Posts by Jou (Mxyzptlk)

You think ransomware is bad now? Wait until it infects CPUs

Doom in Microcode?

Or DOS in Microcode? (yes yes, not traditional x86)

Those CPUs have such large caches, why do we still have RAM? Each AMD CPU (Zen2 or higher) core can run his own copy of doom....

37signals is completing its on-prem move, deleting its AWS account to save millions

Re: Just curious

That answer is very simple: It works for some but not for all.

When we see our customers: Most enter the cloud not out of free will, but out of 100% pragmatism. And they only move that stuff into the cloud they have to move. Some went full cloud, but that is not the norm.

Re: "Someone Else's Computer" is nonsense

I've seen cloud audits where 20% of booked resources (not including accounts of former employees) turned out to be forgotten, and quite an amount of "just in case" on top. There is no difference, chaotic companies just have the same chaos in the cloud. For a higher price.

Re: I have this Debian server at home...

Well, no, hot patching without reboot is a relative new concept for linux too. And you still have to reboot for kernel updates.

There are system out there which can do that stuff without any reboot ever, literally for many decades. But those are special narrow specific purpose OS-es, and not general purpose like Windows/Linux/Mac/most other OS-es.

UniversitiesLarge entities seem to specialise in a form of obtuse accounting.

Fixed it for you :D.

Re: Press X to Doubt

> But there's absolutely no way that operating 18 petabytes of storage could cost "less than $200,000 a year".

The admins responsible are not 24/7 ONLY STORAGE responsible. Possibly a few days a year in total. The rest they do other things, like turning the mice around so the cursor moves as the user expects, plug in the wireless dongle, or swap the battery of such mice.

Re: I have this Debian server at home...

Yep. I discovered several servers with years of uptime. Record is > 1280 days on two Server 2012 R2 hyper-v cluster hosts in 2019. No one would have noticed until I came along and pointed out, and it had > 100 updates in the windows update queue. Server 2008 R2, hyper-v too, > 800 days seen. If you don't give the OS stupid application tasks which fail to de-allocate (hello IIS and Exchange!) it can chug along for a surprisingly long time with no issues at all. I've seen NT 4 / 2000 / 2003 servers with uptime greater a year too, but there you usually notice a performance degradation.

Insert Schrödingers Windows Server experiment here, since you never know what you will find until you look.

But, given the current way the world is, you need to update much more regularly. Every OS, no exception allowed any more. Don't try the "security by obscurity" thing, that does not work any more.

Yolk's on you – eggs break less when they land sideways

Re: Conclusion

Jup, they need a control group experiment with average EU eggs. Create a three-dimensional table with location, nutrition, and treatment after production, withe two values in each cell for straight and sideways mistreatment.

Re: 8 9 or 10mm

Hairline fracture is only a problem when the egg lost its natural protection. In EU, and most of the other world, the eggs are not strongly scrubbed with chlorine, just soft treatment with a brush to get superficial dirt off. And they stay fresh for days without cooling.

In USA, which I just guess you may be from, the eggs are treated in a way to kill the natural protection. Result: You NEED to keep them in the fridge, and hairline fractures are more an issue.

Re: Useful

You have to adjust to what you will do! Crack on the side good a good controllable to halves, especially if you want to separate the white from the yellow. Cracking at the top allows to spill the egg directly on top of, for example, pizza or pide.

Original aricle: One crack = break.

The research article contains the, for me, important detail missing in the reg article: A crack is already enough damage to be seen as "broken", even is the egg itself stays intact after the crack, i.e. no liquid contents spilling. And they show details about the egg-mounting.

EU tells US scientists to dump Trump for a lab in Europe

Re: Over than 3 orders of magnitude

Check your sources, 'cause you included industrial and private financed research. And even then I'd love to see the source. And the 500 mill are on top of existing EU grants.

It is like you INSIST that this MS13 tattoo is not a photoshop (or rather pbrush) job.

Re: Over than 3 orders of magnitude

You mean, mid-Biden-time?

Re: Universal Healthcare

This is true. I wrote what the laws dictate. Quite a number of employers add a on top.

Re: Universal Healthcare

Yep, the hate-followers have so much energy - if only we could harvest that wo wouldn't even need solar!

Universal Healthcare

not constantly beeing afraid to get shot, anywhere.

If you have kids: They don't need a bullet proof backpack.

The cops in Europa not there "to get ya!".

If you are black you will enjoy the "invisibility", you won't feel under constant surveillence by "the authorities".

Cost of living is cheaper. You need half, quite often even only a third of the annual amount of money just for living.

Education ist (mostly) free, and when it is not free the costs are laughable.

20 to 30 days actual paid vacation. You are expected to be UNreachable when you are on vacation, the people and bosses respect that.

You are not expected to do overtime by default.

If you come to Europe you will see that this way of living will increase your efficiency. You manage to achieve more in less time.

As for above list: I did not make it, American who live in Europe make it. Tony of youtube channels out there say the same: Came here didn't regret, never want to return.

Hints they give: Don't try to get your household and car over. Too expensive, and as far as the car goes, many many US-brand cars are not legal in Europe for safety issues. There are specialized car-shops in each country to fix up your car to get it legal, but that might be expensive.

Special hint for Germany: Get your driver license the German way. If you are not experienced driving here, you are in for several shocks when it comes to "sticking to the rules". From my point of view we have too many which don't, but every American living here says "they stick to the rules, the traffic lights, the right lane rule. And if you forget the right lane rule for even a second, you will have a BMW at one inch distance at your rear bumper. Literally one second..." And hefty fines. Also watch the "Tom Hanks on German Autobahn" video :D - especially the part how it sounds to be overtaken be someone else.

Three Brits charged over 'active shooter threats' swattings in US, Canada

Re: Only in United States Of America

No, not even as AC :D.

Re: Only in United States Of America

You talk about USA and gun responsibility? Those are mutual exclusive....

"We're going to eat grandma."

"We're going to eat, grandma."

Edit: I didn't notice anything snarky here - maybe you need more German directness :D. Are you US, who have to watch their wording way Way WAY more carefully to avoid offending and beat around the bush three times before maybe, but only maybe, coming to the point ?

What the.... Now that you point it out... WTH who wrote that headline with a comma instead of "and".... Well

Hey Connor Jones, there is something wrong here, and it is not funny!

Only in United States Of America

Several swatting victim were shot be the police.

Sending to callers to prison is fine. But the officers doing the killing? On the one hand they fail in their job, on the other hand some will suffer PTSD for their life knowing they killed someone innocent.

Watch out for any Linux malware sneakily evading syscall-watching antivirus

Actually I see even FOUR levels!

0 = open

1 = only specified group

2 = no one

aaaand:

"undefined", which IMHO should default to 2. But that is a kernel list discussion.

Techie solved supposed software problem by waving his arms in the air

You know you gave three different names and ask "is it different"? Sounds like you ask whether Thelma, Margarine and William are spelt the same...

I remember a case on Victors VASAviation. Emergency near such an airport with low hanging clouds at night and lost radio (could send, but not receive, defective ILS on the airport). Another chessna-type plane currently near the airport sent such a ping signal to turn on airstrip lights, so the mayday plane could see the airstrip. I think either Mentor Pilot or Kelsey mentioned such a case too, with ILS.

So this is true for low traffic airports.

Re: Phonetic Alphabets

Oh, when you start that, add the "Japanese pronunciation variant" as well :D

Re: Phonetic Alphabets

Amor patriae non est virtus

Re: Phonetic Alphabets

T as in Timeo danaos et dona ferentes

Re: Serial Comms

Which is technically correct and incorrect at the same time. Now, get CAT6a/CAT7 cables, hundreds of them, with plugs missing the metal contact - best only on one side. Then a few switches, at several places of the building. Have fun diagnosing why it is so weirdly slow.

The only way to get this right is to have all rooms, switches and racks involved a proper grounding throughout the building. And when not possible FC, which you need then anyway since those with different groundings are usually bigger distances anyway.

Oh please ....

Anton, Ärger, Berta, Cäsar, Dora, Emil, Friedrich, Gustav, Heinrich, Ida, Julius, Kaufmann (not Konrad as many use, since that can be written as Conrad as well), Ludwig, Martha, Nordpol, Otto, Ökonom, Paula, Quelle, Richard, Siegfried, Schule (Sch), Theodor, Ulrich, Übermut, Viktor, Wilhelm, Xanthippe, Ypsilon, Zacharias.

Anyone here knowing the French, Italian, Spanish, etc versions?

Re: Thunderbolts and lightning

(Galileo) Galileo, (Galileo) Galileo, Galileo Figaro magnifico (Oh-oh-oh-oh)

Maybe we should go back to using vacuum tubes for such front ends. They can take a 10000 fold Beelzebub over voltage much better.

Re: Serial Comms

> but the shielding has to be grounded to be effective

Which raises another problem: Grounding / Ground Loops via LAN cable shielding, instead of the fat cables normally used for that. Coworkers found suspiciously warm LAN cables, and a clamp-meter confirmed the issue. One of the big big advantages of optic cables: No weird grounding and other electric effects to care about.

Re: Serial Comms

Yeah, that is what RS485 is doing: Differential instead of direct RS232 signal. That helps against interference.

But that does not help much against differential between sender and receiver.

Microsoft tries to knife passwords once and for all - at least for consumers

How to change the "default MS-Hello"

Some companies implement Windows Hello, and then it gets listed as FIRST choice, which you have to click away to get to the normal login.

1. Strong method, disable Hello:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\default\Settings\AllowSignInOptions]

"value"=dword:00000000

2. Not so strong method, set the "default provider" to "password". Check the SessionData subkeys!

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI]

"LastLoggedOnProvider"="{60B78E88-EAD8-445C-9CFD-0B87F74EA6CD}"

3. The "normal" GPEDIT.MSC way:

Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> System -> Logon

(German:) Standard-Anmeldeinformationsanbieter zuweisen

(English:) Assign a default credential provider

For Method 2 and 3, check "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\Credential Providers" for your list.

Well known are:

Password: {60B78E88-EAD8-445C-9CFD-0B87F74EA6CD}

PIN: {D6886603-9D2F-4EB2-B667-1971041FA96B}

Picture Logon: {2135F72A-90B5-4ED3-A7F1-8BB705AC276A}

Fingerprint Logon: {BEC09223-B018-416D-A0AC-523971B639F5}

Re: "It is faster using pass keys"

And then, when you have two FIDO, you come to a Laptop which suddenly puts 19 V on USB by default.

"Oh, it does not work, but I still have my second FIDO..."

You backup second factor should not be the same type.

Re: "It is faster using pass keys"

Yes, 'cause keyboards can be listened to several ways. I do not mind 2-factor, 'cause what you type can be logged. But passwordless means passwordless for someone else too.

Re: M$ Wants Biometric ID - Sure Hold-on a second ... - NOT.

Thank you! I don't like those FIDO and so on as well, but there are so many believers. Normal 2-factor ist fine, you just need TWO 2 factors on independent devices (i.e. no both on your phone - why do I even have to write this?)

Re: Passkeys on a PC

Of course they are! They are locked to your device, the unhackable totally secure TPM module. Combined with the IMEI or serialnumber and so on as unique identifier you get a bastion of security you cannot pass! Especially you!

</irony, 'cause even the worst jokes get taken serious or get real>

Microsoft to preload Word minutes after boot

Re: More bloat in order to reduce bloat

But it ASKS you! It SHOWS you what it suggests! See the difference?

BTW: 7.6.* is old (not that old, but old). They started numbering by "release year", so currently 24.* as last stable, and 25.* as frontier.

Re: Since when is 8GB "beefy"?

I think your keyboard swapped the 10 and 11 here.

Re: Andy & Bill's law is alive and kicking

You are citing Joe Armstrong, who wondered why machines over 1000 time faster don't boot in less than 10 milliseconds...

Re: IOW

Make a backup with DriveSnapshot, test you can restore it by booting from a Windows USB stick or something similar.

Then upgraded to Windows 11. And measure again.

Then restore your backup.

Is on Server 2022/2025. You will have to switch your OS to that, if you want to stay on Windows.

I expected the suggestion to create a bonfire, offer your pet, wear atztek headgear and wait for the lightning to strike while you dance...

Your graphics card's so fat, it's got its own gravity alert

Yeah, but he was not talking about "if i had to make a gaming rig today"... Today I'd recommend a current AMD RX 9070 or RTX 3090 (from ebay) if you want to save money and avoid fire hazard.

I usually narrow down the definition to "games old enough to be playable without emulation". Deltaforce Force 1, from the original CD, still works in Windows 11 (with minor fixable issues). Same for many other games.

But we can limit it to "game, Windows, with 3D acceleration". So it is the range from Quake 1 Windows Version up to "AAA" games which work well on a 2014 released 750ti, FullHD. Which is roughly 1997 to 2019 even for BIG games. After 2019 the picture starts to change more drastically since the video RAM strongly limits which games work well, or what texture resolution your can run.

Result: ~22 years of Win-3D-games, and five years where the number of games unplayable on that card got drastically more, but still a lot new 3D games work quite well. Minecraft should run fine on that machine, for example, if he has at least 8 GB, better 16 GB RAM.

> which is clearly untrue if "most games" is supposed to mean "most new games of reputable make".

You are obviously way too young. Or deeper into your midlife crises than good.

Open Document Format turns 20, but Microsoft Office still reigns supreme

Re: ODF pushed "more open" MS formats...

Yeah, there is a reason why I wrote "a (more) open format". Your example is one of the reasons, lack of documentation another.

ODF pushed "more open" MS formats...

.ODF is great. But the side effect of pushing MS into a (more) open format was very important!

Typical task: OK, I've created the procedure as document for a customer. Now that document must by "anonymized" to be used for for by coworkers the next installations with other customers. Easy for text, not well done for pictures in both offices...

In both formats I can: Unpack the .DOCX/.ODT, mass edit the pictures with grey boxes, put the pictures back into the "ZIP" file, done. Sometimes I mass search replace in those .XML files as well, or check for normally invisible data containing customer references. Then drag and drop the modified data back into the ".ZIP". Works.

It also helps, in both offices, to fix some weird bugs when the programs fail to open the document, or salvage enough to make the new one in less time.

How to stay on Windows 10 instead of installing Linux

Re: ¿Why not use Windows Server 2022 as an alternative to Win10's demise?

In English you can do the same with whole paragraphs, as in German, just by adding "or isn't it?"

Eric Cartman uses it to slur worst conspiracies and offenses, and turning them into a questions but appending "or isn't it? Look Kyle, I am only asking a question here! Am I not allowed to ask questions any more?"

X marks the drop for European users

Re: "This may also be because Tesla's vehicle lineup looks a little stale"

Sound more legit than FSD from T.