Bend in the Weather (Entries tagged as microsoft)

Automating Software Update Downloads

mbottrell@gmail.com (Matt) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 01:59:00 +1000

Even as a Linux desktop user, I still have a need to run various pieces of legacy software under Windows.
Ideally, I would love to find a Linux alternative, but whilst the itch remains, I still need to scratch it.

As such, I run various Virtualbox Virtual Machines running Windows XP.

This gives me the added benefit of still being able to run my preferred operating system as my main desktop (Linux), whilst still using some legacy applications under Windows.

This is nothing new, and most people do this all the time. With most modern CPU chipsets from both AMD (AMD-V) and Intel (VT-x) providing hardware assisted virtualization solutions - it has become a simple task for many people.

One thing that has annoyed me, and any user that has ever had to reinstall a Windows machine (it happens to the best of us -- Windows often decides to eat it's own registry), is that whilst you might install straight from CD, it also means you have to then spend a good few hours applying all the service packs and then all the updates from the Microsoft website (and sit back and watch a dozen or so reboots between multiple updates). It's enough to send any sane person around the bend.

Once you've done it - you vow never to do it again, yet as Murphy would have it... it's bound to happen again. This is partly due to the fact that Windows Deteriorates over time, until one day the performance is so shoddy you can swear you saw a snail push the cursor on your screen. Once it comes to that, it's time to reinstall again.

Microsoft also recognised it's a problem, particularly in corporate environments that run many desktop PCs. As such they released WSUS. That's fine and well -- if you run a Microsoft Windows 2003/2008 Server. Unfortunately most home users don't.

Don't dispair! Some geeky German's have released a GPLv3 licensed utility that will pretty much undertake the task for you without the need for an expensive Microsoft Windows Server anywhere in sight. c't Offline Update, allows you to use either Linux or Windows to download all the updates for both Microsoft Office and Microsoft Windows platforms. In addition it can handle different language versions, and even build a nice ISO off all the updates so you can take it on the road, hand it to friends, etc.

Why on earth would they code it to download the Windows Updates on Linux? Well, it makes it easier to install in a central location -- say on a Samba server so that all your desktop machines can then install the updates from a central location over your LAN. (Call it a poor man's WSUS!)

To run under Linux it couldn't be easier. Once you have downloaded c't Offline Update and extracted it... change into the sh subdirectory. It's then just a matter of running the DownloadUpdates.sh shell script with the right arguments:

$ ./DownloadUpdates.sh -help

**********************************************************
*** c't Offline Update Downloader ***
*** for Linux Systems ***
*** ***
*** http://www.heise.de/ct/projekte/offlineupdate/ ***
*** Authors: Tobias Breitling, Stefan Joehnke ***
**********************************************************

Usage: ./DownloadUpdates.sh [system] [language] [parameter]

Supported systems:
w2k, wxp, wxp-x64, w2k3, w2k3-x64, w60, w60-x64, oxp, o2k, o2k3, o2k7, all-x64, all-x86

Supported languages:
enu, deu, nld, esn, fra, ptg, ptb, ita, rus, plk, ell, csy
dan, nor, sve, fin, jpn, kor, chs, cht, hun, trk, ara, heb

Parameter:
/excludesp - do not download servicepacks
/makeiso - create ISO-Image
/dotnet - download .NET-Framework
/nocleanup - do not cleanup client directory
/proxy - define proxyserver( /proxy http://[username:password@]:)

Example: ./DownloadUpdates.sh wxp deu /dotnet /makeiso

$

c't Update also provides a simple Windows GUI to automate the task:

Tab 1: Download
Windows Updates

Tab 2: Download
Office Updates

Installing the updates on the client.
Once you've downloaded the updates and either burnt them to a CD/DVD (for easy portability) or made them available on a network share (Tip: share the sub-directory called client) Windows users can then easily apply the updates.

A user can run UpdateInstaller.exe (in the root directory of the CD or the share). The UpdateInstaller will determine what you have installed already (and grey these options out). It's then just a case of selecting the options you want.

Client Installation
of the various updates.

Now for those family members who are in dire need of a 'computer fix' and need me to reinstall Windows for them, they'll be given burnt copies of the latest ISOs, so they can in future undertake the task themselves. I would rather educate someone how to undertake the rebuild themselves for future use. (That, and I really don't have the spare time/desire to rebuild dozens of Windows machines a year! )

Finally it's also worthwhile downloading and running the free Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer which will ensure you have all the updates applied (and inform you if you are missing any). It's also a good idea to disable any non-essential services the tool recommends.

Hopefully this tip will speed up the time it takes to fully patch a Windows desktop after a reinstall.

The Linux Foundation speaks for no-one.

mbottrell@gmail.com (Matt) — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 04:14:00 +1000

I was appalled after reading the rather rash statements made by Jim Zemlin the Executive director of the Linux Foundation.

His rather bizarre statements against Sun (who is also a silver member of the Foundation) must have left many execs in Santa Clara scratching their heads and wanting some answers.
What's worse is the story originally ran in InfoWorld, then was picked up by the New York Times. Other notable online sites also ran with it, including Slashdot and LWN to mention just two.

Lets look at some of the statements the Exec Director of the Foundation made:

"The future is Linux and Microsoft Windows, it is not Unix or Solaris."

Solaris has almost no new deployments and is a legacy operating environment offered by a company with financial difficulties. Original equipment manufacturers also do not see a bright future for Solaris. This was paraphrased and not a direct quote.

Sun, he declared, should just move over to Linux.

"It's certainly true that Unix is on the decline." - Discussing IBM AIX and HP-UX

"The only people I hear talk about DTrace [Solaris's technology for assessing program and OS behaviours] and ZFS [the Zettabyte File System] as competitive features [are] Sun Microsystems sales representatives. It's not something I believe is impacting the market in any way."

"...With capabilities such as ZFS and DTrace, Sun is trying to compete based on minor features", Zemlin says. "That's literally like noticing the view from a third-story building as it burns to the ground."

Zemlin, on Sun's open-source Solaris as "too little, too late." He also goes on to claim that there is no real open source community around OpenSolaris, arguing that Sun still controls development

Open Solaris is no more than an attempt to expand the Solaris user base to drive customers to commercial Sun technology.

Seriously where does the guy get off?

Looking at his profile on the Linux Foundation it doesn't instil a level of confidence.
A former Exec at Free Standards Group (who with the OSDL merged to become the Linux Foundation). He was also VP of Marketing of Colavent Technologies (basically a crowd that sold commercial Apache support amongst other things). In 2000 he was a board member of Corio an ASP, that had an IPO then was sold off in chunks. IBM retains the http://www.corio.com/ URL.

So, from my reading he's got quite a bit of marketing/exec background for web-based application servers.... beyond that, I don't see any real technical prowless. He's a marketing suit that appears to shoot from the hip.

Let's review some of his "quick-draws":

The future is Linux and Windows?

WTF?! Did you take crack before taking the interview?

Sure as the exec. director of The Linux Foundation we expect you to come out and say "Linux is the future" - but to throw Microsoft in the mix -- you have to be kidding me.

Look at general stall that Microsoft has had with Vista. They have forced OEMs to install it, and even some of the larger ones now have kicked back and offer corporations and high-end consumer devices the option of Windows XP instead.

No major deployments of Solaris... and disliked by the OEMS.

That must be news to both IBM and Dell, who offer OpenSolaris on their x86 series servers.

As for a company in 'financial trouble' this is an extract of the letter to shareholders attached to their latest Annual Report /10-K filing to the SEC (Read it online here).

I've included a screenshot the opening paragraph of the letter:

That doesn't sound like a company in 'financial trouble' to me.

You can see this on their Consolidated Statements Of Operations

The decline of Unix (Solaris, HP-UX, AIX).

It's interesting to note that all of these make hardware as well as an operating system. These systems normally scale much larger than that of a traditional Linux server (excluding clusters). Take a look at Sun's M9000, IBM's p5 595 and HP's HP-9000 Superdome Server. These computers can replace dozens of Intel based servers and thus are not something companies run out and buy dozens of. (well normally!) Interestingly... both HP and IBM are also Platinum Members of the Linux Foundation. With a Platinum membership of $500,000USD each. How's that for biting the hand that feeds you (literally in Zemlin's case).

The I/O throughput and disk-subsystems available for these machines normally far outstrip that of anything under Intel/Linux range.

ZFS, Sun Zones/Containers and DTrace.

Seriously you jest Mr Zemlin?

Linux virtualization is still a mish-mash under heavy development. (take Xen, KVM, LVS and even Sun's VirtualBox)... I wouldn't class as enterprise ready. Hell, even VMWare that started in Linux roots, has moved over onto their own kernel. Zones and Containers under Solaris are much neater and better suited to an enterprise environment.

As for ZFS -- Linux has no mainstream file-system that competes. The size of volumes and the ease of use leaves ext3 behind. Even the upcoming ext4 has no real claims over ZFS. For large scale filesystems, ZFS has it over native Linux filesystems.

DTrace - ask any administrator of 100's of Linux servers if they think DTrace is a minor thing? Sure Systemtap is nice, but the comparison of Systemtap to DTrace still shows some deficiencies. Being able to trace safely on production systems is a requirement for something that can be used in the real world. Add to it the ability to trace user-space programs and DTrace does indeed have some features many SysAdmins discuss and would love to see under Linux.

Sun's open source Solaris 'too little-too late'. No community, still controlled by Sun.

Wow... I wonder if he would make the same statement if Microsoft released their OS as open-source? Open-Solaris is a community site, though Sun still controls it. There is nothing wrong with that. It's their baby, and they can do with it what they like.

Sun is still a large OSS backer.... remember products like MySQL, Innotek/VirtualBox, and hey, they even OpenSourced Java.

Sun have shareholders to consider, and they need to make a return on their investments / R&D. I don't really have anything bad to say about the CDDL. It makes sense for them... and hey something is better than nothing. What I find hilarious is that many Linux advocates will bag the CDDL, but love Mozilla. Wake up people... the CDDL is based on the MPL! The CDDL is also recognised as a license under the OSI.

Open Solaris attempts to drive customers to commercial Sun technology

Actually most of the people I've come across it are already using the commercial Solaris or wish to learn Solaris. OpenSolaris is a nice way they can install it at home and come familiar with the environment outside of work at their own pace. It makes sense that they can utilise the same operating system in their work-place and in the comforts of their own home.

For me, I'm a fan of Linux. I love the breadth of software available to me, the rich and colourful community around it. I have grown up watching Linux (I first compiled up an 0.54 kernel on a lowly 286). My servers and desktops/laptops all run Linux.

Having said that, I learnt *NIX on SunOS and later Solaris. It has it's place, even in today's world.
I agree, the low-end UNIX servers are often replaced by Linux servers, yet there is nothing really in the Linux space that competes with the high-end UNIX environments.

A lot of what we see in Linux has it's roots in commercial UNIX. (Hell, who has networked file systems in their environment that doesn't use Sun's NFS?)

So take some advice from a Linux admin at the coal face. Linux co-exists well in a heterogeneous environment, sharing the space with commercial UNIXes and even those annoying Windows servers.

If you need to beat up a 'Server OS' next time Zemlin, try attacking Microsoft (Hint: they are not a member of the Linux Foundation).

Linux servers have probably dented more Windows server sales then that of commercial UNIX. Samba has played a large role in that.

Exchange is probably the last bastion of Microsoft dominance. With the amount of Exchange 'replacements' now on the go that run under Linux (ie: PostPath, Zafara, OpenGroupWare, Scalix and Open-Xchange to name just a small fraction of those available. ) It's likely more inroads into the proprietary walls of Microsoft are now showing cracks in many corporations. Many IT managers are struggling to justify the outrageous price they get slugged for Microsoft Exchange, and these cheaper and feature-rich alternatives are often fractions of the cost if not free.

So next time you attempt to speak for the 'Linux Community' Jim Zemlin, try actually speaking to some Linux administrators that live in the Fortune 500 world. We aren't all hippies yelling 'free OS love'. In fact we happily co-exist with commercial *NIX and sometimes even Windows servers (much to our disgust).

Leave your "Us vs Them" mentality at your door, it's not a view held by a large proportion of the Linux community. Indeed many Linux administrators actually also administer other commercial *NIX machines in their day-to-day jobs. There are more similarities between the commercial *NIX flavours and Linux than not.

We do realise it's part of the Foundation's role to 'promote Linux', but keep the mud-slinging and crap out of it. Let Linux stand on it's own technical merits and not at the detriment of dragging another 'cousin' down in the process. We see enough of this style of 'marketing' from Microsoft that we don't need to stoop to the same levels.

_{Disclaimer:

• I work commercially as a Linux System Administrator at a Fortune-500 company.

• I have however administered a large range of *NIX based operating systems over the years... including Solaris, HP-UX, AIX, Tru64, and IRIX just to mention a few of the more 'known' variants.

• My home desktop and all my servers run Linux. Many that know me think I'm a one-eyed Linux zealot!

• I have no affiliations with Sun Microsystems at all.

• The views and opinions expressed by some members of The Linux Foundation are not mine.}

Improving VirtualBox performance

mbottrell@gmail.com (Matt) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 18:24:00 +1000

Most people don't read User Manuals. It's a shame as they miss out on lots of great tid-bits.

One such nugget can be found on Page 66 of the VirtualBox User Manual:

Like a real SATA controller, VirtualBoxs virtual SATA controller operates faster and also consumes less CPU resources than the virtual IDE controller.

Interesting...

I thought I would give this a go.

I had an existing 32-bit Windows XP installation that used the traditional IDE interface, and found it used about 25% of my CPU when running (using an Intel Core 2 Duo E6600) when running under a 64-bit Linux installation.

Whilst it ran fine, dropping the CPU utilisation and speeding it up sounded like a great idea.
Once done, I compared the results... it was indeed 'zippier', and low and behold, the CPU utilization had dropped to around 5%! Now that's a big improvement!

So how did I go about it?

Start the Virtual Machine as per usual.

Download and install the Intel Matrix Storage Manager (used to see the SATA interface).

Install the software.

Shutdown the Virtual Machine

Now create a temp virtual disk, and install this on SATA-1 on the virtual machine.

Boot back up and ensure you can see the disk (it won't be formatted, so you will probably need to look in the Disk Management utility found in the Administration Tools -> Computer Management -> Disk Management)

Hopefully you can see the newly added disk.

Shutdown the virtual machine.

Change your IDE disk to now be on SATA Port 0

Remove the temp disk you previously added.

Boot back up and you should now be on a SATA HDD, that now is more snappier and uses a lot less CPU.

You can also use the floppy disk drivers to install it directly using the 'F6' key during installation.

NB: For those using Vista - you'll find it supports SATA out of the box. (No need to install an additional driver)

So enjoy faster and less resource hungry virtual machines.

NB: Whilst this covers SATA under Windows based Virtual machines, it also applies to running Linux based Virtual Machines.

Firefox 3 - Come break a world record!

mbottrell@gmail.com (Matt) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:25:00 +1000

At 3:00am AEST on Wednesday 18^th of June will herald the release of Firefox 3.

It's a big jump ahead from the heady days of Firefox 1 and Firefox 2 days. This version includes over 15,000 enhancements from the 2.x series. It's faster, funkier and doesn't eat anywhere near the memory Firefox 2 did!

The guys over at SpreadFirefox are attempting to set a world record, with the most downloads in a given 24 hour period. You too can be part of it!

I'm currently running one of the Release Candidates, and I've found it brilliant, all my favourite add-ons are now working flawlessly in it.

So help spread the world, Australia has around 30% of it's Internet users using Firefox these days. So people do understand and utilise the crazy fox based browser.

Moving more people off Internet Explorer will also ensure that Australian websites that wish to remain 'visible' will also start writing websites that are browser agnostic and follow the W3C standards (something IE only websites break heavily).

Microsoft claim that they are going to be moving fully to standards compliance with IE8, but don't hold your breath. We've been hearing that for years. As long as nasty ActiveX still hangs around like a bad fart in a crowded elevator it's not going to be compliant (or safe for that matter). And yes, IE8 will ship with ActiveX.

So hop to it! Pledge to download Firefox 3 on Wednesday, and become a World Record Holder!

The difficulty of Aussie small businesses adopting Linux

mbottrell@gmail.com (Matt) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 12:29:00 +1000

There are many reasons people are stuck on Windows.

For small businesses the main reason is their accounting software.
Like it or not, since the introduction of GST and BAS the days of the shoe-box accounting have disappeared. Every business that wants to keep accurate financial records requires an computerized accounting system.

In Australia, The introduction of GST and BAS has made it difficult for these same people to move over to Linux.
The two most popular Small Business Accounting packages are MYOB and QuickBooks. Both products support the Australian market and handle submissions to the ATO.

Many small businesses look for software that can handle base accounting (less then 25 invoices a week) and an integrated simple payroll module that can pay their employees (1-5 typically).

Both QuickBooks and MYOB operate as closed-source commercial software that runs on Windows (and on Mac - in the case of MYOB). They also integrate heavily into Microsoft Office.

Both business models expect customers to fork our between $500 - $800 for the initial purchase, and anywhere from $200- $500 annually to get 'updates'. For any small business this is a hefty investment just to keep up with the legal requirements of running their business. Calling for support can also attract additional fees on top of the yearly retainer.

As such, many are fearful to move on, but have a love-hate relationship with their accounting software provider. They feel cheated and ripped off (and rightly so). This duopoly has created a handsome cash-cow for both software makers.

The current extortion model used by MYOB and Quicken is best explained by Turbo Cash's explaination (a GPL Windows Accounting package). Unfortunately TurboCash is Windows software and contains no Australian payroll module.

Unfortunately, I am yet to see an OSS Linux accounting software that handles all the features required for an Australian business:

Handles Australian Taxation - including GST and BAS reporting/lodging
Handles Australian Payroll - including PAYG and Superannuation

The introduction of both these two options would see thousands migrate off Windows (it's often the only reason cited for not running Linux), and adopt a new accounting package.

There is both Ledger-SQL and LedgerSMB (a fork of the former) that handle accounting and can be customized to handle GST. Yet, they don't do anything to address BAS reporting/lodging or have a payroll module. As such, both are unsuitable for the Australian SMB market without further heavy lifting.

Their is commercial software like SAGE AccPac available, yet it's quite expensive and more geared towards a medium sized business and thus out of the price range for most small businesses.

One OSS project that did look indeed promising was SYMBOL (Surf Your Money Books On Line). It was written by an accountant from Western Australia and licensed under the BSD license.

I have been in Email discussion with the developer Edward Metcalfe, but it appears he has now moved on from the project and as such the project has stalled. Looking at the CVS repository the last update was unfortunately 13 months ago.

However, the software is indeed functional and delivers on the two items listed above (Australian Taxation/Payroll). Whilst you would need to update the PAYG tax tables (no real show-stopper), it should do the job admirably. ComputerWorld actually ran an article on SYMBOL in Februrary 2007.

Those interested in SYMBOL, will find it is a web-based application so accounting can be down via a regular browser (making it suitable on either Mac/Windows/Linux clients) It runs on a PostgreSQL backend and uses Perl/CGI for the front-end. It also is multi-user based. (One thing software like MYOB and Quicken charge an arm and a leg for!)

The fear of running SYMBOL though in it's current form is that it is unmaintained. It's likely the current government or subsequent ones will indeed look at overhauling the payroll and corporate tax systems (as opposed to just an implementation of the Goods and Services Tax). This would mean that any software a small business adopts would need to address these modification.

The ATO has worked to provide great documentation on the complex tax scheme we have in Australia for software developers. Their Software Developers Website gives test case scenarios and formulas to write compliant and competing software.

I'm in two minds:

Do I run SYMBOL and either start maintaining it or fork it?
Do I use a lot of the program logic, and spawn a completely new project?

Ideally I would love to see a AJAXed based web-version of the application with a modern interface using either the Yahoo UI or the Dojo Toolkit's Dijit and DojoX interfaces.
Either solution would provide an excellent interface and provide the user with an experience that matched a local fat client. Using a web framework like Django and a PostgreSQL database underneath, would make for a solid backend.

I think there is a market for an excellent OSS product to capture the market and knock off this duopoly. However I suspect it will take some committed individuals to pull it off. From the grumblings you hear frequently from small business owners there is a ready market to ditch their over-priced software once a viable and supported solution arises.

Here are some interesting facts about the Australian Small Business Market:

There are about 1.2 million small businesses in Australia employing around 3.3 million people.
During the past decade, small businesses have created an estimated 660,000 new jobs.
42% of all goods exporters are small businesses.
25% of the Australian GDP (estimated in 2006 at $1 trillion dollars) comes from small business.

That's a lot of potential users of an OSS product!

I suspect a lot of OSS developers do a fair amount of moon-lighting and as such require a way to invoice for their work. (Consulting may be your day time job also to pay for the bills, and OSS coding your passion and after hours work!).

So what are your thoughts?
Is there enough interest in getting up an OSS Accounting+Payroll solution for Australian small businesses?

Forget Microsoft Office Documents forever!

mbottrell@gmail.com (Matt) — Sat, 31 May 2008 00:06:00 +1000

We can all dream!

How many times do you get sent MS-Word, MS-Excel or MS-Powerpoint files?
Whilst OpenOffice does an excellent job opening them all, I would prefer them all in an open format natively.

It appears the Dutch may come to the rescue and make that dream a reality.

Reading through IDABC website it appears that the Dutch Council of State are going to open-source an application they have written that allows you to convert flawlessly between Microsoft Office <-> Open Office. It can also convert -> PDF.

At present, the only minor hiccup is images generated to PDF are a little 'darker'.

Really, I am happy to just get MS Office -> OpenOffice.

Really the European approach to OSS is a beacon of light that hopefully is adopted across all regions. The days of proprietry file formats are quickly disappearing. For future generations and long term storage Open Standards in file formats in mandatory.

History will look back at the stand the EU has made against Microsoft and show that their stance was the under swell that pushed many in that direction.

It's great to see South Africa has also filed their appeal against the OOXML becoming an ISO standard. It does show there are some people left within ISO that still have a back-bone and conscience.

South Africa challenges the validity of the final vote that we contend was based upon inadequate information resulting from poorly conducted BRM. Moreover, we challenge the validity of a process that, from beginning to end, required all parties involved to analyze far too much information in far too little time, involved a BRM that did not remotely provide enough time to perform the appointed purpose of that procedure, and for which an arbitrary time limitation was imposed to discuss and resolve a significant number of substantial responses, despite the Directives for not requiring any such limitation as to duration.

It is our opinion that the process followed during all stages of this fast track has harmed the reputations of both ISO and the IEC and brought the processes enshrined in the Directives into disrepute, and that this negative publicity has, in turn, also harmed the reputations of all member bodies of ISO and the IEC.

Let's hope this appeal isn't squashed in a face-saving exercise by ISO. The entire ISO process surrounding the adoption was flawed from the start with many unethical breaches of conduct undertaken during the whole voting process.

SuSE Linux 10.1 Screenshots

mbottrell@gmail.com (Matt) — Tue, 18 Jul 2006 16:18:12 +1000

I've just been testing SuSE Linux 10.1 in a VMWare machine to test it's capabilities and getting ready to run it on my new PC purchase (post on that in the next few days).

I took the opportunity to take some screenshots of the install and the running operating system.

Feel free to take a look:

SuSE Linux 10.1 is an extremely slick operating system - and offers some fantastic benefits to those looking at either upgrading their current Windows machine or looking for a WindowsXP replacement.

Best of all is that it's open-source and packed with all the software you will ever need!
Traditionally, those under Windows would need to buy additional software to provide:

Office Suite (Word Processor, Spreadsheet, Presentation, Database, Email, etc.) (eg: Microsoft Office)
Project Planning Software (eg: Microsoft Project)
Acrobat PDF writing software (eg: Adobe Acrobat)
Raster Graphics Software (eg: Adobe Photoshop)
Vector Graphics Software (eg: Adobe Illustrator)
HTML Editor (eg: Microsoft Frontpage)
Video Editing Software (eg: Adobe Premiere)
CD/DVD Burning Software (eg: Ahead Nero)

SuSE Linux bundles all this software. Making life much easier and cheaper!
If you were to buy these equiv. software bundles under Windows you would be up for $3,000 - $5,000!

What's more you can pick and choose what you want to install.

One of the largest innovations is the introduction of Xen Hyperviser V3.02 - which allows you to run multiple versions of operating systems at near-native speeds! VMWare and Virtual Server have provided 'Virtual Machines' for years, but have always suffered a performance loss, Xen removes this with their 'para-virtualisation' approach.

For those people that still believe that they couldn't run Linux instead of Windows... take a look at these screenshots.

Scarey wasn't it?!

Linux is well and truely ready for the home user. It's easy to use, free of viruses (Windows viruses don't run under Linux!) and has a swag of support and a price-tag that is excellent on the family budget.

It's probably time to reassess your next computer operating system... particularly with Vista due out early next year.

Windows Defender: Upgrade from Microsoft AntiSpyware

mbottrell@gmail.com (Matt) — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 00:52:00 +1000

Microsoft has released their upgraded product for their popular and useful AntiSpyware product.

Like MS AntiSpyware -- Windows Defender is free.
So if you used the first, it's time to upgrade to Windows Defender.

Some of the interesting points about the upgrade:

Better User Interface - Making it easier to use and navigate
Improved Detection and Removal of Spyware due to a new engine.
Real-time protection has been improved.
Can protect all users on the system... not just the one who installed it.
Can be installed without Admin privileges... making life much easier for many.
Supports 64-bit Windows XP x64 machines.
Automatically downloads the latest definitions so you are always current.

You can read more from the Windows Defender website.

Windows Vista: Not on your current machine!

mbottrell@gmail.com (Matt) — Sat, 11 Mar 2006 23:06:43 +1100

Microsoft are poised to announce the release of their next operating system later this year. Windows Vista will have some fancy new features... that will give you the "ohhhs and ahhhhs" for all but 15 minutes.... but under the hood is still a lot of existing Windows features from Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

What's worse is the eye-candy that will be on by default that regular users won't know how to disable ensures they'll almost certainly require a new computer to get reasonable performance out of it.

Basically you should expect to have:

Pentium 4 or AMD 64 processor or better.
512MB of RAM (though I would recommend 1GB - 2GB if you want any decent response).
A high end video card (with at least 128MB of Video RAM - preferably with 256MB of Video RAM).

The majority of home computers won't make the grade.

What's worse, is that Microsoft are likely to start the 'only for Vista' program that many patches and security updates have occurred for Windows XP. (For example some patches for Windows XP though vulnerable under Windows 2000 and Windows 98 were not made available -- Microsoft's stance: Upgrade to XP).
Microsoft are touting that Vista will be the 'most secure OS to date'.   This might be true of Windows... but isn't so when compared to the likes of Linux or Macintosh Operating Systems. I don't like Microsoft's chances... they have already had a security update to plug a vulnerability (and the product hasn't even shipped!)

The most annoying feature is that all this eye candy serves little to no purpose.  The WinFS has long been scratched from Vista; which would have moved computing into new grounds.

Also DRM will be built directly into the operating system. So don't expect music or video you download to run on your computer unless you have a license! Add to it 'Trusted Computing' where it can be used by software manufacturers (ie: Microsoft) to control your computer without your permission. Under such schemes, users will not be able to stop Microsoft from scanning your entire hard-drive, and logging it's contents or even your Email and confidential files. I certainly won't be allowing such an invasion of my privacy for the 'privledge' of using their software that I buy!

One thing that is bound to catch people out is that Microsoft are getting tougher on their licensing models.   Traditionally people who bought a computer, or new CPU/motherboard or the like would buy the OEM version of Windows and install that. It is generally around $100-$200 cheaper than the 'retail' product.

However, Microsoft has stated they will force people into buying full retail product versions at these inflated costs. You can still buy an OEM version, but if your motherboard, CPU or Hard-Drive gets replaced, don't expect Microsoft to let you use your OEM version... nope...   it's a once only license.

So before you think you must upgrade to that shiney version of Windows later this year, ensure you read up... there are many pitfalls to this new version that are bound to catch consumers out.

Next generation Linux Desktop

mbottrell@gmail.com (Matt) — Wed, 22 Feb 2006 11:51:26 +1100

There has been a lot of debate whether Linux is ready to be a desktop replacement for Windows over the last 5 years.

Companies like Redhat (Redhat Desktop and Fedora Core), Novell (Novell Linux Desktop and OpenSuSE), and Canoncial (Ubuntu Linux) are doing a lot to make that a reality.

Novell is forging ahead with some major new components that will give Linux desktops the edge when it comes to eye-candy and stunning graphical displays. Novell is working on both Xgl and Compiz that will turn desktops upside turn (literally!)

Novell will ship the Xgl components in their upcoming OpenSuSE 10.1 release that is scheduled for March 2006. Other Linux distributions will follow shortly after.
This will beat Microsoft's next version of Windows - Vista to market and provide users and graphic artists with a modern and dynamic working environment.

A 3D desktop - as shown above is only one of the fancy features that Xgl will deliver. You can see a range of demos from the Xgl webpage at Novell. These include true transparency and shading, some interesting ways to manage multiple windows on your desktop and the like.

It's great to see Linux is not only bringing many of the graphical features people love but also pushing the boundaries with new and exciting ways to work.

The days of finding an excuse to remain on Windows is very quickly disappearing!