Re: [seul-edu] ILuvYou worm, Windows bashing and misc

[jm <giem@free.fr>]

>
>Assuming you're not running as root, you can only harm the files in your
>home directory, rather than on the whole system. If you're running a
>home system, it's still not much consolation; however, in a multi-user
>environment, other people can still carry on working while you dig out
>your backup tapes. VBScript is still a Microsoft 'technology', and in a
>way, the cause of the worm. Plus being able to fiddle with the registry
>from a VBScript (which is a Bad Thing).
The worm replicates itself by using the mail... this particular worm was 
targeted to use Outlook address book. I assume that one using Eudora, pine 
or Netscape address book could be done (may be less easily)
ILOVEYOU didn't use any "security hole" except the "dumbness" of the user
(oh a loveletter, I can't resist reading it...)

Sure you're right about linux being multi-user, hence more secure.
You can harm less your  linux install than your win9x install.
(ILOVEYOU was just nuking mp3 and jpg, which honestly isn't that much of a 
big deal...
but yeah it got a lot of mail system down too)

But then again, a worm "ala" ILOVEYOU could exist on linux: writing your 
bashrc,
reading your .aliases... so sure it won't kill your system (unless you're 
root) but it can do a bit of mess too (like deleting all your mp3...)



> > >It costs nothing (maybe a couple of dollars for a CD) and you can
> > >install it on as many computers as you want. Likewise with Sun's
> > >Staroffice.
> >
> > Except Staroffice is soooooooooo slow. Make me like word 97.
>
>Well, okay. I find Staroffice runs reasonably well on my K6/2 450, and
>ran acceptably on a K6/166. However, it does everything except make
>coffee :).
>And the formula editing is really nice, which helps when doing Physics
>practical writeups.
>
> > Use Abiword as a cool Word Processor, (http://www.abisource.com)
One more about Abiword:
it also exists under win32 and a few more system, and is really fast... 
Haven't used it for more than letters, but then again, for huge work, there 
is Latex (or Lyx if you can't stand text mode). And Formula in Lyx is 
really COOL.
(www.lyx.org)

> > or give a try to Koffice http://www.koffice.org/
>
>Downloaded it once. It complained that the required Qt libs weren't
>installed, and refused to compile.

apt rules :)


> >  >"We should be teaching what people will be using in the office." Another
> > >fallacy. Almost every office uses Win95/98 now. Win95 didn't exist even
> > >5 years ago. The length of most university courses is 3 or 4 years. So,
> > >unless you were in the last year(s) of school in 95/96  or didn't go to
> > >University, chances are you'll be using a different system to the one
> > >you were taught in school.
> >
> > Yeah, teach the essence of computing instead of "one instant tool" that
> > will be obsolete in a few years is the key of success for computing lesson.
>
>Okay, people. How many schools *really* teach the 'essence' rather than
>'one instant tool' of computing?

none. Since it's work to do... and the result is frustrating:
  students tend to think they don't know anything except generality
But hey, I can dream.


> > And if you REALLY have to teach MsOffice and Win 9x,
> > there are still the solution provided by VmWare (www.vmware.com)
> > that is having a virtual "windows" inside of your linux...
> > Advantages:
> >     + all the PC are the sames
> >     + users can do what they want, next time, you just copy all over again
> > the "OS" disk image.
>
>Disadvantage: it costs money. Office is supposed to run under WINE, and
>FreeMWare (or whatever it's called now) apparently got a working DOS
>prompt.

err check winehq again... Office is more or less working... (less than more)
If you don't want to pay to use VmWareyou can try Boch (on intel Linux) 
which is a bit more advanced than Plex86 (ex FreeMWare)
http://www.bochs.com/
and http://www.plex86.org/
But still you will have to pay for MsWin and Office...


> > >At home, people don't program any more, they'd rather
> > >have a game of Unreal Tournament, or similar.
> > Well, I guess there is still the same number of ppl hacking around,
> > but since there is much more computers users, it gets diluted.
>
>I suppose. But, back in the 80s, the BBC had a campaign to teach people
>computer literacy. From this, the Acorn BBC micro came, and loads of
>people learnt programming on it (I don't know if the BBC campaign taught
>programming, but I wouldn't be surprised if it touched on it). Recently
>they had another computer literacy campaign - this involed "Look! This
>is a Web Browser. You click things in it, using the mouse. The mouse is
>the object sitting near the keyboard which you push around.".

well, that's also a good thing, to have people computer litterate.
In France, we had something called "Informatique pour tous" with a computer
for everyone in school, TV shows about how computer are great...
So a lot of ppl bought computers. And they ended soon under dust, in a 
corner of a desk.

I don't think everyone fancy computing nor programming...
Hey, ask around how many people actually knows how to program their VCR to 
record something...

>I personally would much rather have a game of Lode Runner, or one of the
>other 'old' 80s games, than the fancy 3-D shoot-em-ups (oh look -
>another Quake clone; is this the best game ever? Of all 3 millenia we
>can think of?).

you do. I do. But we're old crumpy ones :)...
(speaking of  LodeRunner, one guy had the weird idea to go 3D with it
(win32 only- no source )) http://turbolode.homepage.com/  )

Quake is not the best game ever.. it is just an addictive (male) game.
Like Cops and Robber, except without the need to run.


> > Plus, if you look at the magazines now available, there are no hacker 
> magazine,
> > just "consummer" ones.
>
>Hmm...Dr. Dobbs. Er, umm, nope. Can't think of any more.

Yeah, only DDJ... and to find it at your local WS Smith is hard...
  (err if($country ne "uk") s/WS Smith/whatever is your local newspapers 
agent/)

>Computer Shopper (at least the British one) has got some decent articles about
>programming sometimes. Doesn't beat the old (80s again) magazines where
>you had to type in 1000-odd lines of program by hand (remember the fun,
>especially when you mistyped something and had to go back and change
>it?).
yeah, I do remember the frustration of the "run" and then it will run,
but won't work the way you want since one variable name got wrong.

>Looking at the shelves in a magazine store, comes up with about
>half-2/3 shelf space taken up with games magazines, then 4 or 5 on Macs,
>another 5-6 on Windows specifically, 2-3 on business, 3-5 'general', 0
>on Linux and 1 on programming (Dr. Dobbs).

exactly my point. In the 80s programming was THE thing to do with computers.
Now people just play or surf...
Well, at least some code BOTS for Quake, so I guess these ones will 
eventually some day do something else


> > For example, do you think a game like "Robot Odyssey" could be made today ?
> > or is it a "too smart" game ?
> > (http://members.aol.com/Fractal101/odyssey.htm)
>
>A lot of games are claiming to have 'puzzles' (which in most games
>requires looking behind some garbage cans, or similar to find a better
>weapon).

well Robot Odyssery power is not really about the puzzle, it is much more a 
tool to teach you logic and electronix (since you have to wire the bots to 
solve the puzzle. Plus there is an excellent tutorial)

>--I reserve the right to be completely wrong about any comments or
>   opinions expressed; don't trust everything you read above--

me too
--jm