Red Hat wants answers and code
SCO Files 2nd Motion Asking the Red Hat Judge for a Delay on Discovery

Thursday, October 09 2003 @ 04:25 AM EDT
There has been quite a lot of activity in the Red Hat case. SCO filed a Motion to Dismiss the action in its entirety, as you know, and Red Hat filed its answering brief. But since we last reported on this case, Red Hat initiated discovery. They asked SCO for documents and for answers to some pointed questions. IBM is forcing SCO into a corner in Utah, and Red Hat is forcefully and aggressively trying to do the same in Delaware. You'll see,

I think, that we haven't been wasting our time telling the world the details of this story. The big picture is that Red Hat is telling SCO to prove their allegations with specificity. They also want all their source code, and I'm sure you can figure out what they want to do with it, when I tell you that they asked for the complete Linux Kernel Personality source code, among the other products for which they have requested source code.
They also want to hear some details about the relationship between Canopy and SCO, including any stock or intellectual property transfers. They want SCO to "identify by title, version, module(s) and line(s)" what they think is misappropriated in any way or in violation of any of its rights. They ask for the details of Microsoft and Sun's licensing arrangement with SCO.

They want to know who those 1500 companies were that got the letter, and what happened next. They want to know exactly what SCO has filed a copyright on. They want all the details of SCOsource, including all the folks who have seen the code SCO has been showing under the NDA and what they saw, and any other contact with any Linux users about supposed liability. They want to know how they compared the UNIX and Linux code to determine infringement. They want to know if they've done any comparisons of the two and what the results were. They want to know all the stock or industry analysts SCO has met with or talked to and what was said. In short, it's like the kind of fantasy a guy might have about a bully getting his at last, because they asked them everything we wanted somebody to finally ask SCO and make them answer.

rest of article at Groklaw

How To File A Telemarketing Complaint
How To File A Telemarketing Complaint
The Federal Communication Commission has released detailed information outlining specific steps consumer should take if they have put their names on the National Do-Not-Call Registry and are called by telemarketers on or after October 1, 2003. It provides information about when there is a violation of the FCC do-not-call rules, and specifics about how to file a complaint.

For detailed info visit
USInfo @ about.com

Microsoft, Sun Reach Agreement on JVM Support
Microsoft, Sun Reach Agreement on JVM Support
by Scott Bekker
10/7/03
Microsoft will offer technical support for its Java Virtual Machine until October 2004 under a legal agreement announced Tuesday with Sun Microsystems.

The deal gives customers an additional nine months of support for the Microsoft JVM (MSJVM). The companies say they reached the deal to give developers extra time to remove support for the MSJVM from their products.

rest of article at ENT Magazine

Microsoft faces lawsuit on security breaches
Thursday October 2, 07:40 PM



Microsoft faces lawsuit on security breaches
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Microsoft faces a proposed class-action lawsuit in California based on the claim that its market-dominant software is vulnerable to viruses capable of triggering "massive, cascading failures" in global computer networks.

The lawsuit, which was filed on Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, also claims that Microsoft's security warnings are too complex to be understood by the general public and serve instead to tip off "fast-moving" hackers on how to exploit flaws in its operating system.

rest of article at Yahoo News

Critics Pile on Microsoft Over Security
Critics Pile on Microsoft Over Security
by Scott Bekker
10/2/03 ? Critics continue to pile on Microsoft after damaging worms and viruses slammed Windows operating systems worldwide in August and September. Two massive security sideswipes hit Windows in August: the extremely successful mass-mailing worm Sobig.F and the Blaster worm that exploited a security flaw in DCOM RPC, affecting most supported versions of Windows. In early September, Microsoft warned that the underlying flaw that allowed Blaster could also permit other attacks even on machines that had already been patched. A new patch was issued.

Shortly after Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer admitted that his company was "embarrassed" by the flaws that Blaster took advantage of, a group of seven security experts released a report asserting that the ubiquity of Microsoft's software worldwide has created a major security risk, similar to the dangers in agriculture of planting only one strain of crop.

rest of article at ENT Magazine

Phoenix, Microsoft Sign BIOS Pact for More Reliable Windows
Phoenix, Microsoft Sign BIOS Pact for More Reliable Windows
By Mark Hachman
September 30, 2003

Seeking a way to improve the reliability of Windows, BIOS maker Phoenix Technologies LLC and Microsoft Corp. on Tuesday announced an agreement to develop device-level management services for future versions of the Windows OS.
The deal will tie together the Phoenix "Core" BIOS software more closely to the Microsoft OS. These forthcoming services will deliver more, sophisticated information about the state of a system to Windows and give IT managers a clearer picture of the current state of the machine, the companies said.

rest of article at eWeek

OpenOffice 1.1.0
OpenOffice 1.1.0 has been released ... take a look it has some interesting features. And did I mention - it's free!

OPENOFFICE.ORG

The Sharer - An interview with Linus Torvalds
The Sharer - An interview with Linus Torvalds

People position you as the nemesis to Bill Gates. He started Microsoft and you started Linux, the big competition to Microsoft's dominance of operating systems. Is that an unfair or inaccurate characterization?

The thing is, at least to me personally, Microsoft just isn't relevant to what I do. That might sound strange, since they are clearly the dominant player in the market that Linux is in, but the thing is: I'm not in the ''market.'' I'm interested in Linux because of the technology, and Linux wasn't started as any kind of rebellion against the ''evil Microsoft empire.'' Quite the reverse, in fact: from a technology angle, Microsoft really has been one of the least interesting companies. So I've never seen it as a ''Linus versus Bill'' thing. I just can't see myself in the position of the nemesis, since I just don't care enough. To be a nemesis, you have to actively try to destroy something, don't you? Really, I'm not out to destroy Microsoft. That will just be a completely unintentional side effect.

rest of article at NY Times (registration required)

For the real geeks in the crowd
Implementing internet based protocols over a new form of medium - Bongo Drums

article at Click Here

AtStake fires executive over Microsoft criticism
AtStake fires executive over Microsoft criticism
By Ted Bridis, The Associated Press Sep 25 2003 1:29PM
The chief technology officer for a technology firm that works closely with Microsoft Corp. lost his job after he helped write a study critical of the insecurity of Microsoft software.
Daniel E. Geer Jr., an expert with nearly three decades studying technology and computer security, learned Thursday he was no longer employed by AtStake Inc. of Cambridge, Mass.
AtStake declined to say whether Geer resigned or was fired. Spokeswoman Lona Therrien said Microsoft did not call for Geer's dismissal, which AtStake said was effective two days ago. Microsoft also said it was not involved in the decision.
But critics said Geer's firing was reflective of Microsoft's far-reaching ability in Washington and across the technology industry to silence experts who complain about weaknesses in its software or its aggressive business practices. The Justice Department struggled years ago to find technology executives willing to testify against Microsoft in its antitrust trial.

Security Focus