SP3 & Ubuntu updates

Well, I've been running XP SP3 (beta) on my work machine and two home machines with zero problems. The only annoyance is when copying files across the LAN, I get a generic "This action has a potential security flaw", which is an utterly useless message, as it doesn't tell you what flaw, just makes you 'monkey click' yes to continue. Sure, maybe it could stop some malware from installing in less than 1% of the time, but mostly it's a worthless nuisance. I also use Ubuntu, and while their updates are very frequent, they are at least proactive---they patch holes before widespread exploits exist. However, every time Ubuntu updates the Linux kernel, I have to reinstall my NVIDIA drivers. I also get the statement in my bootup messages that the "NVIDIA driver taints the kernel"... Well then, how about an Open Source NVIDIA driver that can actually handle 3D motion, not the piece o' crap "NV" driver?

I suppose if there's a point to all this, it's that updates are a fact of life, and WILL occasionally break things, but SP3 seems like a good effort so far.

Criticism

I came straight to the comments expecting to find things like "At last", "Yippee!", and "Thank god, now those 90+ updates are history". But no, apart from the few, it's another chance to bash Microsoft - for releasing a roll-up of patches (including finally sorting all those issues that require a hotfix, but you can only get by calling MS to get access).

Don't forget that XP is probably the version of Windows (if any) that most Reg readers are using. And it's finally getting some TLC.

For me, SP3 could potentially save me hours of waiting around (and lots of download GBs) installing Updates on customer's PCs and fiddling with homebrew WU CDs.

Come on guys, Vista may be a disaster for many people (it's also more of a pain to fix), but let's give MS the benefit of the doubt on this one. At least until our CDRw, P2P and AV softwares break on SP3.

And here we go again...

Well, so far this has been a veritable mix of vitriol and bile, coupled with a few calmer statements and a total nutcase with a penchant for the NSA.

Question to the Linux and Mac users... why does this even bother you so much? I mean, surely it doesnt threaten you or your chosen OS in any way, so why go out of your way to rail against it? Has it achieved anything so far, or is it merely an attempt to badmouth a piece of software that you might not have had success with in the past?

Every OS has updates, every OS has bugfixes, and every OS needs attention from the maker. SP3 is just that, an update. As with any update, there will be a fair share of things that might go wrong, but these cannot be tested for on a platform with an almost infinite number of hardware and software combinations. If you'd like to volounteer to beta test all those configurations, be my guest.

So calm down, wipe the spittle from your chins, and go quietly back to your own machine, and by all means praise it in the comfort and solitude of your room. But dont try and convince other users of your chosen platforms supposed superiority by ranting and dribbling about bugs and crashes when your own OS isnt 100% stable.

Oh, and the 'hilarious' misspelling and 'outrageous' accronyms like 'M$' and 'Windoze' just make you look even more childish and foolish than ever. Please do yourself, and the English language a favour, and talk like adults. We might listen to you then.

@Matty B

Provide me with a Linux distribution that works with all my laptop's components perfectly (wifi, touchpad, hibernation/sleep, etc), and will reliably run the 3D apps & games I want to use, run (properly) Nikon Capture NX and many other apps I use (and all without having to recompile the damn kernel!)...

... then fine.

Until then, Linux still remains a server OS for most. Sure it's fine on dumb lite-PCs that have little more than a CPU, graphics card, hard disc, keyboard and monitor. Go beyond that and it's useless unless you buy hardware designed for it... which is a Mac (and there the price isn't justified).

I don't hate Linux (I use it on my server), or even Macs. But the usual stuff of "just use Linux" is really misguided when you consider most people own PCs that really aren't fully supported by Linux, and more so now there's a huge shift towards laptops.

Oh, and on the update issue, I run Fedora on my server and there are more frequent updates on Fedora than XP, and the majority of them are security patches for vulnerabilities (yes, Linux has vulnerabilities... have you see a web server log recently? Most hack attempts are targeted at Apache and PHP which are usually sat on Linux machines).

@Foof

I thought that IBM invented "FUD" ?

But then microsoft became the FUD-masters and out FUD-ded IBM at their own FUD-ding game in the 3.1 v OS/2 battle?

NOooooooo

No danged SP3 is coming near this PC... especially since it runs Fedora linux... except when its running XP sp2 ;-)

I'll think I'll turn off the auto updater thing in Xp and give it a month to see if SP3 causes a spat of crashes/borkups/customers sueing microsoft.... no hold on, that last one happens all the time

@timM

Maybe you ought to put pressure on your favorite game and device manufacturers to support Linux, rather than asking Linux to work like Windows. My IBM Thinkpad works flawlessly with a stright off-the-CD Ubuntu install, including the trackpad, the wireless and the display adapter. The only thing I have not tried is the modem, but who uses that anyway nowadays.

The problem with many the Linux software that needs to match the kernel version is that the developers did not understand the correct methods for making their software kernel version independent. As long as you remain in a major branch (like 2.6), it is possible to make your modules version independent.

Even if a module is compiled against a particular kernel minor version, it is often possible to copy the module into the correct location for any new kernel that you install. I admit that this is not somthing that is done automatically when you install a new kernel, but it's not that difficult either. If you have compiled the module, and kept the build directory, try doing a "make install" to see whether that will install it in the correct location.

Unfortunatly, Nvidia do not appear to be able to do this with their 3D module, somthing that almost everybody trying to get compiz running on a system with an Nvidia card will fall over.

I suspect I already have it all.

I've got SP2. I have been updating regularly. What will the SP3 give me that I don't already have?

And, from past experience, I suspect it will switch me to an MS-supplied obsolescent video driver, that will have to be replaced by the current driver supplied by the hardware manufacturer, before some of my expensive graphics software will run properly.

@b166er

Re: sidebar

What the hell is that pink pokemon clock about?!

Paris: Cos she's gotta catch em all!

Ubuntu 4.08 LST

Ubuntu is coming out soon and is said to be the best Linux enterprise operating system (EOS). So whith this in mind who needs Vista? I mean serously who needs Vista? I have never used it but from what I've seen it is so rubbish. Windows XP with its flower pot men icons is so much better. So who really needs Vista now Ubuntu is on the shelves ?

xp64 sp3

> Whats the chances this new palava from MS will include a sorely needed update for

> xp64?

None, because XP64 uses the Windows Server 2003 codebase (why it got it's SP2 the same time as Windows Server 2003 did instead of with 32-bit XP flavors).

I wonder

I wonder if a revised cracked version AutopatcherXP style interface has made it to the torrents minus the other wga crap fitted to the Redmond factory version ?