Microsoft has had to publish documentation on a few hundred Windows API functions previously reserved for use by Microsoft’s own software products (termed “Middleware” in the courtroom). Now you too can get in on the fun! Of course, the most fun here is not the actual API (which is mostly obscure, and shoddily documented, what a shocker), but just browsing something that you know M$ was forced to provide against its will. Surreal.
My original lil’ Linux box, an old Dell P133 (back when I bought PC’s pre-assembled, how boring), wasn’t really up to serving up a full GUI while I was taxing it for all my server needs (proxy, web server, etc.). So I always ran in non-X “init 3” mode. Now that it’s been upped to an AMD K6-2 400MHz (yeah it could be better, but it could be worse), I have Gnome running. I haven’t used it for much yet, but now that I’ve gotten XWin-32 up, I can run all those juicy freshmeat apps under Windows. I couldn’t believe how easy it was to set up. BTW, Putty has been my ssh client of choice, again simple as pie to use.
XWin-32
server machine = thedigitalmachine.com
connection type = rsh
Putty
export DISPLAY=[IP]:0
[any x app] &
Do the math from above, and you can see that I am pulling down over 2.7 Mbps. Oh happy day!
Corey and I were chatting about his Linux dual-boot troubles, and after we hit a stopping point, he talked me into firing up Wings 3D. Within minutes he was guiding me through some tricky 3D modeling maneuvers over the phone as if he was standing right behind me. That boy is GOOD. Thanks for being persistent about it, Core!
Here’s what we came up with, in about 10 minutes: (continued…)
Palladium has had me freaked out all day. Strongarm DRM lockdowns at the hardware level
have been attempted in the past, for example with hard drives,
without gaining industry support. However, with Palladium, Microsoft completely wraps things up with its
Digital Rights Management Operating System, all the way down to the metal. The idea of encryption keys sealed in
tamper-proof hardware, and controlled by corporate America, is a bit Orwellian for my tastes. With Microsoft
leading the charge, will the Blockbusters and WalMarts be far behind? Linux may not even have a shot at
being a compliant DRMOS. The result will be corporate control of the vast majority of the population,
marginalizing (and criminalizing, thanks DMCA) anyone attempting to “conscientiously object” and obtain their
fair use rights (which will no longer be a trivial task).
Links
Slashdot
zdnet
The Register
The FAQ
K5
