[TriLUG] Rant: VISTA OMG PLEASE SHOOT ME

[Maarten Lippmann]

> Sudo == bad because you pick bad passwords?  Install a password checker
> that forbids this for multi-user systems.

I was saying the ubuntu default install is less secure; of course
there are always tools to improve security. I prefer a setup that is
more secure by default, especially for a distro that's so popular for
linux newbies. and I personally think the setup for sudo in ubuntu is
not optimal. I gave multiple reasons, not just the bad passwords one.
Read the whole piece please. (I guess I could expect replies like
this, but whatever)

> ndiswrapper == open source wifi?  You have a different definition of
> non-proprietary than I do.  So say the atheros cards include the binary
> blobual with the driver and allow free as in kittens distribution of it
> even if the rest of the driver is proprietary.  With the ndiswrapper
> you're installing the binary blobual from a windows driver by yourself.
> Neither is more or less proprietary but the atheros and co drivers are
> at least giving free as in kittens distribution of the blobual and
> providing at least some deliberate support for linux.  I fail to see how
> your purity of essence is higher than mine because you installed a
> windows driver on your linux box.

Are you misreading me deliberately? I meant ndiswrapper binaries as
the non-free way, as you need to use the closed source for those. Many
of the other tools, like madwifi are trying to do a better job. Not
perfect either, but whatever. they are not ubuntu-only, it wasn't
about that.
Honestly I don't care about the wifi drivers, and didn't start about
them. If you need to use em, and that's all there is you just do that,
I do that too. That makes the most sense for any distribution. Can't
blame anyone for doing that.
My point was that ubuntu generally is more open to software that's
non-free than other distributions.  It's a reason I don't like them as
much. If that is what you were trying to deny, then by all means show
me I'm wrong. I might very well be.

I don't care, and am not trying to uphold some freedom whatever thing,
I don't care about other people using whatever they wish. I'm
defending myself as i was immediately accused of some braveheartness,
and now of hypocrisy, but I don't care at all what people do. My 2
issues to reiterate with ubuntu were that it's sudo setup is less
secure in my opinion in the default desktop for a couple of reasons I
listed, and indeed the password that people pick was one of them; and
the fact that it embraces non-free stuff more than other distros. That
was not meant as flamebait, and I think most people will agree that
sudo is certainly different on ubuntu, and the proprietary thing is
quite well known too. It's a matter of taste. I'm not accusing anyone
of anything. I was just giving my preference, and what I based it
upon. Jeez.
Honestly, I don't know everything about this stuff, and have my
preferences based upon personal considerations. I took the risk and
layed them out, now please counter them properly without accusing me
of either hypocrisy or being some lone braveheart or whatever.