OS4 on the pegasos

[Hammer]

It is a Windows-only problem

Try using google on spyware and linux e.g. http://www.google.com.au/search?q=Linux+spyware&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&meta=

As Linux(X86)distros enters mainstream(e.g. Lindows 4.5), it will be targeted for spyware.  Spyware has a relationship with the number installed base and marketing. Marketing usually targets the largest potential audience. Sadly, AmigaOS and clones barely make it to 1 percent of desktop OS market share.

It being touted as a superior machine to run games on, because it's not

Why not post some benchmarks e.g. UT2003, UT2004, FryCry, AquaNox2, X2 "The Threat", Quake3 and 'etc'.

I have no doubt it performs well, but that's where the buck stops

Try “Transaction Per Second”(TPS) benchmarks.

[Hammer]

Van_M wrote:

Sadly, AmigaOS and clones barely make it to 1 percent of desktop OS market share.

I think you are massively exagerating, my friend. Unless there are only a million desktop computers, out there, amigas are more like 0.001% of the total desktop market.

I tried to be generous for the old girl.

[Hammer]

This goes totally against the Linux mindset.

Note that Linux was born for the X86(i386) platform i.e. cheap *nix like OS for cheap X86(i386) cloned box.  This is during background of non-X86 RISC workstations with their own *nix variants.

Should one start quoting Linus in relation his affinity with X86 processor (e.g. blasted Intel on IA-64)?

[Hammer]

Slapping two words together and feeding them to Google's search engine does not mean that the pages turned up have relevant information on them. May I politely suggest you click on a few of the links thus returned and try and find stories of users claiming spyware got into their Linux machines? I have clicked on dozens (literally), but haven't been able to find any.

An example of a spyware on Linux is the key loggers. To get them installed; one has to go the “social engineering” routine.  

As for Mozilla, refer to http://bugzilla.mozilla.org/
i.e. search on "security" and sort by severity.

One could go to
http://ask.slashdot.org/askslashdot/04/05/21/0153202.shtml?tid=126&tid=154&tid=172&tid=95

Ouch!    Is my face red... Yes, I have to stand up and admit that I was very, very wrong here. Apparently things have improved considerably since I last read a review on 64-bit CPUs!

They have improved chipset drivers for K8 based motherboards.  

In regards 64bit improvements over 32bits i.e. with X86, improvements can be gained by increasing to 16 GPRs and 16 XMMs. This is unlike PowerPC 32bit vs 64bit where their ISA is relatively ‘clean’.  

[Hammer]

jeffimix wrote:
It's always possible to make a 32bit CPU as fast as a 64bit CPU, that's not the issue. 64bit CPUs can address scads more RAM or Harddrive space much more elegantly.

Note that with X86’s 64bit transition phase, the ISA will be cleaned/fixed by increasing their GPR and XMMs to 16, while dumping X86-16 (Dosbox emulator may substitute the lost features).    

[Hammer]

A select handful will jump out of the browsing environment and hack themselves into the main system.

They would require MS scripting engine to be turned on and/or other service ports(135, 139(NETBIOS), 1024(DCOM), 5000(UPnP) and etc) to be opened to world. In Windows 2003 Server (NT 5.2), the MS script engines are turned off by default.

That is why it is a Windows/IE-only problem: no other combination I know of allows such easy hijacking and modification of the browser by outside parties, despite you trying your best to surf cleanly and patch your system as often as you can

Could you point me to a malicious web site that will compromise a properly configured Windows setup?

A reasonably properly configured Windows setup would include
1. DCOM crippled. This is for Distributed COM objects i.e. use for remotely executing COM objects.  
2. Firewall applied for all ports including service ports(applied only for Internet Connections).
3. At least all of April 2004 patches. At worst, MS’s Feb 2004 Security Update CD.  
4. Privacy set to at least "Medium High". Cookies blocked except for trusted sites.
5. "Security Setting" set to high. Special attention to ActiveX scripting by disabling them or setting to prompt at minimum.
6. Strict software installation regime i.e. only trusted software to be installed.
7. Web surfing via limited account not the usual admin level account.

[Hammer]

minus points 4

Note that cookies can be use for spy/tracking. One could alternatively copy cookie's tracking addresses from anti-spy software(e.g. Spybot S&D) and enter the offending spy/tracking address to Privacy's Web Site override cookie handling (i.e. block address mode). This list can be extracted from registry for backup and redeployment to other PCs. **Some people likes IE6, who can argue with them?  

"Point 7" follows a standard *inux regiume for using a limited user account.  

Also, Neowin has April 2004 Autopatcher ISO(~300MB) which contain all of Microsoft’s 'as of' April 2004 patches and updates(both critical and non-critical).

PS; I use Mozilla 1.6 for surfing non-trusted sites.

[Hammer]

Also ask yourself why would a company like Genesi waste a year of time and money to get off of the Articia and go to Marvell?

Perhaps they (Genesi) didn’t like mucking around aspects and wasting money on dealing with theses type of issues.

IF Hyperion managed to "fix" any of A1's Articia issues (as stated in original claims) via software then its good for them(for it's stake holders).

If you say but DMA works in OS4 its due to a "work around" in the OS4 drivers.

Note why the purpose of a driver’s existence.

OH and to be On Topic: Genesi has attempted to speak to Hyperion about getting OS4 for Peg but it seems this conflicts with their present business model and wont happen. ( And if anyone from Hyperion says this is not the case please email Genesi a proposal)

Note that, licensing discussions should be referred to KMOS not Hyperion IF I recall correctly. I think there’s too much bad blood between the two camps for any unification.

[Hammer]

Yes, but cookie settings for IE won't affect cookie settings in another web browser such as Firefox, Mozilla or Opera.

Post made in the context of IE6 only systems.