Windows Code Leaked

I shudder when I think what Goodmorphing might do when she reads the link.

Hmm I wouldn't be really worried. 660 MB out of 40 GB? It's like finding a secret design of airplane out of little peice of wing. It could happen, but less likely.

I'm not really worried about it....

awwwwwwwwwwww... have I been feeding you guys too many links? I'll cut back then.

HEHE... I did share a dif link on the same subject with someone else earlier, though.

privately, of course....

I always said open source operating systems were a bad idea.

regards, Jerry

The only difference with open source is if an exploitable problem is found in that 660 megs, the community can have a fix quickly, or you can fix it yourself.

With Windows you have to live with it until they feel it has been exploited enough to warrant a critical patch. Last one took them six months to fix. MS has to take into account how a security bullitin will effect the price of stock and shareholder confidence before they decide to even admit it.

( not that I am a big proponent of open source, I just don't see how this is really a strike against it. On the contrary... )
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I am not a big fan of open source OS's and I'm not trying to start anything up with the folks who stand by linux. linux is stable, but look at the diversity of hardware, software and backwards compatibility you have with MS. I don't see how linux would still be as stable if it had to do the same job. As for exploits of vunerabilities in MS, script kiddies and hackers have a better shot at their moment of fame attacking MS than the would attacking linux due to MS's popularity

No doubt about the compatability. I think stability would come if it were embraced by more hardware vendors with more commercial drivers.

I'll use windows until there is a marked improvement, but I think MS's "strategic alliances" have more to do with it than the open source issue.

It was a bit tongue in cheek - I have nothing against Linux, just have no use for it myself.

But it's hard to argue with the point that full C++ (or whatever) source code will be easier to exploit than a disassembly listing. For this reason alone I'm quite glad the current MS code is generally closed source.

regards, Jerry

I use linux most of the time now, and it really depends on the distribution for compatibility. I had mandrake installed quicker than it takes to install xp and it worked right out of the box...something I can't say for xp (I had to install several drivers and configure them to get everything to work in xp). Now I use a different distribution and its a lot less compatible: it took me two days to get it to work with my ethernet card, and I still haven't got it to work with my audio card
(I have the driver and everything set up right to detect it it jsut doesn't play). In fact the only driver of mine that isn't supported is my printer and thats dells fault.

The security issue is not one of who uses what more, the incentive to attack. linux is open source meaning that anybody can spot the faults. Usually with enough brains tinkering on it most faults will disappear. Its hard to find a hole when one doesn't exist. Also most linux users understand a little about computers and even if they used windows they would know to take the correct security steps to protect themselves. The lack of experience in many window's users is what spreads the virus's and worms the most.

back on topic: this leak shouldn't matter as I am nearly sure that its not enough to effect anything.

ethernet card

You work on a laptop?

maybe he means his pcimiaxyz card whatever it's called

is linux any good? i heard alot of things about it good and bad but i wanna know, is it better than XP? how?

pcimiaxyz

PCMICA I think it is called.
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yes I work on a laptop, and its a broadcom ethernet card aka a network adapter.

I use both xp and linux and I find both are about equal in terms of use.

I missed you Travis!!!!

I am still trying to get gaim to work, when I do I'll be able to chat

is linux any good? i heard alot of things about it good and bad but i wanna know, is it better than XP? how?

Linux was better than Windows 98, but I would never replace Windows with it again unless they are able to do something now that Windows XP (or Longhorn) can't do. Right now, I'd say XP can do a helluva lot more in the desktop arena (probably not in the server department, but that's for *BSD anyway).

Also, I think this news will be great for Microsoft if the Open Source community takes a peak at it and then "accidentally" writes code similar to that found in the leak.

I don't think anyone in the open source community would wipe their ass with MS code, much less grant it the compliment of imitation.

The only way this would be an issue is if there is a seriously exploitable flaw in this code. If this section was chosen specifically to release in the wild, there is that possibility.


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actually the wine people wouldn't mind it, and if its the right part somebody might figure out how to run exe's natively in linux

Also, it wouldn't be the first time that the OS community imitated Microsoft and others (i.e. Evolution and KDE come to mind).

lol, well, I think you are both overlooking the OPEN in open source. If they took code from MS's leaked source, it really wouldn't be well hidden in an open source OS, would it? Closed source, on the other hand, can borrow and tuck away anything they like.

...and 'imitated' is one opinion, another would be that MS thinks they originated everything, and in fact imitated a great deal.

Like I said, I'm no Linux user, it doesn't do what I need it to do at present. I just see a call-report pattern around here. Mention Linux - Witty Retort. Seems needless.


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