Re: Misc topics (was Re: ISP asking about switching to Debian from Op enBSD)

[Petro <petro@auctionwatch.com>]

On Fri, Nov 23, 2001 at 06:51:16PM -0800, Karsten M. Self wrote:
> on Fri, Nov 23, 2001 at 04:59:12PM -0800, Petro (petro@auctionwatch.com)
> wrote:
> > On Thu, Nov 22, 2001 at 09:40:37PM -0800, Karsten M. Self wrote:
> > > on Thu, Nov 22, 2001 at 02:12:17AM -0800, Petro
> (petro@auctionwatch.com)
> > > wrote:
> > > > On Wed, Nov 21, 2001 at 11:04:32PM -0800, Karsten M. Self wrote:
> <...>
> > > >     Oh, and walking through that flicker? That was your power supply,
> > > Actually, I checked -- it's a power strip, not a surge protector.  I
> > > think it's the heavy electrons, they take longer to slow down ;-)
> >    No, not the strip, THE SUPPLY, you know that little tin box in the
> >    back of your machine that the long black cable sticks into? The one
> >    that leads from the powerstrip to the the machine? Most modern
> >    powersupplies can handle flickers fairly well. 
> >    (and yes, that was a little more smartass than needed. I know from
> >    another list that Karsten isn't an idiot). 
> Heh.  I'm a smartass though, when I can get away with it.  I'd meant to
> clarify that the box wasn't on a surge protector.  And I'm a bit
> surprised at the ability to handle current flux.

    Well, go live in a 50 year old apartment building in Chicago. You'll
    be truely amazed. Modern power supplies are pretty good. 
> > > > >      4.  Application of fix.  Software patch is widely applied.
> > > > 
> > > >     Number 4 is wishful thinking. 
> > > It's a numbers game.  Debian makes accomplishing # 4 far easier than
> any
> > > other system I'm familiar with. 
> >     The problem is the space between 3 and 4. Mr. Schneier left out a
> >     step:
> >         3.5 Broadcasting of fix availablility. 
 
> Which again Debian speaks to with the apt process.  *If* you're updating
> your systems regularly, you're being informed of the updates (or your
> system is), and they're being updated.

    This works really well when you have a small number of systems, or a
    large number of systems with a dedicated/semi-dedicated security
    guy. 

    When you've got half a buttload of production servers and too few
    admins to do a decent job, it's tough, and it's not something I'd
    want to script out of my life either. 

> >    I hope I wasn't taken to be attacking either Debian/Linux or oBSD. 
> >    Both are good systems and both have their place. 
> Agreed, and no, it's not taken as an attack.  I use oBSD.  I somewhat
> like it.  I'm not besotted by it.

    Well, as I mentioned, I replaced one of my oBSD boxes with a
    webramp 700s. (rebadged SonicWall. Good enough for home). 
 
> > > OpenMail's one of HP's worse failings.  The company really ought to
> > > pick up the product and run with it, free software if at all
> possible,
> > > and put the squeeze on MSFT.
> > 
> >     The current best bet is the OpenOffice team. They seem to be
> working
> >     with the PHPGroupware guys, which is a decent enough project that
> >     just isn't good enough yet, and with the 90/10 rule, I don't know
> if
> >     it will be.
> 
> I've sort of tracked this stuff, but not closely.  Evolution's doing
> some interesting things, and I'd prefer a modularized, single-app
> approach to the monolithic design of OpenOffice.  There's also a largely

    The Calendaring/Mail/Groupware stuff is completely seperate from the
    rest of OO. 

    OO/SO 6 isn't that bad. A little on the slow side starting up, and
    some annoying little bugs, but far better than anything else out
    there at the price. 

> moribund OpenFlock project which is aimed at implementing the IETF
> calendaring standards.

    There's just not many interesting problems in the calendaring arena,
    it's almost all UI and druge work. 

-- 
Share and Enjoy.