full article here

 

[/url][url=http://www.michaelrobertson.com/]http://www.michaelrobertson.com/

 

Quote:Five Reasons Why Sony Rootkit Is Good For You 

November 23rd, 2005

 

The last two weeks have seen almost nonstop reporting about the Sony "rootkit" debacle. If you haven't been following the news, here's what happened: More than 50 music CD titles sold by Sony/BMG secretly install deep into your computer in a hidden way using what Sony calls "cloaking" software, which is designed to prevent unauthorized copying while appearing to just be installing a simple CD player. This trojan horse is a serious violation of user trust and maybe even the law. (Remember, this happens to the people that paid them $15 or more for the CD!) But that's just the beginning of this story. It turns out that the product is riddled with security holes, whereby others could potentially take over the infected computer (this is what's called a "rootkit") and repeated attempts to remedy the situation have just made things worse. You can read the entire saga here, but be forewarned that it's a torturous novel of corporate missteps.

 

 

Sneak preview of Oboe

Now, you may be wondering if you misread the title claiming this is "Good For You". Of course Sony's tactics are despicable and if you're one of the estimated 568,200 infected users, you should rightly be unhappy. But instead of piling on to the "Sony is bad" bandwagon, I'd like to look at the positives that will come from this event.

 

1) Sony breaks their MP3 boycott and sells MP3 files.

 

In an effort to make amends to affected customers, Sony is offering customers a replacement CD along with MP3 files. As far as I'm aware, this is the first time a major record label is making MP3 files available in conjunction with a CD purchase. All have distributed free tracks in MP3 format before, but none have made MP3 files part of a purchase. It makes NO sense to give away MP3 files, but not sell them. It makes no sense to insist, "We don't sell unencrypted music" all the while selling CDs with the highest quality audio files, which can be converted to MP3s with a single mouse click using software from Apple, Microsoft and others. It makes no financial sense for a company to know that billions of MP3 files are swirling around the Internet each month but refuse to satisfy the demand with an MP3-stocked music store. I hope this is an indication that the music industry's illogical religious boycott of MP3 is ending and being replaced with an economic analysis that will demonstrate that selling MP3s will increase revenues by helping the industry move beyond "every song for 99 cents."

 

2) Proof positive corporations can't be trusted with control over your computer, your music or your property.

 

DRM (Digital Restrictions Management) software gives corporations control over the property you pay for AFTER you buy it. That's dangerous because your personal interests and a corporations profit motives will eventually diverge. The hospital will lock you out of your own health records by using DRM to keep your business. Microsoft will use Palladium DRM in their eventually coming future operating system to make sure you have to buy their software.

 

Sony's actions to secretly install software and cripple your computer to "protect" their music is one of the starkest illustrations to date of the actual harm consumers face in a DRM world. No longer can people say that those who warn of DRM scares are alarmists or conspiracy nuts. The risks are real and Sony drove that point home.

 

3) Industry officials say that CD buyers have the rights to make copies.

 

"Even the CDs with content protection allow consumers to burn 3 copies or so for personal use," is a quote from a speech by RIAA President Cary Sherman. Now, I hear you saying, "No duh!" But this is significant because the industry leaders have always been coy or downright reluctant to admit that CD owners can make copies. In a classic standoff, former RIAA leader Hilary Rosen refused to answer questions at a Senate Judiciary Committee I testified at when asked by Senator Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) if consumers had the right to copy their own CDs. If the industry agrees that consumers can make copies, then why not sell them a CD and put some tracks into a music locker for them? I bet consumers would even pay more for this!

 

4) People care about consumer rights.

 

A friend of mine from the MP3.com era, who now runs a company selling DRM technologies, called me up yesterday and said, "This Sony issue has got me thinking that nobody is looking out for the consumer here. I think we need to build a coalition of companies that will defend consumers rights and try to make all these DRM strategies work together." It's terrific that he's finally understanding what I've been talking to him about for 7 years! His approach to start a coalition to bring together all these corporations is a grand but unattainable vision. Apple isn't working with anyone. Microsoft will pretend to work with someone, but ultimately will not. They will gladly sell out the consumer in an attempt to attain a monopoly. The media companies won't play ball either.

 

The solution isn't some cooked-up "Super DRM," but MP3, which is an open format that all software, hardware and service companies can and do support today. The remedy will come from the marketplace and it's exactly why MP3tunes is doing Oboe! The entire MP3tunes company is working over Thanksgiving break to make it happen soon!

 

5) Sony ships anti-DRM software.

 

The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1998, makes it a crime to produce or disseminate technology that can circumvent copyright security measures. Unbelievably, the software that Sony installs includes DeDRM which makes iTunes songs work on Linux computers. DeDRM was written by new MP3tunes employee Jon Lech Johansen ("DVD Jon"), who was sued twice in Norway for creating circumvention software. Having Sony shipping out hundreds of thousands of discs with DRM-circumvention code will be a good defense for the next person the industry attacks for releasing interoperability software.

 

-- Michael

Hi,

 

Just to inform people Fedora Core 5 test1 has been released.

 

Day Month Event

14 Nov test1 devel freeze

21 Nov test1 release

Hello

For now, i am Linux Man

I am the admin of HostIO.biz(Hebrow)

I am one of SSH4U admin(Almost up)

 

All you need to know about me is i am a PHP/MySQL and HTML programer,

Using linux server with SSH

I am from Israel( )

 

I got MANY English mistakes, so try to understand me

 

TNX

Linux Man(for now at least)

Ok so it has been a while since I wrote a how-to for this site so here goes. This seems to be one of the more sought after confgiurations for network monitoring. You will need apache (httpd), mrt, and net-snmp-utils installed. since most noobs use RPM installations I am sure you can figure ou how to use the add remove programs or rpm -ivh <rpm>.

 

 

Below is the example of me adding my internet ip of my firewall to mrtg. First you need to make sure you can get snmp data from the device you wish to monitor.

 

Quote:snmpwalk -v 1 -c public 69.250.150.54 system

Quote:[root@webfc4 ~]# snmpwalk -v 1 -c public 69.250.150.54 systemSNMPv2-MIB::sysDescr.0 = STRING: Linux fw1 2.4.9-39cp #1 Sun Jun 1 10:32:06 GMT 2003 i686

SNMPv2-MIB::sysObjectID.0 = OID: NET-SNMP-MIB::netSnmpAgentOIDs.10

SNMPv2-MIB::sysUpTime.0 = Timeticks: (230122338) 26 days, 15:13:43.38

SNMPv2-MIB::sysContact.0 = STRING: Unknown

SNMPv2-MIB::sysName.0 = STRING: fw1

SNMPv2-MIB::sysLocation.0 = STRING: "Unknown"

SNMPv2-MIB::sysServices.0 = INTEGER: 76

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORLastChange.0 = Timeticks: (9) 0:00:00.09

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORID.1 = OID: IF-MIB::ifMIB

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORID.2 = OID: SNMPv2-MIB::snmpMIB

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORID.3 = OID: TCP-MIB::tcpMIB

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORID.4 = OID: IP-MIB::ip

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORID.5 = OID: UDP-MIB::udpMIB

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORID.6 = OID: SNMP-VIEW-BASED-ACM-MIB::vacmBasicGroup

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORID.7 = OID: SNMP-FRAMEWORK-MIB::snmpFrameworkMIBCompliance

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORID.8 = OID: SNMP-MPD-MIB::snmpMPDCompliance

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORID.9 = OID: SNMP-USER-BASED-SM-MIB::usmMIBCompliance

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORDescr.1 = STRING: The MIB module to describe generic objects for network interface sub-layers

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORDescr.2 = STRING: The MIB module for SNMPv2 entities

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORDescr.3 = STRING: The MIB module for managing TCP implementations

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORDescr.4 = STRING: The MIB module for managing IP and ICMP implementations

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORDescr.5 = STRING: The MIB module for managing UDP implementations

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORDescr.6 = STRING: View-based Access Control Model for SNMP.

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORDescr.7 = STRING: The SNMP Management Architecture MIB.

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORDescr.8 = STRING: The MIB for Message Processing and Dispatching.

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORDescr.9 = STRING: The management information definitions for the SNMP User-based Security Model.

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORUpTime.1 = Timeticks: (5) 0:00:00.05

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORUpTime.2 = Timeticks: (5) 0:00:00.05

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORUpTime.3 = Timeticks: (5) 0:00:00.05

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORUpTime.4 = Timeticks: (5) 0:00:00.05

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORUpTime.5 = Timeticks: (5) 0:00:00.05

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORUpTime.6 = Timeticks: (5) 0:00:00.05

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORUpTime.7 = Timeticks: (9) 0:00:00.09

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORUpTime.8 = Timeticks: (9) 0:00:00.09

SNMPv2-MIB::sysORUpTime.9 = Timeticks: (9) 0:00:00.09

[root@webfc4 ~]#

Quote:/usr/bin/cfgmaker --output=/etc/mrtg/69.250.150.54.cfg --ifref=ip --global "workdir: /var/www/mrtg" --snmp-options=:::::1 public@69.250.150.54

Quote:#run three times#env LANG=C /usr/bin/mrtg /etc/mrtg/mrtg.cfg

env LANG=C /usr/bin/mrtg /etc/mrtg/69.250.150.54.cfg

Quote:[root@webfc4 ~]# env LANG=C /usr/bin/mrtg /etc/mrtg/69.250.150.54.cfgRateup WARNING: /usr/bin/rateup could not read the primary log file for 69.250.150.54_192.168.1.2

Rateup WARNING: /usr/bin/rateup The backup log file for 69.250.150.54_192.168.1.2 was invalid as well

Rateup WARNING: /usr/bin/rateup Can't remove 69.250.150.54_192.168.1.2.old updating log file

Rateup WARNING: /usr/bin/rateup Can't rename 69.250.150.54_192.168.1.2.log to 69.250.150.54_192.168.1.2.old updating log file

[root@webfc4 ~]# env LANG=C /usr/bin/mrtg /etc/mrtg/69.250.150.54.cfg

Rateup WARNING: /usr/bin/rateup Can't remove 69.250.150.54_192.168.1.2.old updating log file

[root@webfc4 ~]# env LANG=C /usr/bin/mrtg /etc/mrtg/69.250.150.54.cfg

[root@webfc4 ~]#

Quote:indexmaker --output=/var/www/mrtg/index.html /etc/mrtg/mrtg.cfg /etc/mrtg/192.168.1.100.cfg /etc/mrtg/192.168.1.102.cfg /etc/mrtg/192.168.1.204.cfg /etc/mrtg/192.168.1.2.cfg /etc/mrtg/69.250.150.54.cfg

Quote:vi /etc/cron.d/mrtg 

#Enter in you machines like my example below:

 

0-59/5 * * * * root env LANG=C /usr/bin/mrtg /etc/mrtg/mrtg.cfg

0-59/5 * * * * root env LANG=C /usr/bin/mrtg /etc/mrtg/192.168.1.100.cfg

0-59/5 * * * * root env LANG=C /usr/bin/mrtg /etc/mrtg/192.168.1.102.cfg

0-59/5 * * * * root env LANG=C /usr/bin/mrtg /etc/mrtg/192.168.1.204.cfg

0-59/5 * * * * root env LANG=C /usr/bin/mrtg /etc/mrtg/192.168.1.2.cfg

0-59/5 * * * * root env LANG=C /usr/bin/mrtg /etc/mrtg/69.250.150.54.cfg

Quote:service crond restart

Most keyboard shortcuts have been set up, most of them very similar to Windows. This helps those that switch over like I did years ago to be comfortable. However, there is much more you can do than copy, paste, and switch between open applications. I hope this helps you as you make your KDE desktop on Mandriva even more "yours".

 

KeyboardShortcuts.pdf

 

Enjoy!

Tom

I AM Thankful :

> FOR THE WIFE

> WHO SAYS IT'S HOT DOGS TONIGHT,

> BECAUSE SHE IS HOME WITH ME,

> AND NOT OUT WITH SOMEONE ELSE.

>

>

>

>

>

>

> FOR THE HUSBAND

> WHO IS ON THE SOFA

> BEING A COUCH POTATO,

> BECAUSE HE IS HOME WITH ME

> AND NOT OUT AT THE BARS.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> FOR THE TEENAGER

> WHO IS COMPLAINING ABOUT DOING DISHES

> BECAUSE IT MEANS SHE IS AT HOME,

> NOT ON THE STREETS.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> FOR THE TAXES I PAY

> BECAUSE IT MEANS

> I AM EMPLOYED.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> FOR THE MESS TO CLEAN AFTER A PARTY

> BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE

> BEEN SURROUNDED BY FRIENDS.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> FOR THE CLOTHES THAT FIT A LITTLE TOO SNUG

> BECAUSE IT MEANS

> I HAVE ENOUGH TO EAT.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> FOR MY SHADOW THAT WATCHES ME WORK

> BECAUSE IT MEANS

> I AM OUT IN THE SUNSHINE

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> FOR A LAWN THAT NEEDS MOWING,

> WINDOWS THAT NEED CLEANING,

> AND GUTTERS THAT NEED FIXING

> BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE A HOME.

>

> FOR ALL THE COMPLAINING

> I HEAR ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT

> BECAUSE IT MEANS

> WE HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH..

>

> FOR THE PARKING SPOT

> I FIND AT THE FAR END OF THE PARKING LOT

> BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM CAPABLE OF WALKING

> AND I HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH TRANSPORTATION.

>

>

> FOR MY HUGE HEATING BILL

> BECAUSE IT MEANS

> I AM WARM.

>

> ! FOR THE LADY BEHIND ME IN CHURCH

> WHO SINGS OFF KEY BECAUSE IT MEANS

> I CAN HEAR.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> FOR THE PILE OF LAUNDRY AND IRONING

> BECAUSE IT MEANS

> I HAVE CLOTHES TO WEAR.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> FOR WEARINESS AND ACHING MUSCLES

> AT THE END OF THE DAY

> BECAUSE IT MEANS I HAVE BEEN

> CAPABLE OF WORKING HARD.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> FOR THE ALARM THAT GOES OFF

> IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS

> BECAUSE IT MEANS I AM ALIVE.

this is a test of swedish characters

 

V

I've put the Active Directory how-to to the side for now. Here is something for you laptop users, especially if you haven't set up power management (very important!). I hope you find it useful.

 

LaptopPowerControl.pdf

 

Enjoy!

Tom

Well it

how do i change the name of my computer so that it doesn't read localhost in the command line?

thanks,

rich