Be Careful on Photobucket Today + using Ubuntu Linux

[Jeff Strubberg]

30;

I've used Malware to clean up several machines here at work that were infected.  I didn't have to pay any fee.

AVG is great virus protection, unfortunately their spyware/malware stuff is only included in the pay version.  Having said that, I've run AVG on every computer I own for 3+ years now.

***Correction.  I just pulled their licensing, and the spyware engine is now part of the standard AVG download.

I wish it stopped this bug, but it doesn't.

[Rob DiStefano]

Jeff, yer work machines are primarily MS based?  

You run any Linux?

[Jeff Strubberg]

Run a couple linux servers, nothing desktop has linux.

We have too much proprietary software to make that move, more's the pity.

[Rob DiStefano]

Too bad - I'm so glad that for the most part I'm off MS and on Linux.  

As you may know, Ubuntu Linux is THE way to go these dayze - totally free, and with a fair share of killer apps.  I've got 5 machines and all run Linux, with 2 machines dual booting into XP for those one-of-a-kind apps I need sometimes.  

IMO, Most PC folks would be much better off running Linux, either standalone or dual boot along with MS XP.  

Do all yer internet/email stuff via Linux and not hafta worry about intrusions and other nasties.  Of course, spam can't be stopped no matter what the OS.

[Jeff Strubberg]

I agree.  I run a dual boot ubuntu/winxp on my laptop and swap for home/work chores.  

Ubuntu is dirt simple to install, very hard to break and a small enough portion of the market that noone bothers trying to write bugs for it.

It's a good idea to run throough your list of required software before you convert, though.  I had to go dual boot because of some issues with running ESRI and New World software on a linux box.

[Rob DiStefano]

Exactly, Jeff!

For folks not well versed with computers, or who just need the Net and email and Office (IMO OpenOffice is better than MSOffice - and it's ALL free), just load Ubuntu and don't look back.

For those who still need MS apps or like playing games, dual boot into XP and you'll have the best of all worlds ... and no PC nasties!

[HATCHCHASER]

That must be the virus I got saturday when I was loading a pic from photobucket. I knew better than to purchase the what they were selling. My buddy down the street has tried to remove it for the last two evenings. We had to back up my files and gonna re boot it. Until then I'm surfin on my blackberry. It has eat my pc alive!

[razorsharptokill]

I thought I was home free, nothing on trendmicro, spybot or a malware scan. Now my media player won't work, some times my outlook email will just close and if I try to click on a link in the text of a web page it gives me some error. AHHHHHWWGG!!!!!!!

[Buemaker]

Bloody Hell, I`m getting a headache.
Thanks for the warning and advice. Bue--.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by razorsharptokill:
I thought I was home free, nothing on trendmicro, spybot or a malware scan. Now my media player won't work, some times my outlook email will just close and if I try to click on a link in the text of a web page it gives me some error. AHHHHHWWGG!!!!!!!

Just a hint of advice - don't use MS Outlook, it's a prime target for hackers.  There are far better free PC email MS OS apps to use such as Eudora.  

Again, folks - look to change over to Ubuntu Linux (totally free and supported daily worldwide) for all your Internet/email use and yer only concern will be the annoying email spam we all hafta tolerate.  Using Linux, there is no need for running any virus, bug, hacker, spyware, malware, etc. apps.  

It'll make yer Trad Gang experience all the more better.  I promise.

 www.ubuntu.com

[Whip]

You've almost got me Rob.  But I am so illiterite on this stuff that I don't know if I completely understand.  Do you mind a bunch of questions?

If using Ubuntu for a mail server, I assume you keep the same addresses?  Do addresses books transfer over?  Any other differences in how I would use email?

I use MS Office for a lot of things and transfer files to others frequently.  Could I continue using MS for Office apps and just use Ubuntu for internet browsing and email?

I know one of the benefits is that Ubuntu users are such a small group that hackers don't bother with it.  But what if one did?  Wouldn't machines running it be unprotected?  Maybe Ubuntu has its own protections built in somehow.  

I guess the main question is after making the switch would I need to do anything differently than I do now to interact with any other people, either through email, online business, file creation and sharing, etc.?   Would anyone interacting with me ever know the difference and be required to do anything to read files that I send them?  

Last but not least, how the heck would I do a "dual boot" with two operating systems?  I barely understand one - trying to run two different systems at the same time seems like it is way over my head???

Thanks for your help and advice.  There are very few places I really trust when getting advice on this kind of stuff.

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Whip:
You've almost got me Rob.  But I am so illiterite on this stuff that I don't know if I completely understand.  Do you mind a bunch of questions?

Surely, be glad to try to answer yer questions.

If using Ubuntu for a mail server, I assume you keep the same addresses?  Do addresses books transfer over?  Any other differences in how I would use email?

I don't think you mean "mail server", I think you mean "for sending and receiving emails".  A mail server is a very special routing machine.

Ubuntu Linux is an operating system, just like Microsoft XP is an operating system.  Ubuntu already comes loaded with more Internet apps the average Net surfer will ever need.  The Linux email app of choice for me is Evolution, and it handles all 9 of the email addresses I had before using Linux.  I'm not sure if I recall that you can pull over your email addresses - they certainly can't be pulled over directly since when you run Linux you'll have no direct access to MS XP at the same time (that's not entirely true, but I don't wanna bog down in technical details).  If I remember correctly, I had my MS XP email app (Eudora) export my saved contacts to a file and then used that file as a lookup to create a new email contact file in the Linux Evolution email app.  It can all sound way more complicated that it really is.

I use MS Office for a lot of things and transfer files to others frequently.  Could I continue using MS for Office apps and just use Ubuntu for internet browsing and email?

ABSOLUTELY!  But NOT MS Office!  Ubuntu comes already bundled with Sun MicroSystems OpenOffice - a full suite of office apps that, IMO, is even better than MS Office.  OpenOffice and MS Office are compatible!  Just save all yer MS Office docs and spreadsheets and whatnot to a flash drive or CD and load 'em all back to Ubuntu OpenOffice.

Ubuntu also has a killer graphics app (Gimp) that I use for image editing here at Trad Gang, a neat HTML helper app (Bluefish), FTP file transfer app (GFTP), data archiving app (Lx) - and not just one app for each function, sometimes lotsa apps to choose from, more and more software engineers are coding apps for Linux.  

It also comes loaded with the latest release of the FireFox browser!  Cool!

Down with corporate "Billy Boy" Microsoft, up with open source Ubuntu Linux!  Free the people!      :D    

I know one of the benefits is that Ubuntu users are such a small group that hackers don't bother with it.  But what if one did?  Wouldn't machines running it be unprotected?  Maybe Ubuntu has its own protections built in somehow.

Ubuntu Linux is UNIX.  It don't get safer than the UNIX Shell Kernal.  I worked with Bell Labs and Belcore on UNIX systems and there's a reason why it's the defacto OS for governments and businesses around the globe.  You just ain't gonna have problems.  Period.  ALL GOOD computing practices include backing up DATA - not just in case of getting hacked, but for hardware failures.  I routinely back up data - it's a good practice to observe no matter what computer or OS yer using.  

I guess the main question is after making the switch would I need to do anything differently than I do now to interact with any other people, either through email, online business, file creation and sharing, etc.?   Would anyone interacting with me ever know the difference and be required to do anything to read files that I send them?  

NO ONE will even know yer using Linux.  It's totally and completely transparent.  In fact, it's so much like MS XP that even you won't know the difference for the very most part.  All the office files you create will cross platform without a ripple.  Been there, done that - I still work in the corporate computing world.      :D      

Last but not least, how the heck would I do a "dual boot" with two operating systems?  I barely understand one - trying to run two different systems at the same time seems like it is way over my head???

So let's say yer running with MS XP (it could be ANY MS operating system).  You begin the loading of Ubuntu right on your MS XP machine, and during the process it will ask you if you wish to dual boot into MS XP, and you agree (as you should!).  What happens is that your hard drive segregates a separate area for MS XP and a totally other separate area for Ubuntu Linux.  All this means is that whenever you turn on your PC you will be given the choice of booting into MS XP or Ubuntu Linux.  If you boot into MS XP, it's the same exact precise old PC you've been using all along - NOTHING CHANGES.  If you elect to boot into Linux, well, yer into Ubuntu Linux.  It's really all that easy.

DISCLAIMER: (everything comes with one of these things, these dayze!)  I'm not gonna espouse that Ubuntu Linux is foolproof for everyone.  There's always the possibility that there'll be something screwy with yer PC and that adding Linux to yer  XP machine will have a "bump" or two.  There have been over a dozen folks I know that have added Ubuntu to their PC, on their own with no other help, and all but two needed support from their teenage sons.      :D      

Thanks for your help and advice.  There are very few places I really trust when getting advice on this kind of stuff.

[Whip]

Originally posted by Rob DiStefano:
  There have been over a dozen folks I know that have added Ubuntu to their PC, on their own with no other help, and all but two needed support from their teenage sons.  

The other stuff doesn't sound too bad, but this statement is scary!      I don't have a teenage son!

Actually, you make it sound like something I could probalby handle if I put my mind to it.  The next few weeks are going to be crazy for me so I think I will give it a try after that.

Thanks for your help!

[Jeremy]

Rob, my head hurts now, thanks!  I have Vista on my laptop (aka: a memory-hoggin POS!)  Sounds like I might try Linux in the future and hopefully get rid of Vista!!

[Rob DiStefano]

Originally posted by Jeremy:
Rob, my head hurts now, thanks!  I have Vista on my laptop (aka: a memory-hoggin POS!)  Sounds like I might try Linux in the future and hopefully get rid of Vista!!

Personally, I highly recommend ditching Vista completely.  Load MS XP first, then load Ubuntu Linux.

[IB]

Rob..?....Is that what we did on my confuzer with that Mozilla  Fella and the Fox on Fire stuff, that I now use ?  Or did we just talk about the Ubunty benefits and options??

  Joe wanna borrow a Grandson or Granddaughter    

[Whip]

I know you're using this stuff Vance, and that's why I figure "how hard can it be?"  :p

[Jeff Strubberg]

One of the cooler thigns about Ubuntu is they have a very active user forum that covers from absolute beginner to launching a web server or router.  If you're interested, I reccomend heading over there and reading through some of the beginner posts.


 http://ubuntuforums.org/

[Fritz]

Thanks Rob and Jeff for the info.  I believe I'm going to give this Linux a try.  I'm so tired of having to worry about all these viruses.

[Jeremy]

I'm running ubunta right now!  It's not even installed, just running it off the CD and it's about 10x faster than while running the memory hog!!  Gonna play around with it a bit more before switching over, but I gotta say I'm impressed so far.  Thanks guys!