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180716326
comment
byBig Hairy Gorilla
ruary 01, 2026 @01:39PM
(#65962726)
Attached to: Author of Systemd Quits Microsoft To Prove Linux Can Be Trusted
Thanks for the categorically broad statements of your opinion stated as a fact.
"Every distro that matters?"
Sooo. Ubuntu and Redhat?
Vendor lock in is assured if you put critical systems on them. BECAUSE of proprietary extensions, of which, systemd could be considered one of them.
The old IBM/Microsoft playbook embrace, extend, extinguish.
Jesus, I wrote COBOL programs for the Treasury Board, here in capital city, about 100 years ago with IBM Report Writer. They paid thru the nose for the license, and as a green junior, I asked: why not do it yourself, like I did at the other departments? Too expensive to switch was the answer. Enjoy being screwed by Redhat.
180712526
comment
byecho123
2026 @11:35PM
(#65961982)
Attached to: US Government Also Received a Whistleblower Complaint That WhatsApp Chats Aren't Private
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/1...
180711086
comment
byBig Hairy Gorilla
anuary 31, 2026 @05:56PM
(#65961656)
Attached to: Author of Systemd Quits Microsoft To Prove Linux Can Be Trusted
I'm not hearing any valid use cases.
180710756
comment
byBig Hairy Gorilla
anuary 31, 2026 @04:45PM
(#65961528)
Attached to: WhatsApp End-to-End Encryption Allegations Questioned By Some Security Experts, Lawyers
So.... if I use wireguard, and send info from my device to another device on the network, my connection is encrypted from my device to the server, decrypted with my keys, passes thru RAM unencrypted, then it's re-encrypted with your keys to send to the other device... amirite?
So... with Signal protocol is the data in RAM still encrypted ? or is it like Wireguard, where point to point means device to server?
If scenario 1 is correct for Signal/Whatsapp, then a custom kernel module could duplicate/read unencrypted messages as they pass thru RAM?
180710732
comment
byBig Hairy Gorilla
anuary 31, 2026 @04:38PM
(#65961516)
Attached to: WhatsApp End-to-End Encryption Allegations Questioned By Some Security Experts, Lawyers
Bingo.
This is a sleight of hand. Look over here (encryption) while we pickpocket you from all your pockets (metadata).
What is being said is not nearly as valuable as who is saying what to whom.
I don't have the chart in front of me, but, it shows how Signal collects like 3 metadata points, and Whatsapp collects..a lot more... like 30 data points.
180710640
comment
byBig Hairy Gorilla
anuary 31, 2026 @04:16PM
(#65961496)
Attached to: Author of Systemd Quits Microsoft To Prove Linux Can Be Trusted
I've heard all the arguments for Systemd. The argument that multi-homed systems somehow won't work properly is false. I currently use Devuan with sysvinit for most of my servers and desktops, for me and all my customers, several small offices. I've often setup servers with up to 5 networks converging, I load the network interfaces with a custom script @reboot, not complex. I've never seen a valid use case for systemd. Parallel startup? Who cares with the hardware speeds we have today.
I'll grant you that my servers service far fewer customers than Facebook, Google, or Microsoft... but there's no rational argument that those companies could not write whatever customized boot scripts they want. I.e. no need to punish the average system operator for the convenience of MEGA CORPs.
I argue that anything that systemd does, you can write an init script that does the same job with around 1 million less lines of code, less bugs, less attack surface, and 50-75% less processes running in RAM. On top of that, I'm not vendor locked-in, I paid no license fees, and I didn't have to learn to do things a second way that just duplicates the functionality of the way I'm already doing things.
I'd like to know what a true systemd use case is, just for my own edification, but I've never seen it yet.
180710552
comment
byBig Hairy Gorilla
anuary 31, 2026 @03:57PM
(#65961458)
Attached to: Author of Systemd Quits Microsoft To Prove Linux Can Be Trusted
+100. Thank you very much, my line of reasoning exactly.
Devuan
is free and you no have dependencies on suppliers, less bugs, and less attack surface. Binary compatible with apt repos. Uses less energy because less is running in memory. My wireguard hub runs with 86 processes in ram. One of my recent email servers, with dovecot 2.4 and postfix, has only 121 running processes. My desktop Devuan system I'm currently writing this on has 390 running processes. Compare by running ps aux | wc on your Ubuntu or Redhat systems.
Systemd
You COULD drive a Front End Loader to work. It would get you there. Very slowly, while burning 5x the gas. While you hold up everyone behind you, because top gear only reaches 10 mph. If there's a mechanical problem, you're going to have to take it to the shop where you bought it and pay thru the nose to fix it. Think Ubuntu, Redhat.
180710538
comment
byBig Hairy Gorilla
anuary 31, 2026 @03:53PM
(#65961454)
Attached to: Author of Systemd Quits Microsoft To Prove Linux Can Be Trusted
What is gained, isn't for you silly. It's there to create vendor lock in.
Write all your code to be dependent on Systemd and you'll never go anywhere, because it is too expensive to even considering changing. Could I rent you a few consultants? says IBM.
Redhat, the Microsoft of Linux.
180709810
comment
byBig Hairy Gorilla
anuary 31, 2026 @01:28PM
(#65961186)
Attached to: Backseat Software
very much agree. There is a role for advanced techniques notably in narrow specialized areas like medicine, chemistry, astronomy. I'm just rephrasing what you just said I think.
You know, I wonder when the prevailing attitudes switched from you make most money from defining narrow, vertical markets, where you can define your value proposition, and therefore charge big bucks to this "all things to all people" attitude. As a younger person, I recall having pretty much every product idea I ever had shot down with that argument (you need to have a narrow focus and a vertical market)... then I began to see the truth to that, and I noticed that everyone who pitched me their Big Idea had the same flaw.
So where are all the people who shot down my broad product ideas now?
180701882
comment
byBig Hairy Gorilla
uary 30, 2026 @01:44PM
(#65959538)
Attached to: Microsoft is Experimenting With a Top Menu Bar for Windows 11
oh, jebus... that merged apple menu thing? that changed depending on which program you were using?
what a deformed abomination that was.
180701874
comment
byBig Hairy Gorilla
uary 30, 2026 @01:41PM
(#65959532)
Attached to: Backseat Software
For Joe Sixpack, you're right. The de-facto position is that there is no choice. He's trapped.
For any business that has information to protect as the core of their business... it's myopic.
Any real business needs to protect it's key assets, and face it, management is all MBAs... they embrace dependency, because it's not CAPEX.
It's not really a blind spot. If you point it out, you're told "we can manage that risk". Bullshit.
You'll be shouted down for suggesting things like data security, self determination are worth paying for.
No one is managing anything, it's worse than that, it's willful ignorance.
So now they are all captive of Microsoft, etc.
180701826
comment
byBig Hairy Gorilla
uary 30, 2026 @01:34PM
(#65959508)
Attached to: Microsoft is Experimenting With a Top Menu Bar for Windows 11
"or news"
I'm not angry. I haven't used Windows in 20 years.
Sorry I just read the last sentence of your post.
That this IS news.. it's just sad. for you.
180699934
comment
byBig Hairy Gorilla
uary 30, 2026 @09:54AM
(#65958858)
Attached to: Microsoft is Experimenting With a Top Menu Bar for Windows 11
You could move the menu position in XP.
So they took it away, then offer it back and say it's innovation? or news?
honestly. So much said about so little.
180699796
comment
byBig Hairy Gorilla
uary 30, 2026 @09:19AM
(#65958784)
Attached to: Backseat Software
I know it's an unpopular opinion, but.. why are we so willing to enter into dependency on software, clouds, and suppliers?
Convenience is killing us. Truthfully, we are lazy and when a shortcut is offered, we take it. Makes sense, right?
Only up until the point of total dependency.
Once you've been trained to think within the idioms of Apple, Microsoft, etc, you can't even imagine alternatives. Sad.
Good for making $$, bad for society.
180699758
comment
byBig Hairy Gorilla
uary 30, 2026 @09:11AM
(#65958772)
Attached to: Backseat Software
I'll help. Creating outrage and anger so that we can "engage" is also a new-ish business model.
Editors here are just doing their job so that we "engage".
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