> The absolute *last* thing I want on my computer is a centralised
> source of all information. It worries me about Linux, too...

RG> Linux doesn't have a registry, or any other centralised source
RG> of all information.

... and it is protected by root access, but all config files reside in
one place, are well known, and in plain text.

 The difference between an engineer's philosophy and a tech's (among
others) is that the tech sees things that have already happened and
finds a way to ficx it, while the engineer sees what *might* happen
and finds a way to prevent it.

 Linux is a much better sytem than Windows, which is obviously
vulnerable, but I assume that somewhere, someone knows how to get past
the Linux root priviliges, and once he does, it's pretty easy. I am
not so big-headed to say that it is impossible.

RG> A Linux firewall is actually an integral part of the O/S
RG> itself. IE, the firewall code doesn't run "on top" of the
RG> operating system (like windoze based "solutions"), it is
RG> actually a PART of it.

 Oh durr... and that makes difference, does it?

> On a PC, we rely on the PC itself to take the precautions.

RG> That's your mistake. A PC needs to be told what to do, or not
RG> to do. They DON'T take precautions all by themselves.

 Bill Gates does not agree, and he's the one with the billions. It's
fine for you to set yourself above the rest of us (although I'd feel
happier if you had a medal or something) but Gates is trying to make
things *easy* to use, and I agree with him.

 To me, the problem is not so much the PC as the Internet itself.
Fido was set up correctly for mass-use, the internet was set up for
uniwankers. What has made the internet grow, is not the net approach
and its protocols, it is cheap satellite communication using downtime.
What we now need, is a centralised system with a heirarchy where spam
and bullshit can be easily filtered out, and the ones doing it, sorted
out.

 Aside from the pathetics downloading porn, the major legal use for
the net is email and information exchange, but we have a monster where
every email may contain a virus, the informastion is suss, and money
exchange is attracting criminals. This can't be fixed by linux
firewall.

Regards,
Bob
           

 

--- BQWK Alpha 0.5