Chris Carlen (crobc@BOGUS_FIELD.earthlink.net) wrote:
: Hi:

: My wife's computer now has a hardware switch to allow her to select hard
: drives. One for Linux, and one for Windows.
Overkill IMO

: Problem: Now that the switch is installed she only uses Windows, and it
: is impossible to have her use of her computer not coincide with my use
: of my computer. Thus the problem is now worse in terms of security, and
: worse in that my wife's usage patterns have now drifted almost entirely
: to Windows.
It sounds like you shutdown your whole network when windows is running.
Most viruses (commonly written for the most popular OS) won't know what to
do with linux. As well, a virus should need to obtain executable
permissions before bieng able to run.

: 4. Continue to run NFS on the LAN, but disallow ftp and telnet since a
: snooper on the VMware Windows could see traffic. Use only ssh to gain
: remote access to the other Linux box.
Prudent, if you are really worried about it.

: Things have further deteriorated since my wife bought a webcam, which
: doesn't appear to work with VMware (even the latest version) because it
: uses isochronous USB transfers. Thus she must use the real Windows for
: this. But she doesn't plan to use it all the time.

I disagree with the other poster on this point: you should make every
effort to make windows as secure and as functional as possible.
Enable firewall included in XP. Possibly install Zone Alarm (firewall that
screens outgoing programs) Install an anti-virus (AVG (grisoft) is free
for 1 computer). Make her a "user" instead of "administrator" (disallow
users from installing programs). Try to find a program of video driver
that will allow her to use multiple desktops under windows.

The point is you will eventually run into a brick wall of artificial
restrictions imposed on the OS by Microsoft; they cripple their own
software so they can charge more for the "professional" or "server"
versions. Many linux distros try to emulate windows. This is stupid. Linux
has to do things Windows can't. (personally, I find the ability to run
from read-only media promising)

It also takes a lot of effort to make windows secure, meaning that it is
NOT easy to use. IMO menu based interfaces are easy to lean, but hard to
use: they get in your way once you learn where everything is.


: She actually prefers Linux for it's spaciousness, mainly, the extra
: virtual desktops. But she wants to do things that Linux just cannot do,
: thanks to Microsoft's disgusting anticompetitive acts. She wants to
: chat in Thai with her sister. Her sister uses MSN and won't be
: persuaded to change, since "all their friends use MSN."

: Last time I killed many hours trying to get any Linux chat client to
: work in Thai, I failed. I will try again, and maybe it can work now (I
: doubt it), but then again MSN allows webcam and sound functionality, all
: with the effort of...well just about no effort at all. And that is the
: sad fact that is making me loose a Linux convert back to Windows. I
: just cannot get Linux to compete with the functionality of Windows.

Do you have a Thai keyboard/keymap set up?

If you want specific functionallity in the near future, you have to pay for
it. Volunteers take time. Part of the problem is large companies (with
money) implementing either proprietary or patented standards. IMO, it is
too easy to get a patent.

: Windows suck, but I want my wife to have the only access to Thai TV that
: she can get, which is through IE and that web site. Digital cable is
: expensive and has only one channel which she doesn't want. The Thai TV
: web site uses Active X controls, and will not work with Mozilla. She is
: also uninterested in contacting the site developers to complain because
: she is convinced that they don't care and won't care. They have no
: shortage of customers. Their customers don't care about Windows viruses

I have been planning to write a "browser abuse demonstration page" for
about a year now. Unfortunately, I have been bogged down in other things.
I am thinking of pairing this with a petition to all web-developpers to
avoid requiring client-side scripting (simply gives too much power to
untrusted web-site operators). Initially the abuse would be restricted to
strict HTML4.01 and JavaScript. Then I would tackle JScript, ActiveX,
Simulate a Trojan Virus (cross-platform!), allow people to request
script-laden e-mail, Flash, Exploit Software bugs, etc.

The problem is naive users are being conditioned into risky behavior. It
is common to see web-sites request that you install "free" software to
view a site. When a malicious site tells people to do the same thing, most
users don't question it.

: Bummed out.

Regards,

James Phillips





: --
: _____________________
: Christopher R. Carlen
: crobc@earthlink.net
: SuSE 9.1 Linux 2.6.5