Posts by Grogan

Ubuntu Unity hanging by a thread as wunderkind maintainer gets busy with life

LOL... I always thought, "what 10 year old designed this crap". Now I know :-)

(I don't like Unity, it's a disconnect from the way I expect a GUI to work... and I have used a lot of different desktop environments and window managers)

Cyber exec with lavish lifestyle charged with selling secrets to Russia

Re: Oh please, what a load of bollocks

You cunts will try to whitewash anything...

Re: Oh please, what a load of bollocks

Absolutely, the U.S., Israel, Saudi Arabia, Russia and their sycophantic allies are the new Axis of Evil.

An historical example of "using cyber weapons for good" was the joint American/Israeli venture that spread a worm (Stuxnet) across the Internet whose sole purpose was to target logic controllers, used by, but NOT EXCLUSIVELY by, Uranium refinement centrifuges in Iran. This worm cost millions of dollars in many countries and could have caused deaths if PLCs of that type were compromised.

Apple’s AirDrop makes weird latency spikes for Wi-Fi wonks, researcher finds

Umm, piss off Apple. I use a wifi analyzer and use channels that aren't impeded on by neighbouring wifi networks and I wouldn't appreciate that impedance. I'm pretty fussy about that. Moreover, my personal AP uses a different channel (along with attenuated TX power so it only covers my office) than the main wifi network. This is important configuration Apple is trying to dictate.

Nobody here uses Apple products, only visitors, and nobody is going to be air dropping anything or dropping "air print" jobs anyway, though. The printers (we buy Brother laser printers nowadays) are connected to ethernet with static IPs and have their wifi radios turned off. It's just the principle of the matter here that irks me.

Google nukes 3,000 YouTube videos that sowed malware disguised as cracked software

Re: Google took 4 years to find this?

Crap like that (sabotaging, monetizing my videos without my consent, marking video game nudity as "adult content") is the reason I stopped posting videos to youtube. If I want to post a video I host it on my own web server where I control everything. It's in Canada, as am I, and subject only to Canadian law, too.

AlmaLinux gives Btrfs a home after Red Hat kicked it out

In some ways, yes. The distro itself is compatible (or can be made compatible by not using btrfs) layout and software wise, but that doesn't mean another vendor can say they support "AlmaLinux 10" with their product, if for this example their product doesn't work with btrfs filesystems.

They really aren't drop-in replacements for RHEL anyway, though, like CentOS mostly was.

The old saying, "the harder you squeeze, the more that will slip through your fingers" applies here :-)

Chamber of Commerce sues over Trump's $100K H-1B paywall

Re: USA how to slowly go broke

The asscracks who run the kleptocrackcy?

How malware vaccines could stop ransomware's rampage

Well... that sounds about as useful as "virus definitions" in this day and age. You going to need different fake files and tomfoolery for every trojan? Moreover, it's only going to work against specific ones that do that kind of "scanning".

Then, if usage of this becomes widespread, what do you think is going to happen when the malware authors change their behaviour to combat it? A cat and mouse game, worse than current solutions.

This is probably just spinning wheels.

Mozilla is recruiting beta testers for a free, baked-in Firefox VPN

Re: Plethora

Yeah, well real world data here shows that it doesn't. Hence, they are outlawed. We use police officers to stop dangerous drivers, and pull them right off the road (impound their vehicles, suspend licenses on the spot, lay criminal charges). So what if you're exceeding the speed limit. What counts is safety, not some jumped up infraction. You have to be doing something else unsafe, or seriously speeding to get a ticket here, and even then the officers reduce it. So you'll see mostly minimal tickets, like going 100 km/h in an 80 km/h zone when really you were clocked at over 120 km/h. They wouldn't even bother you for minor speeding infractions if you're otherwise behaving. That is the judgement that's missing from "speed cameras"

Re: Plethora

Libertarian? Blow it out your ass... I'm more of a left wing scofflaw. I'm not the only one that thinks this way about traffic speed cameras... as they are outlawed here.

Anyway, the point was that we aren't supposed to object to, and circumvent "the rules". People who say things like that are tools.

Re: Plethora

Rules are for tools. Others like to do their own thinking.

Speed cameras do nothing to stop a dangerous driver or make roads safer, they just result in fines coming in the post after the fact. They can't even penalize the driver, only the vehicle owner and thus, there are no demerit points as disincentive either here. Speed cameras are disallowed in my province as they serve no purpose other than a money grab. Fines just piss people off, and pissed off, broke people don't spend money on legitimate goods and services that help the economy and generate tax revenue. This is something nanny state, authority worshiping tools don't understand.

VMware to lose 35 percent of workloads in three years – some to its friends at ‘proper clouds’

Re: moving from VMWARE to AWS

I've got all of AWS networks blocked (-j DROP) by iptables rules on my web server. Similarly with tencent, huawei, digitalocean cloud services. I only care about human butts on chairs using web browsers, so nothing of value is lost. ANY network hosting bots (e.g. distributed botnets) can fuck right off too, including entire /8's assigned to ISPs in shithole countries where numerous bots are coming from.

Techies tossed appliance that had no power cord, but turned out to power their company

So the powered down device was unknowingly functioning like a hub? That's pretty silly of them. (That isn't doing any kind of "security" filtering if it's a non-powered device... that's bullshit)

I'm not sure I'd blame "Steve" for that. As for the unauthorized data center visit, that should be on Steve's boss.

Brits sitting on £1.6B gold mine of Windows 10 junk as support ends

If you get slaves to recover the metals in some shithole country, maybe. Otherwise it's going in the landfill like the rest of the junk generated by planned obsolescense.

Better to sell the used devices to people who don't care about Microsoft's dictates. Most of them from that time period probably would work well with a Linux system installed.

As real life banks close, network operator starts a Scam School to stop Granny getting mugged online

Re: Fascist Britain

People conflate fascism, communism and dictatorship because the end symptom they perceive most is authoritarianism. No system where you have to force detrimental political, economic and social (think religion) "policies" on people can survive without "cracking heads".

No account? No Windows 11, Microsoft says as another loophole snaps shut

Re: side benefit for microsoft

The simpering, canned answers there have always sickened me. Yes, it's about brandishing the credentials too... people fawn all over that.

Re: It's almost as if...

The level of abuse that people endure, is exactly the level of abuse that they will tolerate :-)

Re: They are fighting against the kind of people they NEED as Windows users

Lately I've been wiping Windows loads for people who want Linux without even booting it up once. The first thing that goes into the machine is a Ventoy boot stick with several Linux installer images to choose from. The Acer computers/laptops (AMD processors and graphics) I've been getting for people work well.

I don't like to get involved with Windows 11 much, but now I'm going to outright refuse to deal with it. I've all but quit doing service because of Windows 11 as it is.

So yes, consider me one of those people who you can no longer call on to help with Windows.

Fuck you Microsoft, I'm going to refuse to work on Windows 11 computers.

They make everything difficult and undo configuration with updates, so the only thing left is to make it someone else's problem.

I've got some pretty happy Linux users nowadays, this is incentive for more.

Taliban impose tele-ban and take Afghanistan offline

You grow up (evolve)... this is a real concern. The Bush admin set up an Internet kill switch and the authority to use it. They can shut down the root servers and order American communications companies to shut off their pipes.

Employ your favourite search engine and verify it yourself (it's not my job to educate troglodytes)

... and by the way, I'm not in the U.K. whom I would also criticize, I'm in Canada. You know, those people up north that used to be your friends.

America controls the root domain servers, AND most of the major communications companies intertwined are American.

Before the Trump regime falls, he'll shut down the Internet to try to protect himself. I hope everyone is ready to deploy alternate domain servers and route around their sabotage.

Schools are swotting up on security yet still flunk recovery when cyberattacks strike

Re: Schools in the internet age

There is no reason to change a good password that isn't compromised. I never liked password expiry and forced changes. My next password is likely to be a variant of "fuck you" adjusted to fit their policy, if forced to change it (likely weaker than my previous one). I refuse to set a password I can't remember.

Aurora immutable KDE Plasma workstation: Big, slow, and confusing

Re: Oh piss off Liam.. :P

With the exception of certain embedded devices, I think immutable systems are silly.

Arch Linux takes a pounding as DDoS attack enters week two

Re: I don't understand

I use Arch because I like the package building system. It's very easy to make custom packages with those PKGBUILDs. The system is very flexible for advanced users, and dead nuts simple (maybe a novice might have trouble with the install) for non-advanced users. They provide packages for just about everything.

There are plenty of Arch derivatives that make it easier for people too. Manjaro, EndeavourOS, CachyOS etc.

Linux Mint picks up the pace with LMDE 7 and Wayland-ready Cinnamon

Re: GTK3 and the Gnome team........

Very hideous, painfully ugly, but it was also very light weight and reliable. I quite liked GTK+ 1.x. I no longer have anything that uses it, so I don't have it anymore, but at the time you couldn't pry some of my old programs from my stiff, dead fingers. I still used old versions of gftp, xchat, sylpheed for years... by customizing the options and disabling features I didn't like/need I had programs like that down to around 300 kb.

I still don't even really "like" (but it's usable) GTK+3, and prefer GTK+2 whenever there is a compile option for it. GTK+4 is not allowed on my systems. If I can't compile around it (no GTK+3 option at compile time), I simply won't use the software. I especially detest libadwaita.

Re: "Please don't theme our apps"

I think libadwaita was invented to make styling difficult, to enforce their vain fugly defaults... I really hate that Gnome mentality. ("asking" distributors to stop customizing Gnome... or else they are going to remove the functionality)

Trump backpedals as Hyundai factory ICE raid enrages South Korea

Re: Work visas, really? Where are they?

Are you really this obtuse or are you posturing? When a foreign company comes to set up a factory, they bring their own people to set it up. Or do you think Ford and GM get Mexicans to build their factories? Those people were not illegal immigrants.

Visas? They'll only ask for that AFTER they've arrested you and they aren't going to let you out of their clutches. It's all about numbers to them.

ICE fucked up here, and cost American jobs. Trump is soon going to get tired of so much winning. You're all going to find out just how many friends you don't have, too, if you leave your little world, with the way this administration is shitting internationally.

Think tank warns China's polysilicon subsidies are frying Western fabs

Re: Nice bit of VoiceOfTruth propaganda there

Except that it's true... America can never compete honestly with anyone. If someone else becomes an economic threat, they work to embargo and/or destabilize them.

If you don't like the criticism, fix your country and its policies.

1,200 undergrads hung out to dry after jailbreak attack on laundry machines

Re: Temporary workaround

Most people would put money in that box. Given trust, people are actually more likely to behave (I tend to operate that way myself... it then becomes a matter of honour and pride). Of course some people would cheat (especially if they didn't have coins or small denominations) but it would indeed do until they figure something out.

FCC plans to kill Wi-Fi on school buses, hotspots for library patrons

Re: Control flow of ideas

It's soon going to be time for the rest of the world to bypass the U.S. and maintain their own root servers. Actually it's past time, this should have been done a long time ago. Those dangerous, insufferable assholes should NOT be in control of that. In their hands, it's essentially a kill switch for anything they don't like, and the entire Internet itself.

Frostbyte10 bugs put thousands of refrigerators at major grocery chains at risk

That should be pretty chilling for operators of these refrigeration devices :-)

ZipLine attack uses 'Contact Us' forms, White House butler pic to invade sensitive industries

Once again, the problem is humans. It doesn't matter how many tricky emails get through to me, I'm not going to bite. I don't "trust" things just because they come through my contact forms (whitelisted, local) v.s. sneaking through my spam filters.

Sure, you have meeting details in a password protected zip file... that's legit ( /sarcasm )

Fix your employees.

One long sentence is all it takes to make LLMs misbehave

Re: This paragraph should be repeated in every "AI", i.e. LLM article

It depends on the intended use of the bat...

Google kneecaps indie Android devs, forces them to register

It's time to stop buying these asshole devices, then. I paid $500 for my phone, I'll install whatever the fuck I like on it.

This is just Google thinking they can control and monetize everything and squeeze out hobbyist and independent devs. They have turned Android into quite the piece of shit since I first started using these devices. I only bought into that environment because of the freedom.

I use the F-Droid store because it's got some better apps, but I'm kicking myself for not buying a Pine Phone this time. My reservation was that it might be difficult to find a carrier around here that it would work on but I'm not sure that's valid.

Australian university used Wi-Fi location data to identify student protestors

I remember an idiotic judge in Greece banned ALL computer games back in the 2000's because of "gambling". It didn't last long but it goes to show you what non-technical judges with a lot of power can do. Even India's ban of "online money games" will do more harm than good. Online gambling will just go underground with digital currency instead of credit cards, and there will be NO protection against fraud. Gambling is like a drug addiction to some people and they will find ways.

US government snaps up 10% of Intel for $8.9B

Fuck right off. I'll never buy another piece of Intel hardware again, with the U.S. government (and some of its cronies) having controlling interests in the company. I wouldn't trust them with my snot.

This is despicable kleptocracy on display, akin to what Putin does.

AWS CEO says using AI to replace junior staff is 'Dumbest thing I've ever heard'

Re: Hey kids

That's so true... you can get your $20/hr "handyman" to come and spend the day figuring out how something is supposed to go, or you can call a $100/hr professional (e.g. electricians, service technicians) that comes promptly, in and out in half an hour, no muss, no fuss, no mess.

A dumb ass "handyman" will paint the floor first, wait for it to dry, then paint the walls and ceiling the next day and have to fix up the floor where paint dripped on it again (for a recent example). You could have gotten professional painters that would have gotten all of it done in a day (maybe come back the next day to remove tape and put light switch covers/fixtures back), v.s. having to put up with, and pay, Mr. Clever for a week and a half.

AI crawlers and fetchers are blowing up websites, with Meta and OpenAI the worst offenders

On Tuesday, July 22 (the day I decided to do something about it!) I had 650+ simultaneous bots all hammering away on my web forum (where we have large publicly viewable attachments). I played a cat and mouse game for several days, looking up IP addresses (whois) finding IP allocations, banning the networks of cloud providers they were coming from, like AWS and tencent, then they switched to distributed attacks (bot trojan on client computers?) on residential networks and I proceeded to block networks from India, Mexico, Brazil, Pakistan, Indonesia as well as some RIPE and APNIC assigned blocks. All with various forged user agents that make them look like typical clients (Android/chrome, webkit, safari etc.) so IP blocking is the only way. It has all but stopped, except for a few ISP networks in the U.S. that I don't want to block.

A nice big fuck you to the many millions of IP addresses covered by my list of CIDR blocks. Nothing of value has been lost to me.

Reckon you can put a nuclear reactor on the Moon?

The problem isn't building and operating a reactor on the moon, it's the RISK of contaminating our planet when launch vehicles carrying nuclear material crash or explode in atmosphere.

They would have to find a source of fissionable materials elsewhere in the solar system, and build enrichment facilities. I don't think anyone is going to approve sending nuclear materials by chemically propelled rocket launch (our current technology).

Linux is about to lose a feature – over a personality clash

Re: Anecdotally... No To BTRFS Too

I have never lost one byte of data on ext2 through ext4. I always stick with "ext" filesystems because they are usually the best supported (by the kernel devs) and most reliable. Distributions are silly for making filesystem du jour the default. Some of them did that with reiserfs too back in the day, which was fine and dandy until you had corruption and reiserfsck finished it off for you.

No more Blocktoberfest? German court throws book at ad blockers

Re: Look at this the other way for a moment.

Watching network TV is a thing of the past for me, but we used to just channel surf (or look at the guide to see what else is on) during commercials. If other syndicated channels are timed to have commercial breaks at the same time, there's always something that doesn't. I refuse to watch advertising. I refuse to operate a web browser without blocking ads, unwanted scripts and content.

Nabiha Syed remakes Mozilla Foundation in the era of Trump and AI

Re: Success ?

You don't get to call openness, inclusivity and equality "political". THAT is the basis for people thinking for themselves, instead of YOUR ideology suppressing theirs in the name of "freedom".

The plan for Linux after Torvalds has a kernel of truth: There isn’t one

Why is it a lame outdated design, because it isn't a "microkernel"? Does Polly want a cracker? (posturing parrot)

Pay attention, class: Today you’ll learn the wrong way to turn things off

Or... type shutdown -h instead of shutdown -r (in the days before servers had remote power switch access, you'd be calling the datacenter night support staff lol) thinking it's time for bed and shutting my workstation down instead of rebooting a server.

Torvalds blasts tardy kernel dev: Your 'garbage' RISC-V patches are 'making the world worse'

Also, Linus would be first in line to help you bring your coding up to the kernel's standards, if you have the right attitude.

I used to subscribe and post to the kernel mailing list years ago and I've seen it many times. Once even explaining a complex problem to me, a user with a broken driver (I felt so silly that he spent his time on me like that). He's actually a very nice man, and most of his "brash" behaviour is more jovial than malicious.

Hanging up: AOL to pull the plug on its dial-up service after 36 years

I never did thank AOL for all the free floppy disks they foisted their shitware on, in the early to mid 90's. I used to put a piece of tape over the write tab, erase the disk and use it :-)

Then they switched to sending out CDROMs which were only useful as drink coasters and art project materials for kids.

Trump calls for Intel CEO's head over alleged China links

Fascism 101... dictator exerts control over business and industry.

Arch Linux users told to purge Firefox forks after AUR malware scare

It's like me not wanting to buy anything from the U.S. because of the "political beliefs" of its leaders, or something.