Dan Olsen’s Weblog

Red screen of death? | News.blog | CNET News.com:

I will have a new goal when Longhorn comes out! ACHIEVE THE RED SCREEN OF DEATH!

As I have been reading about the latest vulnerabilities in the Firefox web browser it makes me wonder if there will every be a web browser that will be truly safe. The answer I come up with is NO. I believe whenever a browser or even an operating system becomes more popular and more widely used, the hackers are going to beat the tar out of it and find the security holes. I have always believed this to be the case and lately I have found that I am not alone in thinking this. Just the other day on the news when they were talking about the new Mac OS X Tiger coming out, many people said that the reason it is so secure right now is because it not as widely used as Windows. The same is true for Firefox and Internet Explorer. I believe the more popular Firefox becomes, the more security holes people will find in it. It seems that is just the nature of the beast.

The other day I installed the new Mac OS X Tiger and I must say that I don’t have too many complaints about it. May main complaint is that my emacs build for mac quit working. This is mainly a problem because I am using Mozart for a Natural Language Processing class I am taking and Mozart runs in emacs. There were also a couple of other application problems but for the most part I got those fixed.

Phil Windley mentions a site in his blog that has a list of incompatibility issues with certain applications and Tiger. You can find it at http://www.macintouch.com/tigerreview/incompatibility.html.

I found it interesting that they have changed the name of Rendezvous to Bonjour I guess with every upgrade you have to make so many changes and that is one of the changes Apple decided to make. The RSS feature in Safari is better than it is in Firefox (Phil Windley also talks about this in his post). Instead of saving the RSS feed as a bookmark, Safari will actually open up NetNewsWire for me and subscribe to that feed.

Overall, it’s been fun to play with some of the new features in Tiger. The smart folders for my email are a nice addition and searchlight I am still trying to get used to although I see its potential for anyone who uses it frequently. All in all, I must say Tiger is not bad.

The latest version of Ecto is out. I have downloaded that latest version and I must say I like the new look. I have been using Ecto for almost a year now and it has been the best application for posting to my weblog that I have used thus far.

I am interested in figuring out how the Technorati tags work but I haven’t found much help on the Ecto web site. I haven’t had a whole lot of time to look up information about the tags but I hope to figure them out soon.

If anyone is looking for a good application for the Mac to post to their weblog, I would highly recommend Ecto!

[Posted with ecto]

If anyone is looking for a good client application which allows you to transfer files on a secure connection you should try out WinSCP. This is by far my favorite client side SFTP application for Windows that I have found.

I have been interested to see some working examples of XForms in order to get a feel for what they are. Unfortunately a lot of browsers don’t support XForms as of yet. I did find out that the early release version of Firefox has a plugin that will implement XForms. I decided to download it and run a few test pages.

Firefox current nightly build and XForms plugin

I am going to look more into it because it’s one of those things that interests me. I figured there may be others out there also interested in XForms so I figured I would save some people the time of finding a browser to implement them.

I noticed a while back that Firefox has search modules for sites like Google, Yahoo!, Amazon, etc.. Well, I have installed search modules of major sites that I search frequently. This has become a very handy tool because now I don’t have to go to those web sites to search them, I have my handy little search module in Firefox. This is a feature only Firefox has and is another reason to switch. I like Safari but it still has some bugs it needs to work out to provide me with all the functionality I am looking for.

I couldn’t believe my eyes! I was looking some stuff up on the Microsoft website and saw something I just can’t believe! I am using Safari on my Mac and I see this message:

Warning: You are viewing this page with an unsupported Web browser. This Web site works best with Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 or later or Netscape Navigator 6.0 or later.

The part I couldn’t believe is the part that says or Netscape Navigator 6.0 or later. It was always annoying to have to use Internet Explorer to view Microsoft’s pages correctly. It looks like they finally had to buckle under the pressure of IE losing momentum in the war of web browsers.

I am one of those guys who likes Windows, Linux and Mac OS. I currently use my work computer, which is a Mac, to do most of my work. I have my Windows box at home that I enjoy using and I usually have another partition on it which houses Linux. Since I have had my Mac I have not bothered to put Linux back on my home machine. Many people may gasp at the fact that I like all the operating systems.

I had an ethics class last spring where we had a student in the class that had to voice his opinion on everything. I’m sure we all know people like that. This guy is a Linux die hard! All his comments focused on how evil and horrible Windows is and how heavenly and perfect Linux is. What was his main point behind this? “Windows has to many holes and is constantly hit by viruses and Linux is not.” I have to agree with him on the surface of that thought. Anyone who denies that Windows is constantly being pounded and exploited is only fooling themselves. The part that gets me is that I think people think the cause of all the exploits is due to poor code on the part of Microsoft.

Now, I’m not saying that Microsoft writes near perfect code, is what I am trying to say is that I don’t think Linux code is a million times better than Windows code. I have talked to other students around campus and some of my previous employers and we would like to see people think a little more realistically. A majority of the people I talk to agree with me when I state that I feel that Linux would be exploited just as much if it were the dominate operating system for the average user. Some people say that’s not true because people writing viruses for Windows are a lot of times Linux lovers. If they are LInux lovers and they hate Windows so much, why do they bother to write a virus in Windows when they could spend their time hacking with Linux?

I understand that people have their preferences on operating systems but do people really need to go to the extreme of mud-slinging? At BYU there is a feeling around the CS department that if you like Windows you are considered odd and to some people unacceptable. Who cares if someone prefers Windows over Linux, that shouldn’t be a crime. It’s like looking at someone who drives a Kia and thinking they are a sinner for even thinking about driving such a car. No offense intended to people who drive a Kia.

All in all, I think things are getting a little out of hand. It’s one thing to have a preference and it’s another to start judging people’s competency on that preference. In all honesty, is it really that bad to like Windows? I don’t think so. I can’t play Madden 2005 on Linux or on a Mac. They all have the pros and cons so why can’t we all just get along?

I am currently in a class where we are learning about large distributed systems. In the class we are using JSPs. Prior to this class I worked on learning PHP. Now my question is, which is better? I haven’t done anything big enough in either to make a decision for myself. I’m sure people have their preference, but I am interested to find out what other people think. PHP or JSP?

I have decided that I like using LaTeX to type up my homework assignments. The first time I used LaTeX I felt like it was a burden and that it was slower for me to type my papers up using LaTeX than it was to write them in Microsoft Word or OpenOffice.

I decided to give LaTeX another try when I started my database class. I found that it was hard to insert mathematical symbols for the relational algebra and calculus. I decided that I would would bookmark the LaTeX reference pages that I used in my del.icio.us account so I could find them easily. Part of my problem is I could never find the right sources if I didn’t bookmark them. Now that I have taken a little bit of time to get a real handle on LaTeX I find it much easier to do the formatting then it would be otherwise with a word processor.

I’m converted! I won’t use LaTeX for all my assignments however, I will use it when I need mathematical notation and other such things that take too much time to do in a word processor.

You can see my LaTeX reference links at http://del.icio.us/danolsen/LaTeX.

Between my job and classes, I have found that I enjoy working with servers and web applications. For my job in the BYU Enterprise Computing Lab I set up our server which was the first server that I ever set up. Setting up the server was a wonderful learning experience. I am also in a class where we are setting up our own servers and building a web application. I love the freedom I have when I have complete control of the server. I now feel like I have my hands tied behind my back when it comes to my web site. I would like to be able to have more freedom on the server where my site is hosted.

I am one of those people that like to poke around and play around with things to learn more about them. By not having a server of my own I can’t learn everything I would like to learn. I had thought about setting up a server from home where I would not have to pay someone else to host my site. I talked with Phil Windley and asked him some questions about a server from home. Unfortunately it wouldn’t be as easy as I had hoped.

The first problem is the extra cost of getting a static IP address from my service provider. I found that if providers find out you want to host a server, they want to charge you like a business. That is money I don’t have.

One solution is to get a dedicated server from a provider which would allow me to have my own machine to have control over. The cheapest dedicated server I have found is $59/month. If I wasn’t a college student it would be more likely that I could afford a dedicated server.

I guess my problem is I want to play with expensive toys when I don’t have the money to play with them. It’s like when I was a kid and wanted a Power Wheels car of my own but all I could do is play on my friends on rare occasions.

My plan in the mean time is to maybe set up a small server in my apartment and play with it and try things on it locally. Doing this would be better than nothing. However, I like to be able to pull up my work anywhere I may be. So until some future time, it will just be a dream unless I can find something for under $10/month which I highly doubt at this time.

I ran into this article about how they used computer technology to give a face to a skull that was found in a cave in St. George Utah. Todd Gabler, a private eye said:

It’s not just a guess. It’s an informed guess, It’s an educated guess.

KSL News :: Human Face Given to Mystery Skeleton
Referenced Sep 14 2004 15:19:34 GMT-0600

It’s amazing the kind of things that can be done with today’s technology and this is just an example of what is possible from a single skull.

Microsoft has decided to make some changes in their plan for the next version of the Windows OS. CNet states:

Longhorn was originally supposed to have three major changes: a new file system, WinFS; a new graphics and presentation engine known as Avalon; and Indigo, a Web services and communication architecture.

Microsoft is making changes to all three pillars. WinFS will be available as a beta when the Longhorn release comes out as a client. Avalon and Indigo will be part of Longhorn, but also made available separately for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.

CNET :: Microsoft revamps its plans for Longhorn
Reference Aug 30 2004 03:33:13 GMT-0600

Is this a sign that Microsoft is slipping?

I was introduced to NetNewsWire for Mac OS X and I have decided to use it for my feed reader at. As I was getting to know the application I found that it had a tool I could use to publish to my weblog. I’ve decided I love the idea of having a weblog editor integrated with the reader. Since I have the reader open all the time it makes it easy to just submit a new post without having to login to my account on the web.

Since I don’t have Mac OS X on my home computer I wanted to find a similar tool for Windows XP. It didn’t take too long before I came across Sauce Reader. I haven’t played around too much with it but I do like their weblog editor! As a matter of fact I am using the editor to post this entry. I came across another feed reader called SharpReader which allows you to install a plugin to allow you to edit weblogs. However, I could not get the plug in to work. So that makes Sauce Reader the winner so far.

Next I will need to find a similar reader for Linux. I’ll worry about that when school starts and I am logged into Linux more often.

If anyone knows of any other good reader/editors for weblogs please let me know, I’d like to check them out.

Windows XP SP2 is scheduled to be available for download starting August 25th. The Advertiser has an article which talks about some of the new security features which come with the new service pack. Microsoft is also providing a free CD with the service pack for those who don’t want to download the 100MB update. Microsoft encourages those that have the CD to share it with their friends to update their computers.

Once you’ve installed it and rebooted your PC, you’ll find two new icons in the Control Panel.

One is called Windows Security Centre, which provides a one-stop shop for maintaining the currency of Windows XP. It will allow you to control your computer’s firewall (its protective barrier against unwanted intruders), its software update history and even your anti-virsu software.

It will tell you if these programs are current and allow you to update them if they’ve passed their use-by date. SP2 also makes it easier for you to turn on the Automatic Updates feature in Windows, which downloads and installs critical software updates as they become available.

The other new icon is Windows Firewall (formerly called Internet Connection Firewall), which extends protection of your PC when it is booting up and shutting down.

An important change is that Windows Firewall is turned on by default, so that your computer’s protection is always on unless you turn it off.

It also provides more powerful protection with both inbound and outbound scanning capabilities that resemble firewall programs such as ZoneAlarm.

What this means is that the first time a program wants to access the Internet, Windows Firewall will pop up a dialog box to let you configure the firewall to grant access. The benefit for you is that there’s less chance of sneaky software installing itself on your hard drive without your permission.

Windows XP SP2 has a whole bunch of other convenient features that include an improved client program for accessing wireless networks and an update that lets Internet Explorer block those annoying pop-up ads.

The Advertiser :: Lock your Windows
Referenced Fri Aug 6 2004 07:47:24 GMT-0600

UPDATE (8/9/04): If you have Windows autoupdate turned on, you may receive this SP2 as soon as next week! Many computer distributers have decided to wait and watch before installing SP2 and put it through harsher testing because they are viewing it as an OS upgrade.

I have recently switched over to Mozilla Firefox and Mozilla Thunderbird for my web browser and mail client respectively.  I have installed both applications on my Linux box as well as my Windows box.  I have been quite pleased with the two applications as I have been using them.  However, the one thing that did frustrate me about the two is that it is not easy to get them to work together.  What I mean by that is it takes a little more work to get Thunderbird setup as the mail client for mailto: links in Firefox and for opening up links in Firefox when I click on the them from an email in Thunderbird.

Now before I get too far, I must make myself clear that the above problems are only found under Linux. Windows takes care of these issues with its default application setup. I tried a similar thing with the KDE default applications setup but had no luck. So, to help those newbies or anyone else that would like to know, I have been setting up a couple of web pages with small tutorials on how to make these applications work together. I also plan to add tutorials to the pages as I run into other not so simple tweaks with the two applications. You can view my Firefox tutorial page or my Thunderbird tutorial page at the sites listed below. I would encourage anyone who comes accross any errors or other good ideas to please e-mail me your comments/suggestions or leave a comment here on my blog under this entry.

Firefox tutorial page
Thunderbird tutorial page

Setting up a Linux server wasn’t as easy as I expected it to be. I recently started a new job as a research assistant for Dr. Phil Windley at Brigham Young University. My first assignment was to set up our new Dell PowerEdge server with Fedora Core 2. This is the first time I have ever set up a server. I expected to have it up and running in a couple of days.

After just over a week of poking, prodding, installing, uninstalling and installing again I finally got the server up and running. It was a miracle. I am currently putting together a page that describes the steps I took to get the server running. The page can be found here. I had Googled for articles on ways to install all the packages I needed but still ran into trouble. I figured it couldn’t hurt ot have another reference out there to help those who need that kind of help just as I did. Next time I will know what I am doing.