Another reason to switch to Linux

[Mike1234567]

You can boot from a Linux LiveCD and reset any password you like with minimal headache (provided the disk isn't encrypted, which if it is, since you can boot you could still do it - just with an extra few steps). Pretty much all you do is boot the LiveCD, chroot, and passwd. I'd describe in more detail, but ....

I haven't yet tried the password for Ubuntu but that's next on the list. I'd like to keep a dual boot OS.

 

[Tcruse]

Well, the story is a good story and I do think such things should be discussed and widely known. However, the idea that you machine would become a "download" source for machines on other networks is not possible, since today no machine is not behind a NAT device/Firewall of some time. Many times forced by your ISP by not allocating a fixed public ip address. As far as on your internal network, if you have say 3 pc's on the same lan and an update can be downloaded by one machine and shared with all three, you save 2X the bandwidth needed for the download. So, a win-win for everyone.
Most enterprises, set up distribution points so that updates can be installed over local links instead of public links and that updates can be tested in their environment prior to implementation. Such as the win 10 reserve update was blocked for machines on private networks.
The sky is not falling.

 

[Tcruse]

A better solution would be run your Linux machine as a "virtual machine" using Hyper-V or Oracle Virtual Box.
Hyper-V uses more hardware support and is faster if you have the hardware.
Virtual Box more software emulation and will run on almost any hardware.

 

[karlac]

Well, the story is a good story and I do think such things should be discussed and widely known. However, the idea that you machine would become a "download" source for machines on other networks is not possible, since today no machine is not behind a NAT device/Firewall of some time.

That is far from the point.

There is NO doubt that this works on the same principle as a torrent/peer-to-peer sharing method.
IOW, it indeed does use your bandwidth in doing so.

That said, it is not a bad idea, and a clever use of resources to distribute updates, and the use may well be minuscule to most.

However, it should be "opt in" and made known to the user.

The very idea that it is not, plus other behind-the-scenes features used without informed consent with this particular distribution model, is what should concern any reasonably informed user.

 

[Mike1234567]

"MY" Win 10 must do list...

Remove tiles from Start Menu...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGOhFBOJk-M

Disable P2P Win Updates...

 

[TheDan]

My next phone will be as dumb as a box of rocks.

There's always the PiPhone. I bet you could figure out how to do full device encryption on it.

I haven't kept up with Windows for several years. What I'm seeing is downright scary. Buried in the 45-pages of the Privacy Statement and the Services Agreement is this gem:
...
In fact, if you encrypt, it backs up your recovery key to their servers.

I wasn't properly outraged by the original topic, but this... WTF?

 

[karlac]

This was pretty handy to mitigate some of the overreach.

http://arstechnica.com/information-...ch-privacy-by-default-heres-how-to-fix-it/#p3

 

[nlghthawk]

Who owns a smartphone? They all do this. Are you trashing it, too?

The difference with Google and Microsoft is major.

1st you don't buy the operating system with Google. It is bundled and updates are pushed by the manufacturer at no charge. If you own a Nexus device you get all updates as long as the hardware supports it.
2nd. Google doesn't turn your phone into a Torrent Server
3rd. Google doesn't hide that it collects information about every application and makes you acknowledge each piece of information in turn for service. MS still charges for services and is using the information it is collecting.
4th. Google never called Microsoft out as being a Scroogle company!

Google is used on consumer electronics and isn't considered enterprise ready because of some of the reasons above. However Microsoft is used in the Enterprise because of the sensitivity of the data used on it and if that data isn't going to be secured then why use it at home? All of the benefits of using Windows is being negated. Ubuntu is free, and is less problematic compared to Windows, so why buy Windows.

 

[orbitup]

I got my upgrade notification today. I'm not going to do it.

 

[Mike1234567]

I'm waiting too.....

 

[SA_Steve]

I got it a day or so after it became available. Some updates loaded themselves today.

 

[mroper]

I am running unbuntu 14.04 the interface is easy to use and it udates itself . Firefox work great on it. I am even able to play windows games on it using Playonlinux.

 

[IXLR8]

Windows 8 shipped 100 million copies in the same amount of time that Windows 10 has been out. 94 million users downgraded Windows 8 to Windows 7, but they never mention that part....

 

[NavyVet1959]

If you are logged in as root on a UNIX / Linux box, you can delete the password on an account by editing /etc/passwd and/or /etc/shadow/passwd with a text editor like "vi". Which file you need to edit will depend upon the flavor of UNIX / Linux that you are running.

 

[benenglish]

...a text editor like "vi".

The "vi vs. emacs" split makes "9 v 45" look like a church picnic.

I'm a vi guy. Donning asbestos jumpsuit now...

 

[NavyVet1959]

The "vi vs. emacs" split makes "9 v 45" look like a church picnic.

I'm a vi guy. Donning asbestos jumpsuit now...

'Vi' will be on pretty much every UNIX derivative you will find. 'Emacs'? Not so common.

 

[Brains]

vi is on every box because it's better.

 

[NavyVet1959]

vi is on every box because it's better.

Some of us are old enough to remember when "vi" was the new kid on the block and you had to know "ed" since it was the only thing guaranteed to be on every machine. "vi" is *so* much better than "ed"... "emacs" is good, but it's not on every machine, so you really should know "vi".

 

[Chirpy]

Some of us are old enough to remember when "vi" was the new kid on the block and you had to know "ed" since it was the only thing guaranteed to be on every machine. "vi" is *so* much better than "ed"... "emacs" is good, but it's not on every machine, so you really should know "vi".

Dang, I bet you remember when they added the "sand" upgrade to dirt!

 

[NavyVet1959]

Dang, I bet you remember when they added the "sand" upgrade to dirt!

I just dealt with a couple of ancient versions of UNIX at one time.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_(text_editor)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vi