My University staves off windoid fears (for me at least!)

[Calum]

yes, it is true that my university only officially supports windows however they do provide webpages and info on macOS too and it seems that if i email them they are happy to provide linux help also. all unofficially as it happens. Basically it turns out that the main sticking point, First Class conference suite, has a client available for linux too (as a forum member pointed out to me somewhere before) BUT most of the features can be accessed using an ordinary browser, eg mozilla on linux. also, all these dumbass programs they give you, like shockwave and frontpage, can be replaced with alternatives by me as long as i can get the job done. I should hope so too since i am paying for the course!

honestly though i never imagined a degree course in IT & Computing could be so windocentric (of course it's only windocentric on the surface as i found out), but here's a good one, while accessing my firstclass desktop using a browser, i noticed the following post:

 

quote:Monday, September 16, 2002 04:24:37 PM

If you are using Windows 95, 98, ME, NT or Windows 2000, this message DOES NOT affect you and it can be ignored.

*** HOWEVER ***

If you are using the newer Windows XP Home or Windows XP Professional editions, please read on.

*** Windows XP Users only ***

In the last week it has become clear that there is a serious security flaw within both versions of Microsoft Windows XP. The vulnerability allows the creator of a malicious web site to delete files from your hard disk when you click a specially crafted hyperlink. As yet, no one has reported such an attack to us, but we highly recommend that you secure your version of Windows XP NOW using one of the methods below.

*** Windows Service Pack 1 ***

Microsoft have released Windows XP Service Pack 1. You can download this from the Windows Update page on the Microsoft Windows page. To use Windows Update; click the Start button on the Windows toolbar, then choose All Programs, then Windows Update.

Please note, the service pack is a VERY large download; depending on your machine it may be as large as 133 Megabytes; most machines will need to download between 50 and 70 Megabytes.

You should ONLY try to download this if you have a fast network connection such as ADSL (so-called Broadband), cable or ethernet.

Do not download this if you use a modem to connect to the Internet, (see our other solution below)

If you access the Internet through a computer at work, you should contact your IT staff to see about upgrading your version of Windows. They may even be able to supply you with a full service pack to take away.

If you don't have access to an in-house IT department at work, you can use the option below as a temporary fix to protect your computer.

*** XPdite Utility ***

This vulnerability can be fixed for now with a small 30kb download from the Web. Connect to the Website below and download the file xpdite.exe. Run the file to protect your machine. The file is supplied by Gibson Research - a well-respected consultancy company that specialises in security.

http://grc.com/xpdite/xpdite.htm

Microsoft have approved the use of this file as a temporary fix for this problem, but they recommend installing Windows XP Service Pack 1 as soon as possible to address other issues and provide enhancements and updates to Windows XP.

*** Please note

This posting is for information purposes only. The Helpdesk and individual course teams CANNOT help you install or use these pieces of  software. Please read the documentation which accompanies the programs before proceeding. The University cannot be held liable for any problems caused by the installation of these programs. If you do experience problems please contact the authors of the program in question.

*** Technical information

If you want to know more about this problem you can find a description of  the vulnerability on the http://grc.com/xpdite/xpdite.htm web site - along with some links to other sites which describe the problem in more detail.

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,104940,00.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/downloads/servicepacks/sp1/default.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/treeview/default.asp?url=/technet/security/topics/HCP1.asp
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,104810,00.asp

I will not claim that there are not security updates with linux, and i will not claim that sometimes these are not large downloads.

I will however state that i think it is poor form to have waited one week to fix this, and i think it is laughable that simply clicking a link in a webpage can delete files from your hard disk. I also think it is laughable that the fix for this hyperlink thing is 70MB.

Incidentally, this might be a project for some of you, i know some people were anxious to find out if there was a way to do this in windows xp, well here's confirmation, there is, it's out there, all you need to do is find out how on the web.

On a final note, perhaps my university support only windows because only the windows users need support.

and my university's site appears to be running 'running Netscape-Enterprise/4.1 on Solaris 8' according to netcraft... amazing how few sites turn out to be running a microsoft server, much less than the 36% that should be coming up...

[ December 17, 2002: Message edited by: Calum ]

[Mr Smith]

"On a final note, perhaps my university support only windows because only the windows users need support.
"

Well said. Good thing you are allowed to use an alternative to windoze.

[dbl221]

At my college we are forced to use Linux...they even deny the existance of x-windows so we have to use the command line...I'm not making this up.

By the time we got to the end of year two most of us were rabid KSH fanatics.

my banner still reads KSH RULES when I log on to phobos...sigh! good times, good times.

[dbl221]

#!/bin/bash
# this is a test of the getopt builtin

while getopts "ndabc" var; do
   case $var in
        a ) echo "option -a";;
        b ) echo "option -b";;
        c ) echo "option -c";;
        n ) echo "option -n";;
        d ) echo "option -d";;
        v ) echo "option -v";;
        s ) echo "option -s";;
        x ) echo "option -x";;
        ? ) echo "default option"
        exit 1
   esac
done

-------------
my fist ksh script with getops...kind of makes me all sentamental and weepy.

[voidmain]

quote:
#!/bin/bash
^^^^^^^^

Looks more like a bash script to me (unless you renamed /bin/ksh to /bin/bash).  

I used to love korn shell programming (and still do). The thing I used to miss in bash is the integer math capabilities that ksh has. e.g. ((x=x+1)) Now bash can do that as well.

Code: [Select]

The big difference for me is you can still can't use floating point math in bash like you can in ksh.

[ December 18, 2002: Message edited by: void main ]

[Kintaro]

That scripts cool

[preacher]

quote:Originally posted by dbl221:
At my college we are forced to use Linux...they even deny the existance of x-windows so we have to use the command line...I'm not making this up.

By the time we got to the end of year two most of us were rabid KSH fanatics.

my banner still reads KSH RULES when I log on to phobos...sigh! good times, good times.

Reminds me of my linux class. My teacher didnt want us using xwindows either, and forced vim down our throats. I really loved that guy. At least he let us use bash.

[Calum]

a mate of mine said his brother was forced to learn linux inside out for university and he hates it as a result! apparently this guy prefers to use windows at home (and he's not dumb this guy either). Oh well!

I think it would be a relief if my university were to do that, but maybe it is better if i persist in using linux anyway, since they don't seem to actively discourage it, than have it shoved down my throat.

[ December 18, 2002: Message edited by: Calum ]

[Pissed_Macman]

My Computer Applications Lab teacher is a Mac person, but we have to use Wintel machines in there because it complies with some stupid school district guideline or something. The goal of the class is to get MOUS certified (some microsoft thing) and I don't think M$ would appreciate it if we got certified to work for them using Mac OS, especially since we're in Seattle, right under their noses. My teacher also mentioned something about our accounts being able to be hacked easier on Macs, but I don't believe that there's no way to on the machines we're using either. Almost makes me wonder why I got into that class (Windows 2000 puts me to sleep daily).

[Calum]

hmm, yes i can see how a private company should have the right to force a taxpayer funded institution into buying its products simply by virtue of their respective physical locations...

WAKE UP!!

i thought your country was the land of the free!

How sad that universities (you'd think they would be full of thinking individuals, wouldn't you?) allow themselves to be herded along like this.

[Pissed_Macman]

Even worse, a few years ago we all rejoiced as Bill Gates handed out a large sum of money to ours and other Washington schools, which came to be known as the almighty GATES GRANT! What has happened in the years since? Absolutely nothing!!!! :mad:   My school district is starting a reinvention plan now (using the Gates Grant money of course) that will supposedly fix all the crap in the american school system and take effect next year, but the people planning it have lost sight of the original idea and are now just trying to get through it. This school district is going to hell, and thankfully I'll be out of it by then.

I think this may be a plot to brainwash our young minds at an early age though. There are rumors that Microsoft only would give the money to the district if we followed this specific plan. Uggh, what a disaster. :-P