Crossfire wrote:
> And because of this, I will now cite RULE #1:
>
> NEVER, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, RUN RANDOM COMMANDS GIVEN TO YOU BY
> SOMEBODY ELSE. ESPECIALLY AS ROOT.
>
> You should first research the commands being used using info and man
> to determine their function, and what each argument supplied is really
> doing.
>
> If you can't see how the commands perform the advertised effects,
> maybe they don't do that at all.
Nice sentiment. Ignoring the word "RANDOM" (which is irrelevant), Rule #1
needs a few additional caveats:
(*) never download and run any software in binary form from the Internet.
(advice to this effect is almost as common as adivsing one to run
a specific command)
(*) never compile and run any software from source, unless you have read
the entire source file and understand what the source code does.
(*) never run an O/S unless you can fully audit its internals and fully
understand the security and privacy issues involved.
Need I continue?
The reality is that people are always going to cry for advice to "help fix
this or that little problem" and then blindly do what they've been advised.
I'd guess about 99% of computer users out there do this, and can only do this.
We can't all be wizards :)
Can I propose Rule #2:
DO NOT USE TECHNOLOGY UNLESS YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH ITS INTERFACE, HOW IT FUNCTIONS
AND OPERATES AND WHAT IS EXPECTED OF IT. (cf. "driving a vehicle", "brain surgery",
"writing software", "running Linux" ...)
--
_____________________________________________
Rick Welykochy || Praxis Services Pty Limited
Don't ask me the difference between analysis and design.
The distinction is spiritual and has to do with the afterlife.
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