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<div><font size="2" face="Arial">Hi All,</font></div>
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<div><font size="2" color="#800000" face="Arial">Just thought you may
like to see the following excerpt from a regular newsletter I get from
Fred Langa about Linux matters - good and bad:</font></div>
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<div><font size="2" face="Arial">1) <strong>... A Linux Positive...</strong></font></div>
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<div><font size="2" face="Arial"> Hi Fred! Just thought I'd pass
along a link to a linux<br>
distribution based on Red Hat. It's called JAMD and is<br>
available at </font><a href="http://www.jamd-linux.com/"><font
size="2" face="Arial">http://www.jamd-linux.com/</font></a><font
size="2" face="Arial"> .</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial"> It's based on Red Hat 9,
maintains full compatibility it, but<br>
tweaks it to include all the good multimedia features a home<br>
desktop user need. It also has a very helpful forum to receive<br>
support from it's community....which is excellent BTW.</font></div>
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<div><font size="2" face="Arial"> It tries to have a Mac-ish sorta
look to the default desktop,<br>
but it's easy to change it if you don't like it. If you want<br>
to try linux, and just have something that works completely<br>
out of the box....give it a whirl! Cheers!---Pat</font></div>
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<div><font size="2" face="Arial">Thanks, Pat. It does look interesting:
A single CD that includes the OS,<br>
OpenOffice, Mozilla Web browser, Evolution PIM, GnuCash personal finance<br>
The Gimp graphics editor, games, educational software, and more; a<br>
simple 4 step install (mouse, timezone, administrator password, User<br>
account creation); and a claim of "13 minutes from install to desktop."</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial">This one'll be fun to try out!<br>
Click to email this item to a
friend<br>
</font><a
href="http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm"><font size="2" face="Arial">http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm</font></a></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial">2) <strong>... And A Linux Negative</strong></font></div>
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<div><font size="2" face="Arial"> Is MS unique in its problems?
Will switching OSes end our<br>
patching woes? Probably not. OpenSource may be in part<br>
benefiting from modular fingerpointing as practical Linux<br>
distributions (not just kernel) have many pieces with many<br>
"owning" project organizations. Any commercial organization<br>
that writes complete OSes, applications or kitchen sink work<br>
environments (MS) is going the suffer the effect of all<br>
fingers pointing to one place.</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial"> Note the OpenSSH problem below.
Sounds just like MS repeating<br>
RPC problems.<br>
</font><a
href="http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/linux/mandrake/2003-q3/0170.html"><font
size="2" face="Arial">http://archives.neohapsis.com/archives/linux/mandrake/2003-q3/0170.html</font></a></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial"> " A buffer management error was
discovered in all versions of<br>
[Linux's] openssh prior to version 3.7. According to the<br>
OpenSSH team's advisory... It is uncertain whether this error<br>
is potentially exploitable, however, we prefer to see bugs<br>
fixed proactively." There have also been reports of an exploit<br>
in the wild.</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial"> MandrakeSoft encourages all users
to upgrade to these patched<br>
openssh packages immediately and to disable sshd until you are<br>
able to upgrade if at all possible.</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial"> Update: The OpenSSH developers
discovered more, similar,<br>
problems and revised the patch to correct these issues. These<br>
new packages have the latest patch fix applied."</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial"> And OpenSSH has been having
similar problems since 2001 ---<br>
Administrator 4. Falter</font></div>
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<div><font size="2" face="Arial">Thanks, Admin. Indeed, all software
has weaknesses and flaws. Microsoft<br>
has some special problems (see<br>
</font><a href="http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2003/2003-09-29.htm#1"><font
size="2" face="Arial">http://www.langa.com/newsletters/2003/2003-09-29.htm#1</font></a><font
size="2" face="Arial"> ), but people who<br>
think they'll be safe from trouble if they switch to Macs or Linux or<br>
whatever will be sorely disappointed. No commercial OS is immune from<br>
bugs or security problems. Probably, none ever will be. And whichever OS<br>
is the current top dog will get the most negative attention and hack<br>
attempts. It's inevitable.</font></div>
<div> </div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial">No matter what OS you use, you have to
stay current with patches, and<br>
keep your guard up.<br>
Click to email this item to a
friend<br>
</font><a
href="http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm"><font size="2" face="Arial">http://www.langa.com/sendit2.htm</font></a><font
size="2" face="Arial"> </font></div>
<div><font size="2" face="Arial">****************************************************************************************************************</font></div>
<div><font size="2" color="#800000" face="Arial">Best wishes</font></div>
<div><font size="2" color="#800000" face="Arial">Barrie Haycock</font></div>
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