Sign in / up

* Posts by Mage

9273 publicly visible posts • joined 23 Nov 2007

Page:

Clutching at its Perl 6, developer community ponders language name with less baggage

Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon

Re: Which Perl?

I thought Perl was just a wrapper to add functionality to regex, because you can't quite write a program just with a regex.

I'd not realised that Perl6 wasn't just a later version of Perl5. I've written one Perl program and I'd no idea what version. So I checked:

perl -v

This is perl 5, version 22, subversion 1 (v5.22.1) built for x86_64-linux-gnu-thread-multi

(with 73 registered patches, see perl -V for more detail)

Copyright 1987-2015, Larry Wall

Perl may be copied only under the terms of either the Artistic License or the

GNU General Public License, which may be found in the Perl 5 source kit.

Complete documentation for Perl, including FAQ lists, should be found on

this system using "man perl" or "perldoc perl". If you have access to the

Internet, point your browser at http://www.perl.org/, the Perl Home Page.

So the only issue is a new name for Perl6?

14 1

Microsoft's only gone and published the exFAT spec, now supports popping it in the Linux kernel

Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon

Re: What if ...

There are free ext drivers for XP, at least ext2

Wasn't FAT based on one of the hundreds of CP/M formats. As DOS itself was a rip off of CPM/86.

The additions to fudge exFAT shouldn't have been permitted as patents. Only the actual code should have been copyright. It fails almost every traditional test, as do most patents at the USPTO, because they get paid more for acceptance than rejection and the theory is that if the patent is invalid someone will take the holder to court. The system favours huge corporations that spend as much on patent lawyers and clerical staff as actual engineers actually researching and developing real products. The system is broken.

However try reading an NTFS formated USB drive on a locked down Education institute Mac, or an iOS thing on Windows or Linux without iTunes.

7 2

GIMP open source image editor forked to fix 'problematic' name

Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon

GUI

It's got TWO GUIs.

One suits a single screen and one suits a two screen setup.

Gimp was a type of thread (more than 70 years ago) and has had two other meanings since. A terrible acronym.

3 0
Mage Silver badge
Gimp

Indeed

Most people think of gimp suit.

It's a stupid name and was stupid even before the sex reference thing became popular.

The definition of gimp as disabled is older than the package.

The OED (Pocket 4th Edition 1942) has that it's a silk covered - wire core composite, or a fishing line using silk bound with wire or a coarse thread in lace making.

I'm not against acronyms, but: (1) They WILL get pronounced, (2) Do look up the word in decent British and American dictionaries as well as online.

2 2

Brits are sitting on a time bomb of 40m old electronic devices that ought to be recycled

Mage Silver badge
Alert

contain elements that could run out in the near future

That's dubious. Potentially we might use up oil or Helium. The Rare Earths etc are not rare.

I heard this on the BBC R4 news this morning and wondered:

a) How much (if any) is recovered other than maybe gold?

b) How much simply gets land filled, possibly overseas?

c) Is the recovery environmentally friendly?

d) Will recovery use badly paid workers getting poisoned?

e) What are these people selling?

I agree stuff isn't made to last long enough nor supported long enough nor repairable.

23 1

Moore's Law isn't dead, chip boffin declares – we need it to keep chugging along for the sake of AI

Mage Silver badge
Coffee/keyboard

Oh dear.

Where to start on this buzz word bingo?

Moore's law was an aspiration and it's not been plausible for 10 years or more. It's also been redefined downwards, so means whatever a chip maker wants it to mean.

Well, yes above 2 to 4 cores the I/O bottle neck to RAM becomes more serious. I've wondered if a RISC two core on a BIG chip with lots of RAM and a piggy back RAM (SC6400 family) on top with then multiple high speed serial I/O to an array of identical chips rather than 16 to 64 cores on one chip (like Transputer idea) is better.

I still think AI & ML is mostly PR and dubious for anything other than pattern matching. That's the underlying mechanism. It's a niche.

Is this TSMC PR?

9 2

My MacBook Woe: I got up close and personal with city's snatch'n'dash crooks (aka some bastard stole my laptop)

Mage Silver badge

Guest Account?

Why would that be enabled?

Though my Mac knowledge is sparse.

1 0

Lenovo ThinkPad X390: A trusty workhorse that means business but it's not without a few flaws

Mage Silver badge

Interesting

Pro: decent size SSD. The common 120G is too small.

Con: Screen too small, price too high, Intel graphics.

Pro: more practical than sub 1920 x1080 screens for Windows.

Con: It's not going to replace an E460.

What's the keyboard like for typing 2K to 10K words per day? The article mentions "The key travel is as good as ever", however that's not everything.

Does Linux work on it?

Obviously as the article says it's for someone on the road, not the desk user replacing a tower with a laptop.

12 0

Four more years! Four more years! Svelte Linux desktop Xfce gets first big update since 2015

Mage Silver badge
Happy

Tempted

I've tried XFCE but decided Mate suited better. However you can easily have both (or more) on Linux and select at Log In. So I have the previous version and Mate on my main laptop and one of my Netbooks.

Mint package Manager still offering 4.12

8 0

iFrame clickjacking countermeasures appear in Chrome source code. And it only took *checks calendar* three years

Mage Silver badge
Devil

iFrames are evil

I remember telling a copy & paste wannabe web designer in about 2003 that iFrames were evil. First introduced in MSIE in 1997?

I wondered were they invented to embed third party sites?

They seemed like a way to have your content "spoiled" by changes to the 3rd party site and also a risk to the user.

No responsible Webpage designer or site owner should be using them. Adverts can be done ethically without them.

Today I use uMatrix to block 3rd party scripts and only manually whitelist needed for functionality scripts. Even then I don't save changes unless a clearly safe 3rd party. These scripts are usually in iFrame elements. I used to use NoScript.

3 2

It will never be safe to turn off your computer: Prankster harnesses the power of Windows 95 to torment fellow students

Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon

Re: W98 was OK, but W95 and USB ..

The first Win95 didn't have USB, though stupidly had CD Autorun.

16 0

Microsoft Surface users baffled after investing in kit that throttles itself to the point of passing out

Mage Silver badge
Coat

encouraging design innovation

Really?

Do you mean the iOS tablet with a keyboard and pen, or some of the Lenovo models that fold that would have been happening anyway?

2 8

Data cops order Ireland to delete 3.2m records after ID card wheeze ruled to be 'unlawful'

Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon

Re: It’s gets better...

Don't ever give them your Mobile number. You are not obliged to do so.

5 0
Mage Silver badge
Devil

It's worse

Without legislation or debate the Job Seeking stuff has been privatised, outsourced, to almost fake Irish Companies that are mostly UK owned. The Job Path stuff is produced in Yorkshire and you have to answer toxic questions or your benefits are stopped. If the private company makes any complaint about you, the benefits are automatically stopped without warning, though a phone call to Social Welfare may get them re-instated.

I do wish Ireland would stop copying Toxic UK schemes. See also Comreg cf Ofcom and Irish Financial Regulator cf UK and Anglo Irish Bank etc.

19 2

How dodgy browser plugins, web scripts can silently rewrite that URL you were about to hit – and throw you into an internet wormhole

Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon
Black Helicopters

Re: I'd struggle if all my gear was seized even if I bought a new laptop.

There might be 10 to 30 versions of each novel

There might huge number of archived articles, all my photos and saved websites etc going back to 1996.

Also email.

All the important stuff does fit on about 300 GBytes. Obviously on a daily basis only new stuff and changes are backed up.

Forget Cloud for backup if you only have DSL speeds. My VDSL is barely faster than my 2006 Fixed Wireless link.

Forget Cloud for backup if you want privacy and security.

* * *

The Garda are not stupid. They even have specialists. I suppose the UK does too now, though they didn't when I lived there. They'll want all the passwords and accounts.

I make offline backups. Obviously any competent investigators will want to know where a retired IT expert is putting the off-site backups no matter if cloud, tape, USB sticks or HDD/

5 0
Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon
Alert

Re: A successful prosecution needs

Generally true.

Though they might cart off all your internet connecting stuff with screens. Just to check. Then some months later you'll get it back.

Maybe.

I'm a writer of SF, Fantasy, Spy/Adventure/Detective. I'd struggle if all my gear was seized even if I bought a new laptop.

Also a lot of the saved web pages might be suspicious for anyone not a journalist or writer.

Depends which country you live in too!

11 0
Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon
Big Brother

Re: The common root case?

Just block 3rd party scripts by default.

I've used NoScript. More use than AV. I use uMatrix now.

Also Waterfox or Firefox. Firefox + uMatrix works on Android as well as Windows and Linux.

Also a risk is people not changing default pass etc on the Router. Drive by malware in JS in an advert can rewrite the DNS settings. Then you are open to man in the middle attacks.

Adverts should ONLY be a static image and a link. It's the attempt to be clever and track (steal private info) that means ads even on CNN and BBC can serve malware.

There are also sites (usually links in spam or adverts) that are entirely dedicated to pawning you. Or stealing your usage.

None of this is new.

12 0

We checked and yup, it's no longer 2001. And yet you can pwn a Windows box via Notepad.exe

Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon
Facepalm

Re: Is this why a "notepad" app doesn't come with Android?

Jota is easy to download from playstore, nice text free editor and doesn't seem to have adverts.

There is no included File manager or image editor, or terminal client either.

1 0

Bit of a time-saver: LibreOffice emits 6.3 with new features, loading and UI boosts

Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon

Re: not been reading the release notes then

Oh, I did.

I'm concerned mostly with SaveAS in LibreOffice Writer to MS doc and MS docx. I use odt and native editing is no problem.

Export/Import BETWEEN applications is best via RTF when you are going to edit the imported content.

1 0
Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon

Re: Fourier transform?

You don't need a programming language.

Scilab or Matlab. It's sort of programming. Someone can set up ready to run models.

2 0
Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon
Coffee/keyboard

Re: Don't they also accept pdf?

PDF is for print ready paper. I ONLY upload that for production to print. Like POD services

PDF is absolutely EVIL for ebooks, editing etc. An actual Publisher will NEVER want PDF unless they are crazy, printing it on paper and not editing / formatting.

The ebooks are not ebooks if using PDF. You can't sensibly create anything from a PDF except a printout. Best format to upload to Amazon for ebooks oddly is epub v2, they then convert to old mobi, KF8 /azw3, KFX etc according to the Kindle device/app the buyer has.

Unless you are using Sigil, you need to Save As MS docx in LibreOffice and then convert that to epub using Calibre. The LibreOffice 5.x plugin and the 6.x built-in epub export is no use except for simple trivial ebooks, no good for publish ready ebooks.

5 0
Mage Silver badge
Coat

Docx & Doc support?

I'm using existing 6.2.x on Linux Mint 18.3 and Linux Mint 19.x (19.1?) and 5.x on Linux Mint 18.3:

I don't see anything about improved docx or ms doc support. There are bugs to do with styles even after conversion on import or on Save As.

Publishers and some ebook creation tools want MS docx or MS doc. You have to "Save As", exit LibreOffice, open the MS format doc, fix style errors and Save (not Save As), also "forgets" embed font setting in . Then not open without fixing all again.

Please stop with GUI fiddling and concentrate on function. Though Mozilla, MS and Apple are worst on that.

8 2
Mage Silver badge

32 bit removal

A great use for an old PC / Laptop is Wordprocessing for poor people.

A great shame. There are even some 64bit Atoms that only have 32 bit EFI. Those are harder to install 64 bit Linux on and often come with 32bit Win 10. Maybe in 10 years time would be reasonable to start dropping 32bit support.

32-bit builds removals

Binary Linux x86 (32-bit) releases will be demoted. There will be no Linux x86 builds produced by TDF after 6.2. This does not mean that Linux x86 compatibility will be removed. If you need a 32 bit build, please have a look at your distribution.

1 0
Mage Silver badge

Crazy

The LibreLogo should not even be an optional part or plugin in LibreOffice.

Madness.

18 0

When the chips are down, buy a software biz: Broadcom snaffles Symantec for $10.7bn

Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon
Coat

Re: Ha!

Or even $10.7 billion.

1 0
Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon
Coffee/keyboard

Ha!

How long before Broadcom simply dig a hole and bury Symantec? I can think of many better uses for $10.7!

1 0

Who will save us from deepfakes? Other AIs? Humans? What about vastly hyperintelligent pandimensional beings?

Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon
Facepalm

Re: Cut out the middlemen?

A computer Neural Network isn't at all similar to biological brains. Marketing name.

3 0

Hack-age delivery! Wardialing, wardriving... Now warshipping: Wi-Fi-spying gizmos may lurk in future parcels

Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon

Re: But when it reaches the mailroom...

In a gazillion years of visiting companies and working for various, I've never seen X-Ray in a mailroom. I've no doubt some do have them.

2 0
Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon
Black Helicopters

Re: probably been doing this for years

Actually people are now paying to have surveillance installed:

Nest

Amazon doorbells

Smart Speakers

Connecting your Smart TV to LAN/WiFi, thus internet.

Windows 10

Android (free, but you have to buy phone/tablet)

Chrome OS Cloud Terminals

Most IoT stuff not listed above, such as toys or Baby monitors insecurely done.

Enabling uPNP on a router

Using IP6 without a proper IP6 Firewall.

Free options include Chrome Browser, Facebook, Linkedin and most Google services etc.

So you only need the more Covert options if you are not a large US corporation.

8 0
Mage Silver badge
Big Brother

Also expanding the Trojan Horse

Send it hidden in a box with a free HID based device and "Marketing", such as a mouse. Or other "gift" (Trojan) to the required senior people.

This is pretty easy to do actually.

The "mouse" might even be able to use the laptop / All-in-one BT what the local WiFi password is. As well as capture all important web / company passwords/accounts.

Then the little computer avoids the corporate firewall by using GSM/Edge/3G/4G, which might be too much HW to fit in a mouse.

Anonymous SIMs are easy to get and with anonymous pre-pay credit may work in destinations were such SIMS / Credit can't be purchased.

The computer can be hidden in a gift, soles of nike/Converse or packaging (for a nice Trojan HID mouse or other thing) that's too nice to chuck out. It can be embedded in foam/silicone packaging mat so it's not noticed when/if packaging is dumped.

Could be fitted in a complementary smart speaker, TV sound bar or whatever. Then power is no issue. For some targets the cost is irrelevant. Full 24x7 covert surveillance by a human team is mindbogglingly expensive.

It's not needed if you have human access to the site. That's been using clocks, wall sockets, adaptors, copiers, coffee makers for radio / audio / video surveillance for maybe 15 years, often with a mobile connection and powered from the target's mains. It can communicate out of hours / radio silence / communicate on demand. Maybe even a rock in the company garden. Stuff now cheap on ebay if you have foolproof human access to a site.

So the only news here is that it's in IBM PR. This is well established.

Any Dark Arts Covert Surveillance team has probably been doing this for years.

5 0

Hack computers to steal someone's identity in China? Why? You can just buy one from a bumpkin for, like, $3k

Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon
Pirate

Re: $3K per ID

Ah, but you have FULL details.

I wonder how much my IDs of previous countries of residence are worth? After what's in a name. Most are common, even with same DOB. As people in NY discover who are taken to court for OTHER PEOPLE'S driving offences! Stupid NY cops only use name + DOB, not any unique qualifiers.

3 0

US court nixes Google's $5.5m court payoff over Safari Workaround – no one affected saw cash

Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon

Re: work around in the early 2000s

Was Safari on MacOs then? OS9 -> OSx was about 2002?

2 0

Choc-a-block: AWS sues sales exec for legging it to Google Cloud. Yup, another bitter battle over non-compete clauses

Mage Silver badge
Pirate

Crazy

Why are companies allowed to insist on contracts that turn people in serfs or something? Basically be unemployed if you want to leave.

I do agree that people should not be allowed to exploit intellectual property of an employer when they leave, but often that is dishonestly interpreted by the exploitive company.

Even claiming ownership of a client list and forbidding contact can be disingenuous as in many valuable markets all the potential customers are known and who they are currently buying from.

14 1

Googlers hate it! This one weird trick lets websites dodge Chrome 76's defenses, detect you're in Incognito mode

Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon
Big Brother

Re: Newspaper wonders why people won't pay or watch ads

Google analytics.

Also Chrome is Google Spyware.

Why would you trust Google in normal or incognito mode?

12 5

Disabled by default: Microsoft ups the ante in its war against VBScript on Internet Explorer

Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon
Coffee/keyboard

Re: allows only software downloaded from the store

I did put a ? as I did wonder. So the Surface RT is really a tablet sized unsupported Windows phone rather than a Win 10 tablet. I see.

Right, so a VERY niche & doomed product!

6 0
Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon

Re: Edge for surface RT?

Doesn't Firefox work (or Waterfox on 64 bit Win10, though my Win10 tablet with 64bit Atom is 32 bit Win 10)?

1 3

LibreOffice handlers defend suite's security after 'unfortunately partial' patch

Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon

Re: What do you expect from...

Adobe Acrobat Vulns?

ActiveX in IE

OLE & DCOM

Outlook defaults.

Windows Explorer Defaults

Autorun: CDs, Network shares, USB sticks. The original registry setting to disable CD autorun doesn't disable network & USB. Amiga autorun virus on floppies before Win95.

No security on non-NT windows. Able to use Windows 3.x & 9.x apart from network shares just with a click.

SW for NT (win2K, XP, Vista etc) written for win3.x / win9.x security model so it only ran for Admin accounts.

Very many more DESIGN issues in MS Software, not fixed for years. Since the start of Word on Windows, the last line of a paragraph may fully justify instead of left. Current MS advice: "Add an extra return, then backspace to delete it". Almost g'teed on last paragraph before a page break. May not be visible till you do a PDF export.

Some bugs and bad defaults in Explorer since Win95 are still there in Win10. Explorer has got worse with each version of windows since XP in usability.

3 2
Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon

Re: logo?

As it's a full ancient programming language for teaching kids (originated in 1967), why is it included at all and only since recently?

It's of about zero value to automate anything in an office application.,

There are separate Logo programming implementations.

There are also far better things for teaching kids, like Scratch.

It's bonkers ever including it in an Office Package.

10 0
Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon

Re: Linux: Remove LibreLogo via console

Windows refugees to Linux may not be aware of the simplicity of some console command lines.

The advantage of the GUI method is that you don't need to know EXACTLY what the evil package is called :D

Thank you

4 0
Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon
Linux

Linux: Remove LibreLogo

You do get it if you update to LibreOffice 6.2.x manually.

On ANY Linux using apt / synaptic package manager:

1) Launch synaptic package manager via Control panel. Password required.

2) type librelogo into search

3) Select "Remove Completely" on the checkbox if it's filled in.

4) Click Apply.

Nothing gets broken, because this is something No-one needs. No-one should be using it. It should never have been added. Scratch is brilliant for teaching kids to program.

Any apt command line expert can probably remove LibreLogo via a console. I could only find Windows Removal instructions. Centos / Redhat / Fedora or other RPM Linux users will use their similar methods.

Also I never enable Java in LibreOffice. Slows it down and adds nothing needed.

LibreLogo isn't in older versions pre-installed with Mint. I can't understand why this was added.

Why on earth do they want it as an extension?

The only use case is to stroke someone's ego.

7 0

Ouch. Reinstalling Windows 10 again? By 2020, a 'cloud download' may be all you need

Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon

Re: Windows version of Time Machine

Or you can use the Windows Control panel GUI to back-up to cheap USB HDD. Then it's a few clicks to restore, even if the OS can't connect to WiFi or can only do the UEFI screens.

A decently borked computer won't talk to the network.

7 0
Mage Silver badge
Alert

Re: sounds very convenient

Embrace, extend, and extinguish.

For Younger Readers

1) What Personal info from your gear will be stored on MS Server, so this works, possibly without clear permission?

2) With the extra info MS will gather, how long will the existing methods be supported?

3) Logically to be any use it needs to work with a system that can't boot from the usual drive, thus proprietary code needs to be available for WiFi, Mobile and Wired Ethernet (all three) that executes BEFORE the usual bootloader on internal or external storage. Something more than the usual network boot option.

This has the potential to be VERY bad for security, privacy or installing non-MS OS. Perhaps MS will accidentally roll back from current OS (any Windows, Linux, BSD whatever) to the originally supplied configuration. The potential for disaster due to greed, evil or just stupidity is immense. It's actually solving a problem that doesn't really exist and will encourage owners to not bother to have restore media and not bother backing up.

9 6
Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon
Coat

Re: Who trusts a binary?

Ah a Gentoo user. Which is first, Chicken or Egg? (A Mint user).

4 0
Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon

Re: restore all the accounts

Only if you put the Accounts on the MS Cloud. Which might contravene GDPR and I'd not trust MS Security for the entirety of my data or even my enemy's data.

8 0
Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon
Devil

Re: What if you have no extra machine?

What no phone? Some can download to USB adaptor with a USB stick.

The ONLY way this can work is MS proprietary code in the laptop/PC Flash. Will that allow install of non-MS OSes? It won't work on today's computers with a Windows that doesn't boot. Unless something horrible is added to your router and you chose Network Boot on the Setup. Though I've seen some PCs/Laptops that you CAN'T re-install unless you change a BIOS/EFI setting while the Win7 is still working, as the default is to read the MS EFI hidden partition!

So is it REALLY to allow recovery by the Cloud or have new UEFI locked to MS Cloud Servers if the HDD/SSD doesn't boot?

4 0
Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon
Coffee/keyboard

Re: Chrome OS.

A terminal to Google's Servers that they had to add local stuff to, because always on, always available Internet/Cloud is a fiction.

I'd call Chrome OS a Chrome Browser on a minimal Linux/GNU stack, almost locked to Google's Apps. Bad value compared to a full Linux. It's only a good idea for Google.

It's not a proper OS like Mac, Windows, Linux, BSD, or even Android and iOS, it's a Cloud Terminal.

29 0
Mage Silver badge
Devil

Um, just NO!

If you have no recovery media, then you should be able to download to a USB Stick/drive using ANY machine or OS.

A built in Cloud Recovery is nonsense.

31 8

New British Army psyops unit fires rebrandogun, smoke clears to reveal... I'm sorry, Dave...

Mage Silver badge
Coffee/keyboard

Um, seriously?

This is real, not made up because it was a slow news day at Vulture Towers?

So other than on a screen, how does the logo look? I mean printed on a T-shirt, or as a badge on a uniform?

5 0

Omni(box)shambles? Google takes aim at worldwide web yet again

Mage Silver badge
Unhappy

Bonkers or Evil?

Google is Bonkers or Evil, I can't decide. They could be both.

As OP says, this is on the same level of daft as MS hiding file endings.

9 0

Meet ELIoT – the EU project that wants to commercialize Internet-over-lightbulb

Mage Silver badge
Reply Icon

Re: First radio, now light...

You'd struggle to do 0.002 Mbps on an IR remote system. Manchester encoding at less than 1 kbps using 38kHz OOK of the IR. Makes it quite immune to noise and allows high sensitivity. You'd need about 10,000x power for same performance from ethernet speed optical communications.

1 0

Page: