Windows 2000 SP3

[Sinkael]

So I am setting up a new Dell that our department got in and running the typical updates and such when in walks by boss and tells me that we are not to install SP3 because to combat viruses and such M$ has disabled the ability to download .exe files...

Well I have been doing some reading and have failed to find anywhere any mention of such a feature/flaw of the SP.

Granted I am not a big fan of Windows (I run Red Hat and OpenOffice at home) but at work we are in a 2k dominent inviroment. I would say most of our systems are 2k.

Has anyone heard of this or know anything about it or if t here is any truth to it at all. If so could you post an article location so I can understand this more...

Doesn't sound much like a M$ move IMHO, viruses are good for M$ business as when most "normal" users get a virus they just buy a new computer.

[Calum]

nope, never heard of it, sounds like bullshit. in the absence of any decent info on this subject, i would just let the windows machines go to shit, and throw up your hands if they ever point the finger at you. 'it's closed source software!' you can say, 'if only we had proper open source software this would never have happened!'...

oh yes, and welcome to the board!  

[Sinkael]

thanks for the welcome, drat I was almost hoping someone here had heard of it.

So it would give another reason to push for Linux on our desktops (boss hates it when I keep pushing for linux)...

The biggest reply is always, how can something that shows every programmer in the world its flaws be secure when everyone knows how to break it.

My reply is always, you just answered your own question...

Signed

Still pushing Linux...

[Calum]

the answe is, if it has to show all o its flaws, it cannot afford to have any flaws, so it doesn't.

How can an operating system that keeps its flaws from the world ever have a hope of being secure, or of eliminating its flaws? it is an accident waiting to happen.

[Sinkael]

Agreed, but try to convince a 50+ year old lady that has been with MS since DOS 6.2 (i think) days and thinks its the greatest thing ever.

Not to mention she think PHP is full of spyware because its free along with mySQL...

Signed
Forced to script in asp (save me)

[foobar]

Sinkael:
 

quote:
So it would give another reason to push for Linux on our desktops (boss hates it when I keep pushing for linux)...

That's the spirit! I push linux to virtually everybody   :cool:  

 

quote:
The biggest reply is always, how can something that shows every programmer in the world its flaws be secure when everyone knows how to break it.

I think that is quite stupid. How can you ever know wether a system is secure if it's closed source? Who ever said that? Don't they know that alot of viru writers write windoze viruses to show that is a load of crap?
It is, simply a fact, that NT boxes are easy to crack (at least, in comparison to something better, i haven't got the slightest cracker knowledge ...) and people do not see it as a challenge anymore.
And if you, as a programmer, are smart enough to break into an open source box (like linux, openbsd, et c) just by looking at its code I think you should do a better job by making your own system from that source.
There are a lot of cracker (in this case, 'cracker' means something like: 'very good') programmers out there, who can write excellent programs. Not only will they let you see it, they  
invite you to make something better if you can. Why? Because they have a heart for the job, and want everybody to profit from their work, and not just a billion-dollar company, who can, with its closed source, put anything into its OS from spyware to backdoors.

To say it short:
 - Who says M$ software is secure? You can't know.
 - The source for OS's like Linux are continuously opdated, bugs get fixed real quick in comparison to M$, and for security - wow, if you're a programmer, just take a look at Linux' source !

edit: Welcome to the Forums!

[ October 16, 2002: Message edited by: -=f00bar=- ]

[flap]

quote:Originally posted by -=f00bar=-:
There are a lot of cracker (in this case, 'cracker' means something like: 'very good') programmers out there

I think you mean 'hacker'.

Actually blaming the poor security/stability etc. of MS software on the fact that it's not open source is absolving them of the blame for writing such shitty software in the first place. The primary reason why MS software is so insecure is not because the source isn't available but because it's just... shit. Proprietary unices don't have anything like the problems windows has.

[lazygamer]

Any comments on Windows 2000 VS Windows 2000 professional?

I was considering switching to it from XPee. However, I really have no experience with properly navigating Warez sites. So I either use a P2P service to get it, or just learn to stick with XP. I haven't been able to get it yet, so maybe I'll just stick with trying to learn Linux. At least Linux you can just download easily and efficiently, you just need to find a link that can take advantage of your high speed internet.

[foobar]

About the cracker-hacker part, i think you're right. But you can use 'hacker' solely for programming and stuff, but you can say 'cracker' to anything. Like:

I'm ill, but thank heavens i'm getting operated by a cracker medical team.

See?

About the propietary software, i think you're right also, but don't you think it is important for server software to be open source ... ?
Sure, as a cracker sysadmin, you want to know what's running under your hood !

[flap]

I think that would be 'crack' medical team.

Oh yes it's very important for security critical software to be open source, but I'm just saying that the proprietary nature of ms software isn't the main reason why it's shit.

[foobar]

Yes, you're right.

[johnny2step]

About all the win2k sp3 stuff.  I unfortunetly downloaded all the sp3 updates and IE6.  I just learned about all this micro-secret crap this week.  My school uses 2k so I use it to run the same apps.  We also use Unix on Solaris and Intel machines.
   
I can say that I have no problem downloading .exe's from anywhere.

I also think a HUGE reason that M$ is still standing is that they can rub shoulders with; Intel, Large Software Companies, Big Business(no business students want to learn ANYTHING they don't have to about software) and of course all the learning institutions out there.  Donations, dontations, donations.  The real brains in the business don't spend their time slinging mud at M$, they just try to use everything to further computer science for the good of technology and advancements in research.  Much like the Physicists of today and the earlier 1900's.  I think everyone could do better for the "cause" as so many put it by continuing to use cross platform products and move toward bridging all software together.  

I've heard of Lindows and I think its ingenious.  The only way to make the game fair is let everyone play at the same level.  Killing M$ is almost impossible.  They have so much money that they can get almost anyone on their side.  If consumers really don't like their products anymore they will reinvent themselves and come out with a new idea altogether.  Hell, they probably already have other companies already started and flourishing.  

Even if home consumers drop M$, its all up to those business students who want a platform that will conform to all of their customers and clients.  Can you imagine one big business making the switch?  They would have to retrain everyone right down to the pretty secretaries.  Try teaching a 55 year old project engineer a new software layout.  Its just like websites, the people that know computers like plain always up to date, no broken links pages.  The computer half-literate like flashy, fun, fast, bubbly crap.  Until we can move alternatives to a fun, flashy, easy, cross-platform GUI, we are all just doing more work than we should be.  

As a community we need to decide on a project, ONE project that can meet more of these needs.  There are more computer half-literates out there than admins, webmasters, etc. and these are the people that spend the money.  Nobody can work for free forever.  The negativity should cease and we should use the tools we have (unlimited information sharing) to create the every-man's OS.

[voidmain]

You probably don't use UNIX on Solaris, but you may use Solaris on Sun hardware.

Give that 55 year old more credit. Chances are he was in the business before there was a Microsoft and probably squirmed quite hardily when he was "forced" to use that Microsoft garbage by the new kid.

The OS you speak of has been in development for 10 years now. It's more than ready for many many uses. There will be absolutely no use for any Microsoft products in the very near future as long as Palladium doesn't get forced down our throats. Many companies are making the switch now.

[ October 21, 2002: Message edited by: void main ]