Dr. Bill | The Computer Curmudgeon
Join Dr. Bill as he examines the wild and wacky world of the web, computers, and all things geeky! Hot Tech Tips, Tech News, and Geek Culture are examined… with plenty of good humor as well!
Dr. Bill pontificates on all things technical!
The Mac has been hit with a lot in the last few days from a security perspective. Though it is still WAY safer than a Windows platform.
So, don’t throw out your Mac just yet! But, it is interesting that virus writers have turned their interest toward the platform.
Well, you knew it had to happen! Someone has installed a Linux operating system on an Intel based Mac! Again, I have to ask, “Why?” (Other than “bragging rights!”) Mac’s OS is based on OpenBSD… so, I am not sure why anyone would want to run Linux. Of course, don’t get me wrong! I love Linux! So, dewd, go for it!
Knoppix Linux boots and runs entirely off a CD. It is extremely useful for fixing systems that normally won’t boot at all… Windows or Linux! This article has a good tutorial on fixed a broken Linux box with Knoppix:
I like the fact that you can use Knoppix with Windows systems that won’t boot by booting with the CD, then mounting the Windows drive (even if it is NTFS) and then copying the data off the machine to a USB thumbdrive. Nice! Then, you can blow away the system, and rebuild it, and copy your data back after it is “humming along!” Knoppix! A nice tool! And, of course… FREE! Here’s the link:
Microsoft has been lying for a long time and saying that Windows Server is cheaper to administer and use on servers than Linux. Any true geek knows better than this… but the “suits” (that is, business folks) have been eating up Microsoft’s FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt.) So, someone finally did a real world survey of actual businesses… and guess what?
Who would have thought it? A superior, Open Source, FREE operating system is cheaper to use than an expensive, buggy, bloated Windows? Wow. Amazing.
Microsoft is pulling Frontpage out of Premium Office, and they are even “retiring” the Frontpage name. Cool! Now folks can use the FREE Open Source Nvu!
Frontpage Dying! OK… Mutating!
I now use a combination of Nvu and Notepad for my web design these days. But, I started with Frontpage, lo, these many years ago. Can’t say that I am sorry to see it go, though!
If you want Nvu, for FREE! Go here:
PLEEEEEEASE!?!? Stick a pin with your location in my “Frappr Map” for the Dr. Bill Podcast listeners! I have heard from folks before this in Germany, Nevada… and other foreign countries… now you can show us where you are from! Come on! It will be cool! Just click on the “Frappr” logo on the right sidebar column! (What? You didn’t know Nevada was a foreign country?!?!) ;-)
The “little browser that could” is showing it’s muscle! Gaining market share to achieve 10% saturation in one year’s time against powerhouse Microsoft is impressive! Maybe folks are beginning to “get it!”
It is safer, cleaner, faster and has more features… duh! Get it! Here’s the link:
Plant waste… the stalks, as fuel for your car? Yeah! And, it may be that bugs will help! Sound weird? Probably, but I hope it comes true!
Of course, you have to have a “flex fuel” car to use it… but, come on, let’s do it!
Most of you that read this Blog, or listen to the Podcast, know that I don’t like Symantec Norton Anti-virus, and other Norton Software. Way back in “the day” they were OK, but these days, Norton is almost like a virus itself! Why do I say that? Well, have you ever tried to completely remove Norton Anti-Virus from a system? Dewd! It is a pain! And, if anything is left of it in place, other Anti-virus software gets hosed! I wonder why? Hummmmm… well, anyway… if you have ever tried to do an un-install of Norton, you KNOW it is not as simple as “Add-Remove Programs!”
Apparently, Symantec knows this is a problem as well! So, they have a SPECIAL program that they give to customers that have problems removing the programs! Uh huh, you are probably asking the same thing that I did… that is, “If they can create a program that can completely remove the offending software, why not just make the ‘Add-Remove Programs’ Wizard work right the first time?” An interesting question, eh wot?
So, here is a link to the secret Norton un-installer:
A nice tool to add to your arsenal! Now, you can get rid of an expensive pretender and use the FREE Grisoft AVG, which actually works! By the way, here’s the link to THAT:
Way back in “the day” I used Xwindows (X11) on both UNIX and VMS operating systems on “high end” (for the time) workstations and servers. It was a very cool client/server technology that displayed screens of sessions from one system on the screen of another. Though, for those of you that actually worked with it… do you remember that the “Client” and the “Server” seemed logically reversed? Yep. Got a grin out of you! Anyway, it was also SLOW. Very cool, but slow! X11 technology has been around for many years. However, now there is a “New X,” called, interestingly enough, “NX.”
The NX Protocol and Linux Terminal Server
“NX is a new technology that allows one to run remote X11 sessions across slow or low-bandwidth network connections. User experience with NX is one of excellent responsiveness. Users with previous remote X11 session experience are stunned by NX’s speed and its snappy application interaction. Moreover, NX also can connect to remote RDP and VNC sessions and offer big performance wins over TightVNC and rdesktop remote access. NX can do all of this from Linux, Mac OS X, Solaris and Windows workstations as well as from some types of PDA gadgets.”
Very small packets, very fast displays. It sounds like the IGA protocol and Citrix, doesn’t it? I am a Citrix Administrator and consultant, and I can tell you, it is a VERY HOT technology! So… what if you could have an Open Source version (FreeNX), and a fully supported commercial version, by a company that does BOTH? Well, here you go!
NoMachine.com: Commercial, Supported NX
“NoMachine NX is a Terminal Server and Remote Access solution based on a comprising set of enterprise class open source technologies. Thanks to the outstanding compression, session resilience and resource management developed on top of the X-Window system, and the integration with the powerful audio, printing and resource sharing capabilities of the Unix world, NoMachine NX makes it possible to run any graphical application on any operating system across any network connection as if you were sitting in front of your computer.”
Keep an eye on this one! It looks VERY COOL!