Re: Off topic - Linux

Tech-Archive recommends: Fix windows errors by optimizing your registry

From: Vagabond Software (vagabondsw-X-_at_-X-gmail.com)
Date: 02/13/05 

Date: Sun, 13 Feb 2005 11:10:08 -0800

"Crusty (-: Old B@stard :-)" <richardurbanREMOVETHIS@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:%23lhTMMfEFHA.1392@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>I just booted up into Red Hat Fedora CORE 3 (for the first time in 3 weeks.
> I was greeted with 77 updates.
>
> Come to think about it, when I last booted up into this system I
> downloaded/installed over 50 updates.
>
> I really can not see how the media, and many end users, are so upset that
> Windows XP had 8-11 updates last week (depending upon your system).
>
> --

It has never been true that Linux is more secure or more stable than Windows. A users/administrators experiences with stability and security are not a reflection of the operating system, but of the person using it. About six years ago, my ongoing Linux education and general "tinkering" began giving way to my ongoing Windows education and general "tinkering". Therefore, it comes as no surprise that I can setup a stable and secure Windows client or server in much less time and effort than I can a Linux installation.

One of my business partners, Penguin Consulting, can do all manner of client and server configurations in Linux with ease, but he doesn't have anywhere near the same depth of knowledge for Windows operating systems. It goes without saying which operating system he can stabilize and secure with the least time and effort.

However, neither of us are under any illusions about our respective "favorite" operating systems. We've been on-site together cleaning up a Linux "house" where the network was penetrated through a component vulnerability. I've worked at a company where the Network Administrator had a Linux "test" machine setup and waiting for him to have more time to tinker with it, only to find out an employee had exploited a vulnerability in the LILO boot loader months before and was using it as a warez server.

The most frustrating part of the OS holy wars are the absolute terms in which the arguments are made. The "more secure" slogans surrounding Firefox and Linux are very misleading and suggest that a typical user who is not secure or stable in IE and Windows will automatically bask in complete security and stability with Firefox and Linux.

carl

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