Semper Ubi Sub Ubi
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Medb:
February 10th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
Great argument. Now, for a little thought about why your system is so small, simple, and isn’t constantly needing security updates – Nobody Uses It.
If everyone used it, then those punks who spend days on end poking at their keyboards in dim rooms, trying to write a virus that could spread worldwide and cripple all… would start writing them to cripple Ubuntu.
However, as it is, what would be the point of finding an Ubuntu weakness? How would it spread? From Ubuntu system to Ubuntu system? Nope. You are safe, for now, because there are too few using it.
Sadly, that’s also why so few programs are available to you – who would buy them? I note that you still need to use Windows for some apps – well, sure, what value is there in writing a whole version for Ubuntu users? None.
So, Windows, for all its admitted faults, would frankly not be so bulky if not so popular and would also, by the way, not be so unstable if you were not using a “vintage” pc. ;) On the other hand, if Ubuntu became as popular as Windows, it would be a matter of time before the same vulnerabilities would be uncovered in its code, which would have to be built up with massive amounts of security code it doesn’t need now, which would open it to the same sorts of problems that Windows-haters cite.
Bottom line…. shhhhhh…. don’t tell anyone about it. If it becomes popular, you’ll lose what you love about it – see?
words1:
February 11th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
The “security through obscurity” argument has been kicked around for years in regard to Linux, and, while there is a measure of validity to it (Linux systems are not absolutely bulletproof, not by a long shot), there are key differences between Linux and Windows (and between OSX, which is based on BSD Unix, and Windows) that make Linux (and OSX) less vulnerable to attack and subversion. Just the fact that Ubuntu ships with a number of ports closed that are open by default on Windows helps, as does a better separation of admin and user accounts. The use of dedicated software repositories, where you can download and install vetted programs without dodging spyware-infested crapola out on the net, is also a big plus.
As for the selection of software for Linux, while there are a few proprietary programs I need that only run in Windows (the OED CD-ROM and Merriam-Merriam Webster’s Third Intl. dictionary mostly), the range of high-quality open-source free software available for Linux more than makes up for the dubious “variety” available in Windows. You could not pay me to use MS Word or Outlook today.
pixie:
February 11th, 2009 at 4:24 pm
i don’t know how so many people had bad experiences with XP. Don’t get me wrong, I’m usually against big corporatist software companies like Microsoft, and i must admit that I never payed a dime for software (i live in Romania, btw)Anyways, XP looked to me as a very stable and robust OS, the single microsoft’s os witch can be described with those words. As a personal top I like better macos X, based on a unix flavored darvin and excels on secureness, reliability and easyness. I use linux but only on server purposes. Kde or gnome may look well, but it does crashes quite often, good software lacks, driver support isn’t always good and you must buy equipment with linux support in mind. Kernel or software compilation isn’t a fun job, especially when it comes with a bunch of ambiguous error messages sometimes too technical for a programmer, missing libraries, versions incompatiblities and so. If you use a linux box and you don’t know anything about shell scripts, 50 or so command line names, editing config files, compiling, resolving dependencies, read specific logs in specific directories you are verry verry luck (yet). And, for making things worst, each distro comes with different paths, init scripts, packing systems, and so on. For using linux at full extent i had to read 3000+ book pages and 1000+ web articles regarding a multitude of problems i runed into, but i did this as part of my job. If I were an ordinary guy who needed a computer for usual stuff, in don’t know….
Leslie KiKer:
February 13th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
i have no idea what any of this means….
Paanchajanyadharaaya:
February 15th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Thank you for your help!
Anne:
March 29th, 2011 at 9:19 pm
Now why’d you have to go and say that thing about the ads? I can’t stop trying to find the connection now.