, but you've really gotta know how. Keeps the wizards at the keyboard, not on the screen, heh heh....