Microsoft updates Windows without users' consent

By Scott Dunn Microsoft has begun patching files on Windows XP and Vista without users' knowledge, even when the users have turned off auto-updates. Many companies require testing of patches before they are widely installed, and businesses in this situation are objecting to the stealth patching.

Files changed with no notice to users

In recent days, Windows Update (WU) started altering files on users' systems without displaying any dialog box to request permission. The only files that have been reportedly altered to date are nine small executables on XP and nine on Vista that are used by WU itself. Microsoft is patching these files silently, even if auto-updates have been disabled on a particular PC.

It's surprising that these files can be changed without the user's knowledge. The Automatic Updates dialog box in the Control Panel can be set to prevent updates from being installed automatically. However, with Microsoft's latest stealth move, updates to the WU executables seem to be installed regardless of the settings — without notifying users.

When users launch Windows Update, Microsoft's online service can check the version of its executables on the PC and update them if necessary. What's unusual is that people are reporting changes in these files although WU wasn't authorized to install anything.

This isn't the first time Microsoft has pushed updates out to users who prefer to test and install their updates manually. Not long ago, another Windows component, svchost.exe, was causing problems with Windows Update, as last reported on June 21 in the Windows Secrets Newsletter. In that case, however, the Windows Update site notified users that updated software had to be installed before the patching process could proceed. This time, such a notice never appears.

For users who elect not to have updates installed automatically, the issue of consent is crucial. Microsoft has apparently decided, however, that it doesn't need permission to patch Windows Updates files, even if you've set your preferences to require it.

Microsoft provides no tech information — yet

To make matters even stranger, a search on Microsoft's Web site reveals no information at all on the stealth updates. Let's say you wished to voluntarily download and install the new WU executable files when you were, for example, reinstalling a system. You'd be hard-pressed to find the updated files in order to download them. At this writing, you either get a stealth install or nothing.

A few Web forums have already started to discuss the updated files, which bear the version number 7.0.6000.381. The only explanation found at Microsoft's site comes from a user identified as Dean-Dean on a Microsoft Communities forum. In reply to a question, he states:

• "Windows Update Software 7.0.6000.381 is an update to Windows Update itself. It is an update for both Windows XP and Windows Vista. Unless the update is installed, Windows Update won't work, at least in terms of searching for further updates. Normal use of Windows Update, in other words, is blocked until this update is installed."
  

Windows Secrets contributing editor Susan Bradley contacted Microsoft Partner Support about the update and received this short reply:

• "7.0.6000.381 is a consumer only release that addresses some specific issues found after .374 was released. It will not be available via WSUS [Windows Server Update Services]. A standalone installer and the redist will be available soon, I will keep an eye on it and notify you when it is available."
  

Unfortunately, this reply does not explain why the stealth patching began with so little information provided to customers. Nor does it provide any details on the "specific issues" that the update supposedly addresses.

System logs confirm stealth installs

In his forum post, Dean-Dean names several files that are changed on XP and Vista. The patching process updates several Windows\System32 executables (with the extensions .exe, .dll, and .cpl) to version 7.0.6000.381, according to the post.

In Vista, the following files are updated:

1. wuapi.dll
2. wuapp.exe
3. wuauclt.exe
4. wuaueng.dll
5. wucltux.dll
6. wudriver.dll
7. wups.dll
8. wups2.dll
9. wuwebv.dll

In XP, the following files are updated:

1. cdm.dll
2. wuapi.dll
3. wuauclt.exe
4. wuaucpl.cpl
5. wuaueng.dll
6. wucltui.dll
7. wups.dll
8. wups2.dll
9. wuweb.dll

These files are by no means viruses, and Microsoft appears to have no malicious intent in patching them. However, writing files to a user's PC without notice (when auto-updating has been turned off) is behavior that's usually associated with hacker Web sites. The question being raised in discussion forums is, "Why is Microsoft operating in this way?"

How to check which version your PC has

If a system has been patched in the past few months, the nine executables in Windows\System32 will either show an earlier version number, 7.0.6000.374, or the stealth patch: 7.0.6000.381. (The version numbers can be seen by right-clicking a file and choosing Properties. In XP, click the Version tab and then select File Version. In Vista, click the Details tab.)

In addition, PCs that received the update will have new executables in subfolders named 7.0.6000.381 under the following folders:

c:\Windows\System32\SoftwareDistribution\Setup\ServiceStartup\wups.dll
c:\Windows\System32\SoftwareDistribution\Setup\ServiceStartup\wups2.dll

Users can also verify whether patching occurred by checking Windows' Event Log:

Step 1. In XP, click Start, Run.

Step 2. Type eventvwr.msc and press Enter.

Step 3. In the tree pane on the left, select System.

Step 4. The right pane displays events and several details about them. Event types such as "Installation" are labeled in the Category column. "Windows Update Agent" is the event typically listed in the Source column for system patches.

On systems that were checked recently by Windows Secrets readers, the Event Log shows two installation events on Aug. 24. The files were stealth-updated in the early morning hours. (The time stamp will vary, of course, on machines that received the patch on other dates.)

To investigate further, you can open the Event Log's properties for each event. Normally, when a Windows update event occurs, the properties dialog box shows an associated KB number, enabling you to find more information at Microsoft's Web site. Mysteriously, no KB number is given for the WU updates that began in August. The description merely reads, "Installation Successful: Windows successfully installed the following update: Automatic Updates."

No need to roll back the updated files

Again, it's important to note that there's nothing harmful about the updated files themselves. There are no reports of software conflicts and no reason to remove the files (which WU apparently needs in order to access the latest patches). The only concern is the mechanism Microsoft is using to perform its patching, and how this mechanism might be used by the software giant in the future.

I'd like to thank reader Angus Scott-Fleming for his help in researching this topic. He recommends that advanced Windows users monitor changes to their systems' Registry settings via a free program by Olivier Lombart called Tiny Watcher. Scott-Fleming will receive a gift certificate for a book, CD, or DVD of his choice for sending in a comment we printed.

I'll report further on this story when I'm able to find more information on the policies and techniques behind Windows Update's silent patches. Send me your tips on this subject via the Windows Secrets contact page.

Scott Dunn is associate editor of the Windows Secrets Newsletter. He is also a contributing editor of PC World Magazine, where he has written a monthly column since 1992, and co-author of 101 Windows Tips & Tricks (Peachpit) with Jesse Berst and Charles Bermant.

The Next Leap for Linux

"The New York Times is taking a look at the state of Linux. "Linux has always had a reputation of being difficult to install and daunting to use. Most of the popular Windows and Macintosh programs cannot be used on it, and hand-holding — not that you get that much of it with Windows — is rare. But those reasons for rejecting Linux are disappearing." The article discusses major PC makers' newest offers and compares them to their Windows counterparts."

Ubuntu 7.10 Beta Released

The Ubuntu team is proud to announce the beta release of Ubuntu 7.10 and its
variants, Kubuntu, Edubuntu and Xubuntu.  Codenamed "Gutsy Gibbon", 7.10
continues Ubuntu's proud tradition of integrating the latest and greatest
open source technologies into a high-quality, easy-to-use Linux
distribution.

Ubuntu 7.10 on the desktop features a cutting-edge graphical experience with
composited desktop effects, fully automated printer installation, and
superior support for Firefox browser plugins.

Ubuntu 7.10 server edition brings enhanced security-in-depth with AppArmor
and easy install-time options for multiple common server configurations.

Desktop highlights
------------------

Compiz Fusion: This innovative compositing window manager enables 3-D
desktop effects that let users work with, and see, their desktops in
completely new ways.

Printer installation: In GNOME, printers are automatically configured for
use as soon as they are connected.

Free Flash support with Gnash: Ubuntu 7.10 leads the pack with a preview of
this Flash browser plugin.  Although still actively in development and not
yet fully supported by Ubuntu, Gnash gives a glimpse into the future of free
Flash, bringing partial Flash support to 64-bit desktop systems.

Automated Firefox plugin installation: Beyond the addition of Gnash, Firefox
in Ubuntu now supports automatic installation of popular plugins through the
standard Ubuntu package repositories, for a richer web-browsing experience
with the integrated security support of the rest of the Ubuntu system.

Please see http://www.ubuntu.com/testing/gutsybeta for details.

Server highlights
-----------------

AppArmor: This easy-to-deploy kernel technology limits the resources an
application is allowed to access and can be used to provide an added layer
of protection against undiscovered security vulnerabilities in applications.

Pre-configured installation options: Mail Server, Print Server, Database
Server, and File Server options join existing LAMP and DNS options for
pre-configured installations, easing the deployment of common server
configurations.

Edubuntu highlights
-------------------

Faster thin clients: Thin clients have been sped up significantly through
the use of compressed images.

Kubuntu highlights
------------------

As well as the above desktop highlights, the following new features are
specific to KDE users:

Dolphin file manager: This updated file manager gives Ubuntu users a glimpse
of the upcoming KDE 4.

Strigi desktop search: Another pillar of KDE 4 available now in Kubuntu.

Restricted-manager: Kubuntu 7.10 includes a KDE front-end for easy
installation of proprietary drivers, complementing the existing GNOME
front-end.

Please see https://wiki.kubuntu.org/GutsyGibbon/Beta/Kubuntu for details.

Other
-----

* On the Desktop: KDE 3.5.7, GNOME 2.20, OpenOffice.org 2.3.0rc1, X.org 7.2

* On the Server: Apache 2.2, PostgreSQL 8.2, PHP 5.2.3, LTSP 5.0

* "Under the hood": GCC 4.1.2, glibc 2.6, Linux 2.6.22, Python 2.5

The full release notes can be found at
http://www.ubuntu.com/testing/gutsybeta

About Ubuntu
------------

Ubuntu is a Linux distribution for your desktop, laptop, thin client and
server, with a fast and easy install.  Ubuntu comes in several variants,
including Ubuntu Desktop, Server, Kubuntu, Edubuntu and Xubuntu.  The Ubuntu
project makes no separation between our free edition and our enterprise
edition - this is our best work and it is freely available.

Used by businesses, home users, schools and governments around the world,
Ubuntu offers regular releases, a tight selection of excellent packages
installed by default and professional commercial technical support from
Canonical Ltd and hundreds of other companies.

To Get Ubuntu 7.10 Beta
-----------------------

Download Ubuntu 7.10 Beta here (choose the mirror closest to you):

 Europe:

   http://se.releases.ubuntu.com/7.10 (Sweden)
   http://nl.releases.ubuntu.com/7.10 (The Netherlands)
   http://ftp.snt.utwente.nl/pub/linux/ubuntu-releases/7.10 (The Netherlands)
   http://ie.releases.ubuntu.com/7.10 (Ireland)
   http://it.releases.ubuntu.com/7.10 (Italy)
   http://gb.releases.ubuntu.com/7.10 (Great Britain)
   http://de.releases.ubuntu.com/7.10 (Germany)
   http://fr.releases.ubuntu.com/7.10 (France)

 Asia:

   http://tw.releases.ubuntu.com/7.10 (Taiwan)

 Africa:

   http://za.releases.ubuntu.com/7.10 (South Africa)

 North America:

   http://ca.releases.ubuntu.com/7.10 (Canada)
   http://us.releases.ubuntu.com/7.10 (United States)

 Rest of the world:

   http://releases.ubuntu.com/7.10 (Great Britain)

Please download using Bittorrent if possible.

To upgrade from Ubuntu 7.04 to Ubuntu 7.10 Beta, follow these
instructions:

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/GutsyUpgrades

The final version of Ubuntu 7.10 is expected to be released in October 2007.

Feedback and Helping
--------------------

If you would like to help shape Ubuntu, take a look at the list of ways you
can participate at

 http://www.ubuntu.com/community/participate/

Your comments, bug reports, patches and suggestions will help turn this Beta
into the best release of Ubuntu ever.  Please report bugs through the
Launchpad bug tracker:

 https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/gutsy/+bugs

If you have a question, or if you think you may have found a bug but are not
sure, first try asking on the #ubuntu IRC channel on FreeNode, on the Ubuntu
Users mailing list, or on the Ubuntu forums:

 http://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-users
 http://www.ubuntuforums.org/

More Information
----------------

You can find out more about Ubuntu and about this preview release on our
website, IRC channel and wiki. If you are new to Ubuntu, please visit:

 http://www.ubuntu.com/

To sign up for future Ubuntu announcements, please subscribe to Ubuntu's
very low volume announcement list at:

 http://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/ubuntu-announce 

Vista Aiding Linux Desktop, Strategist Says...

Windows Vista has probably created the single biggest opportunity for the Linux desktop to take market share, Cole Crawford, an IT strategist at Dell, said in an address titled, "The Linux Desktop—Fact, FUD or Fantasy?".

For example, a number of companies have moved back to Windows XP after deploying Vista, Crawford said, before quoting Scott Granneman, an author, entrepreneur and adjunct professor at Washington University in St. Louis, as saying, "To mess up a Linux box, you need to work at it; to mess up your Windows box, you just have to work on it."

Microsoft has also owned the desktop for more than 15 years, Crawford said, "and so the only way for them to go is down. But Linux can only go up, and its growth potential is enormous. While Linux only has 1 percent of share on the desktop versus Microsoft's more than 90 percent, that is changing, and the Linux desktop is expected to gain some share over the next two years," he said.

The number of developers targeting Windows decreased by 12 percent in the last year, while their targeting of Linux has increased by 34 percent over the same period, recently released information from Evans Data shows, Crawford said.

The interoperability agreements that Microsoft has signed with Linux vendors, from Novell to Xandros and Linspire, have also had largely positive results so far, he said, adding that another plus was the fact that Linux development has shifted to a model in which a significant portion of the kernel is being developed by corporate entities.

On the downside, Crawford said, was the fact that no one actually owns the kernel and this makes SLAs (service-level agreements) more challenging. Microsoft also has a 15-year head start in the client market and most companies are still comfortable with Windows as an operating system, while the ISV/IHV ecosystem also still has a long way to go, he said.

But the days of vendor lock-in are over, Crawford said, and the fact that Microsoft is reaching out to the open-source community underscores its awareness of that. While the Linux desktop is not yet appropriate for everyone, its numbers are growing, he said

Crawford said a corporate desktop needs to be focused on the business user, compliant with company standards, interoperable, secure, and able to be shipped with an enterprise kernel and managed remotely, and to have standard applications installed.

"The Linux desktop can do all of that. It can be interoperable with earlier versions of the operating system, is generally interoperable with Windows, can ship with an enterprise kernel and can be remotely managed by existing management solutions," he said.

The driving forces behind the Linux desktop were innovation, freedom and the frustration with Windows, he said. Unlike with Windows, the community also has the ability to influence and drive the technology, which also works well on thin clients, Crawford said.

But a software packaging standard needs to be established, even though it would take a lot of work, while getting the drivers necessary for printers, audio and other things to work on Linux is extremely important, he said. "We also need to get the different distributions to work on a common release cycle," he said.

He said Linux is a lot more secure than Windows as it has no registry, since everything is a file, which needs permissions to execute. There is also no such thing as a DLL, which Crawford described as the second most evil thing in Windows behind ActiveX.

Linux is good enough today to run as a corporate desktop and, like any technology, does not have to be perfect, just good enough, he said, adding that even in a Microsoft environment it was possible to use a Linux distribution as a corporate operating system.

"This is the year of the interoperable Linux desktop. Standards are helping to drive adoption, while driver support will be the key to the success of desktop Linux. The opportunity to standardize and drive interoperability is paramount," Crawford said.

But the industry is also at a crossroads, and could follow the path of Unix or unify and drive adoption, he said. "If you want to differentiate, do so after we have started to win. We absolutely need to unify, we really do," he concluded.

- Peter Galli @ Ziff-Davis

Real-Time Linux: More Than You Ever Wanted to Know

If you're interested in Linux -- and particularly Real-Time Linux -- then keep your eye on the Open Source department where we continue to post papers from the the Eighth Real-Time Linux Workshop held at the at the School for Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, in Lanzhou, China.

Many of the papers are fascinating, and all of them interesting. Yesterday's post, for instance, Embedded RTLinux: A New Stand-Alone RTLinux Approach by Miguel Masmano, Apolinar Gonzalez, Ismael Ripoll, and Alfons Crespo. (If those names don't sound Chinese, remember that the Workshop was a "worldwide" conference, with papers from Real-time Linux experts around the world.)

Other papers range in topics from A Real-Time P2P Interactive Game Playing Application to A Linux-based System to Monitor Train Speed and Doors for a Light-Rail System.

And we will continue to post installments over the coming weeks.

-- Jonathan Erickson @ Dr. Dobb's

Holy flying penguins microsoft-man....

Via wins big Singapore Air Linux deal..

According to Network World, the system consists of a central Linux server that connects to a network of PCs installed under every seat on the aircraft.

Each economy-class seat will be fitted with a 10.6-inch LCD screen that offers resolution of 1,280 pixels by 768 pixels. Of course the screen is much larger in business, 15.4-inch, and first class which will have a 23-inch screen.

Passengers can choose to watch a movie or listen to a CD, which is streamed from the central server to the seat's computer.

Each seat has 40G bytes of hard-drive and will use a Via processor.

It means that each passenger will have access to 100 movies, 150 television shows, 700 music CDs, 22 radio stations, and 65 games on a flight.

It will also run Star Office and passengers can connect to the PC using a USB to take the novel they write on those long flights to New Zealand with them.

By Nick Farrell

Going door-to-door for Goolge

Posted by Elinor Mills

So, you want to work for Google but you don't have a graduate degree in computer science from an Ivy League school. How about being a Google local search ads sales rep contractor? As such you can earn up to $10 for each business listing that is approved by Google and verified by the business.

According to the FAQ on Google's Web site:

Google offers to pay $10 per listing for contractors who sign up business to advertise on Google Maps

(Credit: Google)

"As a Google Business Referral Representative, you'll visit local businesses to collect information (such as hours of operation, types of payment accepted, etc.) for Google Maps, and tell them about Google Maps and Google AdWords. You'll also take a few digital photos of the business that will appear on the Google Maps listing along with the business information.

Asked for more information on the program and whether it is supplementing or replacing a traditional ad sales force, a Google spokeswoman offered a statement that included this comment:

"This program will help people find local information using Google and Google Maps and help businesses take advantage of the Internet even if they don't have a website or online store. This is currently a pilot program intended to help local businesses in the U.S."

Back on the Google Web site the motivational speak is poured on thick:

"All you need to be a successful Business Referral Representative is a passion for helping local businesses succeed, a love for the Internet (some knowledge of Google is great, too), and access to a computer and a digital camera." Oh, and some good walking shoes, possibly a car and plenty of free time.

But don't expect to get any of the benefits or perks that Google employees get, like free food, paid vacation and health insurance.

Now, get out there and sell some ads!

Microsoft Meets the GPLv3

Now that Microsoft has declared itself untouched by any GPLv3 terms, everyone is trying to figure out if they have a leg to stand on. There is a whole lot of analysis going on, with some wondering if Microsoft is a distributor of software under GPLv3 by means of the voucher distribution and others wondering just what those vouchers included.

First, "distribution" isn't the issue with GPLv3. That is a GPLv2 question, as I'll show you. GPLv3 talks about "propagating" and "conveying", not just distribution. Propagation includes anything, including distribution but not limited to it, that would make you directly *or secondarily* liable for infringement if you lack permission. Convey means "any kind of propagation" that enables another party to make or receive copies of a work. Like selling them the vouchers, perchance? It's a much broader category of activities than just distribution, and I'll explain the terms that I think would have made Microsoft fit neatly into the "convey" category, had they not backed out. I think you'll be able to see how much more protection GPLv3 provides to your code than GPLv2.

And somehow I missed this earlier, but I now discover that if you read the marketing agreement between Novell and Microsoft more carefully than I did before, it turns out we can know what one got with the vouchers, and what they offered included software, upgrades, and support. No wonder Microsoft decided to pull the plug before any GPLv3 software began to be made available. I just don't know if that is enough to save them, since the vouchers they already sold have no expiration date.

by Groklaw

Workaround puts Skype on the iPhone

A complex remote-control work around has achieved what every geek wants: running Skype on an iPhone.

While some are working to unlock the iPhone, to use on other networks, others are working to give its users cheap calls using the popular Skype VoIP software.

The breakthrough comes from Tom Keating of TMC Labs, and is likely to be more of a proof of concept, as it uses a complex remote control application, and doesn't actually deliver free calls, though they may be cheaper.

Skype Mobile can be used on Windows Mobile phones to make free or cheap calls from Wi-Fi hot spots, but it has not yet been ported to the iPhone. Such a port is probably not a priority with AT&T, the phone operator providing the iPhone, or with Apple, although reviews have found the phone has good Wi-Fi performance.

The Skype-on-iPhone solution is described as a "workaround-around" using a remote control application, SoonR, to remotely use the Skype application running on the user's desktop computer, and make the calls from there.

It's a bit more complicated than that, however.

SoonR Talk is an AJAX application running on the Opera browser (which has to be installed on the iPhone). It connects to the desktop via the SoonR server, and then SoonR Talk sets up the call.

It dials out from Skype and makes a SkypeOut call to the mobile, conferencing the two calls together. This uses at least one and possibly two paid SkypeOut calls, which in many cases may still be substantially cheaper than dialling direct from the iPhone. For instance, unlimited SkypeOut credits for U.S. dialling can be bought for $30 per year.

By Peter Judge
work-around-puts-skype-on-the iPhone

Take Linux for a test drive -- it's free, after all

I really want you folks to try the free (free free free) Linux OS at some point in your life.

It has become a very credible operating system, even for typical PC users . . . though the whole concept is still alien and intimidating. Herewith is a list of Everything You Ought To Know Before Your First Linux Install:

1. Linux and its free software are a perfect choice for a "spare" computer, like the PC your kids use or the notebook that migrates throughout the house. For meat-and-potatoes Web browsing, e-mail, word processing, and media playing, spending $400 for legit copies of Windows and commercial apps can be overkill.

2. There's no "one" Linux. The Linux OS is a lot like English: It's all the same, technically, but the variants will prevent you from successfully ordering a submarine sandwich with fries and a Coke when you're 400 miles away from where you grew up.

3. Even with one specific kind of Linux, there are several distributions. A "distro" is a specific combination of the OS and various packages of drivers, installers, utilities, and user apps that make installing and using it either as smooth as silk or a nightmare from which you fear you shall never awaken. Visit distrowatch.com for a field guide.

My personal favorite distro is Ubuntu Linux (ubuntu.com). It has a huge, active support forum (ubuntuforums.org).

4. Your distro will arrive in the form of a "Live CD," which you can either purchase online for the cost of two X-Men comics or download as a 500 megabyte disc image and then burn. Boot your PC from this disc, and presto, you're using Linux, complete with a full suite of useful apps such as the Firefox browser and the OpenOffice suite of productivity apps. If you like what you see, you can install Linux directly onto your hard drive. If you don't, just shut down and eject. Your PC will be left untouched.

5. It's not necessary to choose between Linux and Windows. Your installer can create a "dual boot" system that can run both. Either way, use your PC's built-in utility to burn a "recovery disc" so you can re-install Windows.

6. The biggest stumbling block you'll encounter with Linux is getting it to recognize all of your PC's hardware. I mean you might have no WiFi. And your gorgeous 1600x1200 screen is downgraded to 800x600 resolution.

Sure, I've had Linux installations go smoothly. But that only happens when the distro you've chosen is exceptionally right for your PC, and includes all of the drivers you'll need. Google for the make and model of your PC plus "Linux" and "distro," and you'll quickly find a good candidate.

7. Don't be frightened off by some of the mega-complicated solutions you'll find in the help forums. Locating and installing the extra drivers you need is a job for Linux's built-in package manager.

So with Ubuntu, for example, getting your display running at full resolution merely requires that from the menu bar, you click on System >Administration >Synaptic Package Manager. Then search for the name of your video card, and then click a button to download and install the right drivers. Even better, package managers help you locate virtually any free software you might ever need.

8. Just creating a bootable, useful system is 80 percent of the install, and will take only 5 percent of your time. The next 10 percent of the project will take up to 50 percent. Getting the final 5 percent of your hardware working (like your notebook's headphone jack) might not be worth the investment.

9. Your existing peripherals will probably work fine. There are drivers for most popular printers, and if your digital camera or music player appears on your PC as an external storage device, it'll work with Linux media managers.

10. Remember that the world is a good and happy place, and that Linux's many creators and supporters wish you no harm.

By Andy Ihnatko
Andy writes on technical and computer issues for the Chicago Sun-Times.
(http://www.suntimes.com/technology/ihnatko/437301,CST-FIN-Andy21.article)

Ubuntu Mobile and Embedded Edition

The "Ubuntu Mobile and Embedded Edition", The first full release of the software, which will permit video, sound and full-featured Internet browsing, is due in October.

The software is geared for use on Intel's Mobile Internet Device platform and Mini-Tablet PCs using low-power processors and tiny keyboards. The "Ubuntu Mobile and Embedded Edition" will have a fast boot and resume times, and reside in a small memory and disk footprint. These new devices, small, handheld, graphical tablets which are Internet-enabled are going to change the way we communicate and collaborate .

Banks Want to Swim With the Penguins

The Bulls and the Bears may soon be standing on the unemployment line.

Tux the penguin, Linux's beloved mascot, is rapidly becoming the financial services industry's totem animal of choice. In fact, it seems that the only steadily rising statistic on Wall Street these days is the number of companies moving to open-source systems.

"Linux is probably the only good news that we've had in the financial industry over the past couple of years," said Keith Codell, a systems administrator for a Wall Street firm. "Linux is reliable -- it never crashes, it's secure. Wouldn't it be sweet if the market was more like Linux?"

Linux's influence on the banking and investment industry is expected to broaden this week, with the introduction of a Linux-based system that will provide some of the world's biggest banks and investment firms with the data and news they use to make trading decisions.

Reuters announced on Monday that its popular Reuters Market Data System, or RMDS, has been ported to Linux, in response to what Reuters spokespeople described as "intense customer demand."

"The call for RMDS for Linux has been astounding," said Peter Lankford, head of real-time content-management systems for Reuters. "And the response from our beta testers, even those who initially dismissed Linux as 'experimental technology,' has been overwhelmingly positive.

"They saw performance improvements and cost savings. These folks are bankers, and they know you almost never get more for less -- but this time they did."

Reuters began beta testing RMDS for Linux in October. Lankford wouldn't reveal names, but said the RMDS beta was tested in six of the world's largest financial institutions.

"I have to admit I was shocked at the complete lack of negative feedback," Casey Merkey, global program manager for RMDS on Linux. "You always get negative feedback in beta tests."

Merkey said that even the customers who were not convinced they wanted to use a Linux system converted quickly once they started using it.

"Some of our more challenging customers suddenly became my very best friends," he said.

Financial industry heavyweights such as Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse First Boston, Goldman Sachs Group and E-Trade have all announced major Linux deployments in recent months.

Anyone who attended this year's LinuxWorld tradeshow in New York noticed that many attendees appeared to have been bussed in directly from Wall Street.

Lankford said banks and investment houses are turning to Linux as a way to save money and improve performance and reliability.

"Financial institutions are sending their vendors a very clear message," Lankford said. "They need to reduce costs. To survive in the current economic climate they want open systems that lower total cost of ownership without comprising flexibility or increasing risk.

"Or, as the saying goes, 'It's the economy, stupid,'" Lankford said. "They spend less, and they get more. What could be better than that?"

"Better is exactly the point," said Mike Evans, vice president of business development with Red Hat. "You've got thousands of the best programmers in the world poring over Linux code, incorporating everything that we've all learned about how to build a better operating system.

"Yes, Linux is more cost-effective. It's highly efficient and rock solid too. It's a modern operating system."

Reuters worked with Hewlett-Packard, Red Hat and Intel to create a Linux-compliant version of RMDS that runs on Intel-based servers.

"Somehow, people don't seem to realize HP is so deeply involved with open source," said Judy Chavis, HP's worldwide director of Linux. "When we first began talking with Reuters, I think their people were surprised that we even knew how to spell Linux."

by Michelle Delio
Article Here

Sun pledges patents to defend Linux

In a surprise move Sun Microsystems CEO, Jonathan Schwartz, said the company was ready to use the company's extensive patent portfolio to help defend Red Hat and Ubuntu Linux against Microsoft's patent threat.

In a post on his blog, Schwartz compared the changing world of software to that of the printed media.

"There are all kinds of interesting parallels between the newspaper industry and the software industry. Both are undergoing tremendous change, creating havoc for some and opportunity for others. The industries have much in common - minimally, they're both rooted in creative writers (journalists and developers)."

The new challenge for the printed media, he writes, comes as the industry moves from strict editorial control to a range of user-generated content.

The one option, he says, is that the printed media can embrace these new changes. Alternatively, "they could sue the new technology media companies, claim they're stealing readers by violating patents held by traditional media. Imagine, 'We patented text in columns! Classified ads in boxes! Captions on pictures! Headlines in large type!' But they'd be suing the community - the moral equivalent of suing subscribers - stepping over the line of editor, into the role of censor. And censoring free media is a particularly awkward plea for those that believe in freedom of the press. Few have sued. Most, but not all, have evolved, through competition, acquisition, reorganization or rebirth. Those that failed to adapt have deservedly perished."

The software industry is going through exactly the same transition, says Schwartz:

"Our biggest competitor became, in the late 1990s, a product built by a company that aggregated and organised software from the open source community. They built little of their own, they relied on the software equivalent of community content, or free and open source software.

"Could we have sued them? Sure. Sun has what I'd argue to be the single most valuable and focused patent portfolio on the web (and yes, we'd use it to defend Red Hat and Ubuntu, both). But suing the open source community would've been tantamount to a newspaper suing the authors of their letters to the editor. We would've been attempting to censor rather than embrace a free press. It might have felt good at the time, but it wouldn't have addressed the broader challenge - community content was becoming more interesting to our customers than our professional content."

Here's the Open Invention Networks (OIN) statement about Microsoft's so-called patent infringements against Linux:

A recent article in Fortune Magazine raises - or more precisely, re-raises - tired, old allegations about the Linux operating system for the sole purpose of perpetuating unwarranted fear, uncertainty and doubt among current and potential Linux users and distributors.

This is not the first time that unsubstantiated claims of patent infringement have been leveled at Linux. Moreover, just as in the past, these claims are made without disclosing any evidence. It's time to stop the accusations and show the evidence. What's happening with these accusers is the equivalent of declaring four aces while being unwilling to show even a pair of deuces.

It's clear that these accusations are actually an admission of the rapid uptake of Linux in the marketplace, Linux' success in displacing legacy products of competitors and that Linux provides superior software in performance, security and stability.

Here are some facts to provide clarity around Linux and patents:

* There never has been a patent lawsuit against Linux. Never.
* Linux has excellent intellectual property vetting.
* Linux has thousands of high-quality, dedicated programmers.
* Linux creates a robust, secure computer operating environment.

In less than a year, OIN has accumulated more than 100 strategic, worldwide patents and patent applications that span Web / Internet, e-commerce, mobile and communications technologies. These patents are available to all as part of the free Linux ecosystem that OIN is creating around, and in support of Linux. We stand ready to leverage our IP portfolio to maintain the open patent environment OIN has helped create."

Emphasis added. In short, they will respond to any legal threat. It's part of what OIN was set up to do. It's not like the bad old days, when Microsoft could just walk onto the playground and everyone ran away in fear or burst into tears. Linux folks have been expecting this for a long time and have used the time to prepare. Nobody is crying or running away.

Balmer's Patent War

The Linux Foundation is preparing to defend any Linux user who is charged with violating Microsoft's patents. Microsoft's strong-arm, racketeering statements to Fortune Magazine yesterday stated that 235 of its patents are violated by various forms of open source code. There have been hundreds of cases against Microsoft that range from patent violations to anti-trust issues, why there is even a racketeering charge against the Redmond Mafia now. Three months ago a jury awarded a $1.52 billion patent judgment in favor of Alcatel-Lucent against Microsoft over the use of MP3 codices.

In another case, Microsoft was also found guilty in a $521 million patent infringement ruling over how Internet Explorer handled embedded content. It is Microsoft's software that is full of patent infringements and not Linux. In the past three years, Microsoft paid out more than $4 billion dollars in settlements and court awards for infringing on other peoples patents.

Microsoft is afraid of identifying any of these so called 235 patents because if they did, the Linux community would be able to show that their claims are invalid and unenforceable. Their claims are nothing more then an attempt to keep there anti-consumer monopolies going. After all, Microsoft Office is there greatest cash pig (cow). Microsoft is just trying to protect their crap-ware, because it yields $30 plus million a day. Just look at SCO, we all know what happened there.

Microsoft's words to live by...











Way to go Microsoft.

No Win32 API for you

There's something of a buzz going on within the world of IT concerning MS Windows Vista, which apparently restricts GNU GCC executables to 32MB. Is this by design or a bug? But, knowing Balmer's hatred for all users of Free Open Source Software. Well you know....

Executables created for the Wintel environment, using the GNU GCC compilers and language standards (but not linking to the Win32 API), are subject to failure (or performance degradation) when executed in Microsoft Windows Vista, because Vista arbitrarily restricts the memory space for the GCC executable to 32 MB (33,554,432 bytes).

Attempts to allocate more memory than this using the malloc(...) function (or related functions, such as calloc(...)) will fail. This limitation applies whether the application is executed with the Run command, within a Command Prompt box (DOS box), or with the Start command. This limitation does not appear in Windows XP, Windows 98SE, or standalone DOS; the exact same executable, running under Windows XP SP2 or Win98SE, is capable of allocating several hundred megabytes of physical memory (if present on the machine). The limitation appears to apply to any compiler and linker not employing Microsoft's proprietary Win32 API.

Zero Touch Linux Server Packages
(every-thing's included, even the kitchen sink)

Linux users wanting a quickly-configurable Linux server image that could handle a number of enterprise computing tasks, might want to get the latest version of Zero Touch Linux in the test lab.

The free software package, produced by online security services firm Comodo, includes an array of open source software stacks, Web, e-mail, DNS, database, file/print and firewall. Comodo installs all the packages onto Linux operating system image, and offers the whole thing up for free. Past versions of the system used the Trustix Linux distribution — a highly-secure version of Linux often used on machines running Linux-based firewalls, IDS/IPS, or other critical systems. The latest iteration of Zero Touch Linux now includes pre-installed CentOS and Red Hat-based images.

Zero Touch Linux includes a GUI-based administration tool to configure and tune all settings across all the applications packaged on the server, with Apache Web server, MySQL and PostgreSQL databases, IPtables firewalls and BIND DNS, among the services. A setup tool with the software also allows users to strip out packages unnecessary to the server's deployment task.

The software provides three levels of system access: Admin Level: for server management, Web site/domain creation and package installation; Domain Level: which allows for basic administration of services, such as Web, mail or database; and End User: which provides a simple Web interface, e-mail access (SquirrelMail is the Web-based mail server), and file uploading and downloading.

Get the latest software download for Zero Touch Linux here.

Don't be afraid, Linux isn't just for geeks

It came out earlier this week that Dell will soon offer computers running Linux instead of Windows. Not all of its machines, obviously — the company wants to stay in business — but Linux will be an option on at least two desktops and one laptop models.

It's going to be an interesting experiment. Linux is an incredibly powerful operating system, but it's a tinkerers' OS designed to let you get under the hood. There is also a huge base of developers who are coming up with new features, new software, and better ways to do things.

Older versions of Linux were strictly the province of geeks who wanted to play. But for the past several years there's been a large and growing movement to make it accessible to the non-geek — to make it as user-friendly as Windows, but with the power of the Linux community behind it.

The version of Linux Dell will be offering, Ubuntu (it's pronounced "oo-boon-too"), is one of the most popular, user-friendly, and well-designed versions — or distros —available. It's got all of Linux's power and stability, it's completely free (as is most of the software available for it), it's tweakable, and it's — mostly — easy to use.

But "mostly" is the key.

For me, part of determining whether Linux is ready for prime-time is whether it would pass the Minandeli test. That refers to my parents, Min and Eli, who are no longer novice Windows users, but far from experts. Could they use Linux?

That in mind, a few weeks ago I set out to play with the latest versions of some Linux distros. The four at the top of my list were Ubuntu and its sister, Kubuntu, as well as OpenSUSE and PCLinuxOS, all of which were reportedly well designed and easy to use.

Alas, the PCLinuxOS download sites were offline and OpenSUSE didn't like my monitor, so I spent my time with Ubuntu and Kubuntu. (They're based on the same underlying code, but have different desktops, analogous to hatchback and sedan versions of the same car.)

Conveniently, Dell played right into my hands by choosing to offer a Linux distro that I had an opportunity to use.

Smooth operators

Let no one say that Linux — specifically Ubuntu and Kubuntu — isn't a beautiful, mature operating system. It installs quickly and easily.

A Windows or Mac user would feel quickly at home, and would enjoy some of Linux's nicer features, such as my favorite: multiple desktops you can switch among.

And Windows has nothing on Adept, Linux's add and remove programs feature. It doesn't just help you remove unwanted programs. It also gives you access to hundreds of pieces of software — from simple games to powerful office applications — stored in online libraries called repositories. It's like having a huge software store at your fingertips, where everything is free.

And that's where you get the first inkling of Linux's weak spots. There are two facts about Linux that deeply affect the user experience. First, there is a huge and dedicated Linux development community. This is good and bad.

If you thought the amount of software that's preinstalled on a new Windows computer was bad, Ubuntu will knock you over. Sure, it's nice having all those free programs at your disposal (unlike what's on a lot of Windows systems, this stuff isn't trialware). But for someone just getting his feet wet on a new operating system it's what psychology professor Barry Schwartz famously termed " a tyranny of choice."

Want to play music? There are 11 music players to choose from, including Audacious, JuK, and Quark. Need a text editor? Would you prefer GTKedit, Kate, KEdit, KWrite, Leafpad, Mousepad, or xae? All are available with a click or two from the gigantic repository.

If you want to install something that's not in the repositories, though, you might run into another non-Windows-like aspect of Linux. It's much more modular than Windows, so many programs need other software in place in order to work — something called "dependencies."

Thus when I tried to install the Cinelerra video editor, I had to first install some other things, and some of those needed things as well. Had my geek gene not been expressing itself, it would have been impossible.

Linux users are comfortable with this, judging by a comment in an article written earlier this year about Cinelerra: "...installation is simple: I add the correct Cinelerra repository for my CPU, along with the Debian Multimedia repository, to my /etc/apt/sources.list file, then update and install Cinelerra."

Linux folks are some of the best tinkerers on the planet, so this kind of stuff is second nature to them. My parents, not so much.

And while Linux itself — especially the version Dell will offer — is slick, much of the software available for it is not. It lacks the polish of many of the applications you'll find for Windows and the Mac.

The GIMP, the Linux image editor on par with Photoshop, really isn't on par at all. Yes, you can do most of the same things, but if you're coming over from the Adobe product you'll find The GIMP rough around the edges, to say the least.

And if you want to do video editing, forget it. There are a handful of programs available, notably Kino and Cinelerra, but neither works as smoothly as, say, Sony Vegas or even Adobe Premiere.

The best office suite for Linux is OpenOffice.org, which is very, very good ... but, again, a step below Microsoft Office when it comes to smoothness and polish.

Is Linux a viable desktop option if you're buying a Dell computer? Absolutely, as long as you're not interested in video editing (and you image-editing needs are limited), and as long as you're willing to put up with rough edges in exchange for a free operating system, freedom from just about any virus, and the potential to tinker to your heart's content.

By Andrew Kantor
Read more of his work at kantor.com

The Apple iPhone Presentation Part 1




The Apple iPhone Presentation Part 2