Links 19/05/2008: Important Windows Refund Precedence, Unbundling Near?
- Dr. Roy Schestowitz
- 2008-05-19 14:23:27 UTC
- Modified: 2008-05-19 14:23:27 UTC
GNU/Linux
- French court orders Windows refund [Not the first time]
In France, it is illegal to bundle software and to refuse to reimburse the customer for unwanted licences, under Article L.122-1 of the French Consumer Code. The Tribunal de Grande Instance ruled that offering an expensive refund option was tantamount to offering no refund option at all, hence finding for the consumer and requiring that Asus stump up.
- Uxi, a Cuban magazine dedicated to Free Software and Open Codes by the University of Information Sciences
- University of Havana Finally Switches to Free Software
- Avnet Electronics Marketing launches complete MicroBlaze Processor Linux Design Solution
- LM_Sensors 3.0.2 Released
- I swear, this is not another Unixfication post
Is Sun talking with Linus about moving ZFS to GPLv2, with the objective of fast tracking ZFS into a native Linux kernel implementation of the file system driver? Or is Linus considering moving the kernel to GPLv3, with Sun doing the same for OpenSolaris? Is Linux and Solaris DNA going to swap much quicker than previously thought?
- AMD FireGL V8600 On Linux
If we would have looked at the FireGL performance under Windows and Linux a year ago, the results would have been vastly different -- Linux would have lagged far behind the Windows driver. With the new OpenGL driver, however, these results are rather pleasing. In 3DS Max and UGS NX tests from SPECViewPerf, the Windows driver had a small performance lead over the Linux driver. However, in the CATIA, Maya, and Pro/Engineer tests, the Linux driver wound up on top.
- Mandriva 2008.1 KDE hits a sweet spot
Ubuntu
- Hate Ubuntu? It's normal!
The fact that many people dislike the top distribution is not really a problem. The problem is that many of these folks are extremely vocal on the Internet to express their opinions. While no intelligent reader will ever take them seriously, they do give the Linux community a bad name and discourage potential Linux users from joining us.
- [Ubuntu] Weekly Newsletter #91
F/OSS
User Security vs. Vendor 'Security'
- Microsoft confirms Windows adheres to broadcast flag
News that the world's largest software maker has voluntarily agreed to help broadcasters control the recording of their shows is bound to outrage enthusiasts of digital video recorders, as it represents the biggest threat to the practice known as time shifting since the FCC's attempt to require flag adherence.
- Microsoft Stockholder? Take Stock in This...
While we are passing along the subject of anti-virus and spyware, let me ask you this. While MS does offer a somewhat crippled product to protect Windows, they push me toward a subscription purchase to get the full monty. Why am I being cornered into purchasing a "fix" for a problem Microsoft created? Shouldn't the full application be offered as part of Windows? Let me ask you this as well. Why should I purchase and use a product that necessitates I purchase and use another product in order for the first product to work the way it is supposed to?
- Hackers compromise Red Cross earthquake relief site
- Spain arrests 'prolific' hackers
Law and Crime
Leftovers
Recent Techrights' Posts
- Brett Wilson LLP is Downsizing, Apparently Closing Down the Oversized and Overpriced Office
- Address changed 13 hours ago
- The United States Lost Freedom of Speech
- independence refers to a condition, not an activity
- SLAPP Censorship - Part 127 Out of 200: Lawsuits by Americans Filed in the UK a Burden on British Taxpayers, No Way to Recover the Funds When Americans Lose Their Cases
- Are Garrett and Graveley 'pulling a 4Chan'?
-
- American Independence Needs Independent Media
- The American regime's hostility towards media is an international problem
- Techrights Was Always a Community Platform
- Techrights is about whistleblowers
- Phenomenal Growth for GNU/Linux in Afghanistan
- This is impressive because for many years it was registered at near 0%
- Daniel Pocock Pursuing Complaint in the United States Against Software in the Public Interest (SPI) et al
- It seems like the only people who don't support him are those whom he criticises
- Gemini Links 04/07/2026: Busy Squirrel, Independence Day Celebrations, PalmOS Programming
- Links for the day
- Canonical/Ubuntu is Breaking CP (cp) to Help Microsoft Turn Coreutils Into Proprietary Software for Windows
- What we could do reliably in the 1970s (before GNU) we cannot do in 2026?
- Free Software Has No Kings or CEOs
- The kingdom is a cross-border phenomenon, so national flags and other such symbolism overlook the core problem [...] Free Software can help lead us out of the current imbalances
- IBM Replacing the People Who Built IBM With Cheaper and Younger Staff, According to IBM Insiders
- This is a very common sentiment in IBM
- For USA 250 Microsoft is Messing With Our Minds (2.50%) to Distract From Mass Layoffs
- The slopfarms contribute to this noise
- "Defective by Design" Turns 20
- DBD is still as relevant as ever (probably more relevant than ever before)
- A Bicycle for the Feeble Mind, or How Computers Got Worse for Productivity (Intentionally)
- Many of us still adopt and champion the "workstation" mentality
- Links 04/07/2026: Microsoft Tax Haven (Evasion) Tactics, Tobacco Bans, and More
- Links for the day
- Links 04/07/2026: 2026 Old Computer Challenge and Trying Gopher
- Links for the day
- Links 04/07/2026: USMCA (Covering Software Patents) Might Not be Renewed, Slop Bros Try to Pay Weird Al to Endorse Their Scheme
- Links for the day
- Over at Tux Machines...
- GNU/Linux news for the past day
- IRC Proceedings: Friday, July 03, 2026
- IRC logs for Friday, July 03, 2026
- Gemini Links 03/07/2026: Mindfulness Practice and "Slop Is Killing the Human Spirit"
- Links for the day
- Links 03/07/2026: Openwashing of Slop in "Linux" Clothing and "Happy Birthday, America"
- Links for the day
- John Been (reallinuxuser.com) May Have Crossed Over to the 'Dark Side' of LLM Slop
- It 'smells' like it, a scanner seems to concur
- Who or What is "Nadeko"?
- Fijxu's services make life a lot easier for Free software sticklers
- 10 Years Since the World Lost Ian Murdock
- My wife and I still use Debian, as does this site
- No, Microsoft is Not Laying Off 5,000-6,000 But a Lot More
- There are "buyouts", "PIPs" (silence layoffs), pink slips, and future waves, not counting subsidiaries and contractors
- The Cyber Show's Andy and Helen Confronting 'Upgrades'
- the latest from Andy and Helen
- statCounter Sees Almost 1 in 10 Desktops or Laptops in Egypt as GNU/Linux Workstations
- 10% "market share" (for GNU/Linux) was nearly attained last month
- The March of GNU/Linux in the Russian Ally, Belarus
- record high for GNU/Linux in Belarus
- Being Prevented From Accessing One's Own System Means Getting Locked Out, Not Security
- a metaphor
- Technology is Getting Objectively Worse and Less Reliable
- Something went horribly wrong
- FOSS Force 2026 Independence Drive Lacks Independence From GAFAM's 'Linux' Foundation
- We're not trying to 'bash' FOSS Force
- News That Matters, News That's Exclusive, and News LLM Slop Will Never Get Right
- Churning out blog posts just for quantity's sake was never our goal
- 3/4 (Three-Quarter) of Requests Seen by statCounter (Originating From Desktops/Laptops) Deemed to be "Linux" in San Marino
- 74% Linux, it says...
- The Linux Foundation Does Not Work for Linux, Definitely Not for Free Software
- works for its biggest sponsors, i.e. companies like Microsoft, IBM, and others
- Independence and Software Freedom
- Much work remains to be done
- The European Patent Office's (EPO) Crisis Week Ends Today, the Rest of the Year Will be EPO Staff on Strike
- The outcome of the two-day meeting won't change the fact that EPO staff is on strike for the whole year
- European Patent Office (EPO) Series: Operation Monte Titano: Micro-State Diplomacy
- On 28th May 2026 EPO President António Campinos paid a visit to the Most Serene Republic of San Marino where he was received with full diplomatic honours
- Links 03/07/2026: Slop "Isn’t Replacing Lawyers", "App Fatigue"
- Links for the day
- Statement on This Week's DDoS Attacks
- DDoS attacks are not a "badge of honour". They are a nuisance.
- Skinnerboxes as Health Problems and Impediments (Against Happiness)
- skinnerboxes are a form of addiction
- Costa Ricans' Adoption of GNU/Linux Reaches New Highs
- Windows is doing poorly in general
- British Women Don't Want to Work for American Men Who Attack American Women
- "[g]reeting clients and preparing beverages"
- Mass Layoff Event on June 30 at Red Hat? Let Us Know...
- We are looking for more Red Hat whistleblowers
- Gaming on Windows is in Trouble, XBox is Practically Dead Already
- It seems increasingly clear that Microsoft wants to get rid of XBox
- New Record for GNU/Linux in the World's Largest Muslim-Majority Population (287,983,025)
- Will Indonesians leave GAFAM behind?
- SLAPP Censorship - Part 126 Out of 200: Becoming More Aggressive Against Us Only Proves Us Right
- the police involved
- IBM Red Hat Kicks Out the Community, Promotes Slop
- It has gotten so bad
- The Register MS Covers "AI" Because It Gets Paid to
- A lot of noise "in the news" about "AI" is paid-for trash
- Over at Tux Machines...
- GNU/Linux news for the past day
- IRC Proceedings: Thursday, July 02, 2026
- IRC logs for Thursday, July 02, 2026
- Gemini Links 02/07/2026: OpenBGPD, Newt and OpenBSD, Indieweb Theme for Ghost
- Links for the day
- Links 02/07/2026: China "Ethnic Unity" Law a Global Threat, "EU Imposes €3 Duty on Parcels From China"
- Links for the day
- Japan's Share of GNU/Linux Has More Than Doubled
- GNU/Linux now sits around 3.5% compared to about 1% two years ago
- 'Largest Single Layoff Event In Gaming History' or 'Largest Single Layoff Event In Microsoft History'?
- we need whistleblowers, not official or semi-official statements from Microsoft
- Off-putting Terms or Behaviour That Keep Women Away From Areas of Technology (Not What IBM and GAFAM Tell Us)
- the use of language
- Microsoft Windows "Goes South" in South America, GNU/Linux Popularity Soaring
- Brazil and its neighbours must have paid attention to what happened earlier this year in Venezuela
- It's Not the Layoffs, It's the Debt
- PIPs and/or "silent layoffs" are about the companies flouting obligations to staff, reducing or eliminating the compensation packages
- European Patent Office (EPO) Series: Cutting Ribbons in Sintra While the EPO Burns
- Like the Roman Emperor Nero, Campinos fiddles in Sintra while the EPO burns
- In Spain, GNU/Linux Now Measured at 5.5%
- Microsoft and Windows are generally shrinking
- North America: GNU/Linux Leaps to 8% "Market Share"
- the trend is clear
- statCounter: GNU/Linux Has Risen to All-Time High of 6% Worldwide (July 2026)
- GNU/Linux has massive gains
- Not Tolerating Death Threats
- Death threads are a serious matter
- Silent Layoffs, 'Happy' Layoffs, and 'Buyouts' (Pretending to Voluntarily Retire)
- We've been seeing lots of that at IBM and Microsoft
- SLAPP Censorship - Part 125 Out of 200: Litigants in Person (LIPs) Handling American Lawfare Funded by Third Parties (About a Million Pounds for 100 Kilograms of Legal Papers)
- An appeal to the Court of Appeal can be justified at one point
- IBM HR "Process is Similar to Raising Farm Animals"
- IBM "silent layoffs" won't stop
- Attacks on the Sites
- These are clearly censorship attempts
- Links 02/07/2026: Microsoft May be Shutting Down 5+ Studios, Slop Got Too Expensive, "RAMpocalypse" Discussed
- Links for the day
- Over at Tux Machines...
- GNU/Linux news for the past day
- IRC Proceedings: Wednesday, July 01, 2026
- IRC logs for Wednesday, July 01, 2026
- Gemini Links 02/07/2026: Kondo, Theological Thought, and X4
- Links for the day
Comments
fruit of the loon
2008-05-19 23:02:34
Roy Schestowitz
2008-05-19 23:09:41
So Fia lore Inn
2008-05-19 23:19:25
It should be argued, at least for PC gaming, they have a monopoly on the desktop with gaming, as most people need to use DirectX properly in order for the games to work. Sure Wine, Cedega, and other projects are making some progress and some games may work, and believe me I try every few weeks to see how it is coming along, but again Microsoft still continues its dirty deeds. They lie about Linux and Windows interoperability, "They said it couldn't be done!" Novell agreement bullshit just like the Corel agreement in 2000 or 2001, where Corel Linux was promptly spun off and money/support from Corel to Wine apparantly dried up. Time and time again they come in and either buy out or pollute the environment with thier proprietary crap, and we read another dismal Microsoft article after article every few weeks or more.
If Microsoft is so devoted to bringing Linux and Windows together, I don't see anything on their vast labrynth of shit at Microsoft.com indicating this. Where is the repository of interoperability Linux and Windows software on Microsoft.com? Oh, but you can still get their bullshit "Facts" on Windows and Linux, and that's about it. At least Google has a repository you can add to your Linux install for software from them. In my opinion, don't think Moonlight ("Ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight? I ask that of all my friends") will last much longer or work well for Linux users should Silverblight (Silverlight) suddenly become popular through payoffs and slight of hand corporate tricks.
If you ever want to have Microsoft come clean, no, I don't believe it would ever happen unless the DOJ finally came down hard and raided their offices, took their hardware and software and forced them to release the code and all of the various undiscovered backdoors waiting to be found, it just won't happen. IMO, Microsoft has demonstrated time and time again it will fight tooth and nail against any punishment against them.
We will all be cleansed if true justice were ever to prevail, but in the "United States of Advertising", most of the people in power are paid off, with big pharma and other corporate overlords always padding the handshakes and votes. It is a lost cause, you know it, I know it, but you'll still piss away your vote to one of the two parties who bend over for big pharma to slide in the money and the overpriced medications pop out the other end as we all struggle under the yoke of this dismal fucking world.
Come clean? Microsoft? The whole system is mired in filth.
Good luck.
We now return you to your normal life, ostrich head in the sand, millions of tokers/beer drinkers who raise their fist while watching Fight Club and return to their soap opera pitiful lives of slavery as the credits roll.
Vote for Wesley Snipes for President in 2008, neither one of the big parties will get anything done, they are a part of the problem.