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Nearly 9 Million PCs Hit By 'Downandup' Worm

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Nearly 9 Million PCs Hit By 'Downandup' Worm

Unread postby bratticus » Fri 16 Jan 2009, 19:46:00

But not mine
$this->bbcode_second_pass_code('', 'brattius@hermes:~$ cat /etc/lsb-release
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=8.10
DISTRIB_CODENAME=intrepid
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 8.10"')
It's not too late
https://shipit.ubuntu.com/

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '[')b]Nearly 9 Million PCs Hit By 'Downandup' Worm
The network worm is a bunch of malware variants that target older Windows machines and changes itself, or is changed by its authors, to prevent signature-based detection.

... skip ...

"The number of Downandup infections are skyrocketing based on our calculations," F-Secure's Toni Kovunen said in a blog post Friday. "From an estimated 2.4 million infected machines to over 8.9 million during the last four days. That's just amazing."

... snip ...
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Re: Nearly 9 Million PCs Hit By 'Downandup' Worm

Unread postby smallpoxgirl » Fri 16 Jan 2009, 21:29:48

I made a real effort to make do with Ubuntu, but I've given up. I spent hours trying to make it recognize my printer and my NTFS raid array without any success. There is no reasonable replacement for Adobe InDesign or Dragon Naturally Speaking on Linux. The Java doesn't quite run right so important websites that I visit don't function properly. Nobody makes a good stock graphing software for Linux. I can't play Blu-Ray discs on my computer in Linux. It seems like every time you run into a problem, solving it involves going to a terminal screen and typing some arcane gibberish that only makes sense if your a Linux nerd and may or may not work depending on which one of a hundred different releases you happen to be running. Really the kicker though is that Firefox crashes on me in Linux just as often as it does in Windows. Granted it doesn't destabilize the OS when it happens in Linux, but still. If I'm going to go to that much trouble getting an OS to run, I really want to not be dealing with crashes and killing unresponsive processes all the time.
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Re: Nearly 9 Million PCs Hit By 'Downandup' Worm

Unread postby Plantagenet » Fri 16 Jan 2009, 22:29:27

Image

No problemo. 8)
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Re: Nearly 9 Million PCs Hit By 'Downandup' Worm

Unread postby mattduke » Fri 16 Jan 2009, 22:45:02

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Re: Nearly 9 Million PCs Hit By 'Downandup' Worm

Unread postby bratticus » Fri 16 Jan 2009, 23:21:06

Actual unaltered image I took today:
[url=http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3374/3202079805_534d0a597d_b.jpg]Image
(click to enlarge)[/url]

I had to turn off the flash.
There is a 5' diameter white globe
with four projectors on it
that seamlessly integrate into a single continuous image.

Most "gee-whiz" thing I've seen all year.
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Re: Nearly 9 Million PCs Hit By 'Downandup' Worm

Unread postby bratticus » Fri 16 Jan 2009, 23:26:58

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', '[')img]http://www.teamcg.com/images/logo_apple.gif[/img]

No problemo. 8)


Image :razz:
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Re: Nearly 9 Million PCs Hit By 'Downandup' Worm

Unread postby bratticus » Fri 16 Jan 2009, 23:28:36

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('smallpoxgirl', 'I') made a real effort to make do with Ubuntu, but I've given up.


You must be a real girl. :roll:
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Re: Nearly 9 Million PCs Hit By 'Downandup' Worm

Unread postby TWilliam » Sat 17 Jan 2009, 04:41:23

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('smallpoxgirl', 'I') made a real effort to make do with Ubuntu, but I've given up. I spent hours trying to make it recognize my printer and my NTFS raid array without any success. There is no reasonable replacement for Adobe InDesign or Dragon Naturally Speaking on Linux. The Java doesn't quite run right so important websites that I visit don't function properly. Nobody makes a good stock graphing software for Linux. I can't play Blu-Ray discs on my computer in Linux. It seems like every time you run into a problem, solving it involves going to a terminal screen and typing some arcane gibberish that only makes sense if your a Linux nerd and may or may not work depending on which one of a hundred different releases you happen to be running. Really the kicker though is that Firefox crashes on me in Linux just as often as it does in Windows. Granted it doesn't destabilize the OS when it happens in Linux, but still. If I'm going to go to that much trouble getting an OS to run, I really want to not be dealing with crashes and killing unresponsive processes all the time.

I applaud your efforts SPG. It can take some work to get things operating smoothly in Linux, especially when dealing with some of the more non-standard setups. RAID can be a real b!tch, plus I note it's NTFS, which Linux tends to be rather cautious about writing to, especially in 'mission critical' situations like RAID, as it's a problematic (read 'sh!tty') format.

Multimedia can be a drag too, tho' that's more often than not because of all the proprietary codecs and DRM crap, which of course are antithetical to the Open Source philosophy to begin with. Most of the codecs, as well as the dvd decryption libraries, are available for installation, but they don't come installed by default because Ubuntu builds it's basic distribution using ONLY Open Sourced software as a matter of principle.

Java (and Javascript, which is completely unrelated) can be a bit iffy, but that's more often than not poor implementation on the part of website developers than any fault of Ubuntu itself. I use, or have used, a number of java-based applications with no problem.

Interesting that you're having printer problems; printer support is usually pretty good in Linux. What printer are you using?
"It means buckle your seatbelt, Dorothy, because Kansas? Is goin' bye-bye... "
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Re: Nearly 9 Million PCs Hit By 'Downandup' Worm

Unread postby TWilliam » Sat 17 Jan 2009, 05:20:00

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mattduke', 'h')ttp://project.cyberpunk.ru/lib/in_the_beginning_was_the_command_line


I love it! :lol:
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Re: Nearly 9 Million PCs Hit By 'Downandup' Worm

Unread postby bratticus » Sat 17 Jan 2009, 06:59:54

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TWilliam', 'M')ultimedia can be a drag too...


Step one: install "Ubuntu Restricted Extras"

Step two: there is no step two.

Don't come to me with what Gusty, Hardy or anything but Intrepid can do.

I won't come to you and say "Windows 95 can't do video" either.
Last edited by bratticus on Sat 17 Jan 2009, 11:23:49, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Nearly 9 Million PCs Hit By 'Downandup' Worm

Unread postby vision-master » Sat 17 Jan 2009, 10:36:28

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', '[')img]http://www.teamcg.com/images/logo_apple.gif[/img]

No problemo. 8)


Ah, ewe took a bite from the tree of knowledge, eh. :cool:
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Re: Nearly 9 Million PCs Hit By 'Downandup' Worm

Unread postby TWilliam » Sat 17 Jan 2009, 17:30:24

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('bratticus', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TWilliam', 'M')ultimedia can be a drag too...


Step one: install "Ubuntu Restricted Extras"

Step two: there is no step two.

Don't come to me with what Gusty, Hardy or anything but Intrepid can do.

I won't come to you and say "Windows 95 can't do video" either.

Umm... just as an fyi there b...
$this->bbcode_second_pass_code('', 'twilliam@TheMachine:~$ cat /etc/lsb-release
DISTRIB_ID=Ubuntu
DISTRIB_RELEASE=8.10
DISTRIB_CODENAME=intrepid
DISTRIB_DESCRIPTION="Ubuntu 8.10"
')
Even with the Restricted Extras package, as well as a number of additional codecs installed by the 'Ultamatix' script, I still occasionally run into some video formats that are tweaky. Rare, but it happens...
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Re: Nearly 9 Million PCs Hit By 'Downandup' Worm

Unread postby smallpoxgirl » Sat 17 Jan 2009, 18:35:37

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('TWilliam', 'J')ava (and Javascript, which is completely unrelated) can be a bit iffy, but that's more often than not poor implementation on the part of website developers than any fault of Ubuntu itself. I use, or have used, a number of java-based applications with no problem.

The problem is that it doesn't seem to recognize the font settings in the Java encoding properly. The font comes out to big in Linux which pushes the content out of the alotted screen box. It makes some of the controls unusable.


$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I')nteresting that you're having printer problems; printer support is usually pretty good in Linux. What printer are you using?

Brother 5460CN. In theory there are drivers for it. I spent at least 4 hours messing with it and never could make it work.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'M')ost of the codecs, as well as the dvd decryption libraries, are available for installation, but they don't come installed by default because Ubuntu builds it's basic distribution using ONLY Open Sourced software as a matter of principle.


I figured that out. It got DVD's going but Blu-Rays still seem to be a no go. Honestly that's not such a big deal. Power DVD doesn't seem to be very stable when running DVDs in Vista either. I think I'm going to swear off Blu-Rays entirely.
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Re: Nearly 9 Million PCs Hit By 'Downandup' Worm

Unread postby skeptik » Sat 17 Jan 2009, 19:29:23

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Plantagenet', '
')No problemo. 8)

Let us not exaggerate. I had a virus once on my Mac back in 1998. Remember Autostart?
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Re: Nearly 9 Million PCs Hit By 'Downandup' Worm

Unread postby bratticus » Sun 18 Jan 2009, 10:06:23

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '[')b]View Poll Results: Does running a non-windows OS provide enough virus protection?

... People do not aim for Microsoft because they hate Microsoft, but because they are an easier target. ...
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Re: Nearly 9 Million PCs Hit By 'Downandup' Worm

Unread postby bratticus » Mon 26 Jan 2009, 08:15:06

Oh, did we say 9 million?

How about 15 million now.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', '[')b]Virus strikes 15 million PCs

LONDON, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- A virulent computer virus has infected more than 15 million computers around the world so far, British experts say.

The Independent on Sunday reported that the worm -- known as Downadup, Conficker or Kido -- had contaminated 6 million PCs in the past three days alone.

The newspaper said more than 3,000 British organizations, including hospitals and the Ministry of Defense, have received the virus.

Officials in Britain, the United States, Russia, China and India say they are waiting to see what the virus's effects will be, if anything.

... snip ...


What if it waits for a certain day and then *WHOOSH* [smilie=offtheair.gif]
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Re: Nearly 9 Million PCs Hit By 'Downandup' Worm

Unread postby TWilliam » Mon 26 Jan 2009, 21:55:46

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('smallpoxgirl', 'T')he problem is that it doesn't seem to recognize the font settings in the Java encoding properly. The font comes out to big in Linux which pushes the content out of the alotted screen box. It makes some of the controls unusable.

Hmmm... that may be just a matter of installing what are referred to as the Microsoft Core Fonts (which, needless to say, are not usually present on a default Ubuntu install). I don't know much about Java, but I suspect that most Java apps use them. I believe the 'Restricted Extras' package that bratticus mentioned above includes them.


$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'B')rother 5460CN. In theory there are drivers for it. I spent at least 4 hours messing with it and never could make it work.

Would that be the multi-function unit shown here? Yea, those can take a little work, as you're really dealing with three different units - a printer, a scanner and a fax. I have a Samsung printer so I can't help you much on the Brother, but I think the 'brother-cups-wrapper-bh7' package from the Multiverse repository is the one you would need. Don't know what all would be required with regard to setup tho', sorry...


$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I') figured that out. It got DVD's going but Blu-Rays still seem to be a no go. Honestly that's not such a big deal. Power DVD doesn't seem to be very stable when running DVDs in Vista either. I think I'm going to swear off Blu-Rays entirely.

This is more an issue of the DRM crap utilized with Blu-Ray and all the hoop-jumping needed to get around it than any shortcoming of Linux. Here's some info on playing Blu-Ray disks in Ubuntu. If nothing else it gives you some idea of the inanity of DRM:

Playing Blu-Ray and HD DVD Video
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Re: Nearly 9 Million PCs Hit By 'Downandup' Worm

Unread postby smallpoxgirl » Mon 26 Jan 2009, 22:13:14

Yeah. There's just way too much drama with trying to run Linux. I was trying to save some of my files before I wiped my linux partition. I spent at least 20 minutes trying to get it to mount a flash drive so I could save my files. I finally gave up and just trashed them. I really appreciate the idea of Linux, and I'm definitely on board with the fact that Bill Gates is Satan. Seriously though. When I put a flash drive in a Microsucks machine, it asks me what I want to do with it, then it does what I tell it. It really shouldn't require 30 minutes of searching the internet, possibly recompiling your kernel, typing a bunch of cryptic commands into a terminal window, uttering 43 expletives, and having to restrain yourself from destroying the computer with a blunt object just to get it to read a flash drive. Linux is undoubtedly the best platform for a webserver, but it just really isn't a practical OS for the kinds of things that most people want from their home or office PC.
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Re: Nearly 9 Million PCs Hit By 'Downandup' Worm

Unread postby lper100km » Mon 26 Jan 2009, 23:45:46

I second that, SPG.

I desperately want to leave the MS operating system in the dust but am too cheap to buy a Macintosh. Maybe if, when my present set up fails. I wrestled with Linux in about five different flavours, including Ubuntu and it took me to the mat far too many times. When I did succeed in running Linux (on my PC based laptop), I found that even the basic applications were too crude to be taken seriously. As for recognizing networks, WiFis and printers, there’s not enough time in the world to fool around with that stuff. At one time I would have enjoyed the challenge. Nowadays, I just want it to work when I turn on the power.

It blows my mind that after some 40 years of existence, the independent Unix/Linux community has failed to produce anything that is even remotely plug and play. Kudos to MacIntosh and in fairness, also to MS for creating user friendly software, generally speaking. But clearly, MS OS architecture is fundamentally faulty, otherwise we would not be plagued with daily updates and security patches despite the plethora of applications that have been developed for it. This worm is supposed to crawl into the security programs! No wonder my anti-virus app goes ape every time I boot up.

I suppose Solaris from Sun Microsystems is a possibility. I have never explored that, but maybe it’s time to do so.
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Re: Nearly 9 Million PCs Hit By 'Downandup' Worm

Unread postby bodigami » Tue 27 Jan 2009, 00:01:32

I have used a Mac for more than a year, and it has worked so far.

Some Linux distros are fine...
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