The LangaList

12-May-99

A Free Email Newsletter from Fred Langa About BrowserTune,
HotSpots, Columns, Tips & Tricks, and Other Activities

In This Issue:
Two New Security Bugs from Microsoft
Linux? Which Linux?
Still Dropping Breadcrumbs…
...and Here's One From A Reader
Defrag Dies?
HotSpots Still Cookin’
Yes! Yes! Yes!
Just for Grins
More!

Two New Security Bugs from Microsoft

EXCEL 97: Although Excel has a built-in macro-virus warning mechanism, it turns out there’s a way it could be bypassed by hackers. Microsoft says the security hole "require[s] the use of infrequently-combined features and commands, and [is] unlikely to be encountered in normal use." But on the other hand, they’ve created and posted a patch, and have built the patch into the forthcoming Office 2000 release--- so the risk must be real.

If you’re running Excel 97, you can grab the patch at http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/downloaddetails/xl8p6pkg.htm .

If you want more information first, see http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q231/3/04.asp .

SITE SERVER and IIS: This one will affect fewer people directly, and actually takes a long, involved explanation to define exactly who’s at risk and why. You only need to be concerned if you’re running Microsoft Site Server 3.0 (part of Microsoft Site Server 3.0 Commerce Edition, Microsoft Commercial Internet System 2.0, and Microsoft BackOffice Server 4.0 and 4.5); or Microsoft Internet Information Server 4.0. If you are running one of those products,  then you ought to take at a look at Microsoft’s full explanation at http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q231/3/68.asp . With that, you can determine your level of risk (if any) and then follow the steps outlined there to protect yourself and your users.

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Linux? Which Linux?

Lots of people have been at least experimenting with Linux--- the operating system originally created by Linux Torvalds, and worked on over the years by thousands of volunteers. Some people have switched to Linux as a full-time operating system, and believe it may even one day take its place alongside Microsoft’s NT, Apple’s OSx, and other "mainstream" operating systems.

There’s a new Linux core or "Kernel" out now: It’s version 2.2x, and it’s now in high-volume production. Recently, I made the rounds of Linux vendors to scope out the newest distributions.

But man, there’s a lot! For example, over at Linux.Org, they list fully 17 English-language distributions that range from tiny, single-floppy implementations that cost little or nothing up through massive $130 packages that toss in a wealth of tech tools and utilities.

Of course, you’re not limited to just the current distributions: Over at one online Linux store you can pick from 32 different flavors of English-language Linux distributions ranging from $1.99 CDs of older builds through the current $124 "Linux OS, the Professional Edition."

So how do you know which version to pick?

That’s the subject of this week’s column at InformationWeek Online. Starting at around midday today (12-May-99, UT-5), I’ll give you point-and-click access to each of the major distribution sites (many of which offer free download areas); I’ll tell you three good ways you can use to select which Linux to run; and then I turn over the virtual microphone to you:

Do all these versions imply fragmentation of the Linux market? With so many versions in competition, can any one achieve the critical mass necessary to really make it to the big time with widespread deployment on business desktops? Or will Linux suffer the fate of UNIX two decades ago, splitting into increasingly smaller, increasingly incompatible, and increasingly irrelevant niches?

And: How do you choose which distribution to run? In this week’s discussion area, let’s pool our knowledge and help each other sort out the burgeoning choices we all face in Linux! JOIN IN the week-long discussion! At http://www.informationweek.com/langaletter !

Still Dropping Breadcrumbs…

Here’s a Breadcrumb From A Reader:

Thanks Dennis!

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Defrag Dies?

I pretty regularly get email along these lines:

This is a surprisingly common problem, and although I’ve never exactly determined why it happens, I have found I can fix it rather easily when it happens to me:

I boot to DOS or "Restart in MS-DOS Mode" and manually run ScanDisk from there by typing C:\windows\command\scandisk.exe from a command line.

I then choose "Thorough" and let ScanDisk do its thing. Usually, it doesn’t report it’s found any problem, but the next time I run Defrag from inside Windows, it works. Go figure.

Relatedly, many other readers report that Defrag doesn’t hang, but simply progresses way too slowly to be practical. This is usually the result of background disk activity that forces Defrag to start over--- and over, and over, and over....

When you run Defrag, shut down all other apps. (If you know what you’re doing, you might even try Ctrl-Alt-Delete to close programs that run unattended without an obvious front end.) Or, try restarting Windows, and hold down the left shift key until everything’s completely finished loading: holding the left shift key during Windows' boot prevents several types of background programs from launching.

With Windows quiet, and without a pile of background apps bubbling along, Defrag should run much more quickly!

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HotSpots Still Cookin’

Many current LangaList readers joined from the BrowserTune sites--- and that means you may have missed another site I do. It changes every day, and always presents something useful, fun, eye-opening, or otherwise worthwhile.

It’s the Web HotSpots site at http://www.browsertune.com/flanga/hotspots.htm . With the help of a small band of volunteers, I wade through literally thousands of site recommendations each month, then select and present the very best to you, one per day.

The content changes every day and always is at least interesting---and often is highly useful, too, with free download sites, giveaways, great tutorials, and more.

Believe it or not, the HotSpots site has been running since 1995 (!); making it one of the first, and now one of the longest-lived, continuously-operating sites of its kind. Boy, the web sure has changed in that time!

But the mission of the HotSpots page hasn’t: Each day, it brings you "the best, most interesting, most useful, and strangest sites the web has to offer!" 8-)

For example, during the last week, HotSpots visitors have seen:

• A guy with way too much time on his hands: http://www.mangologic.com/nose/index.html  
• The holy grail of all web surfers: http://www.mythologic.net/end
• A site equally rich in great info---and blatant propaganda: http://www.microsoft.com/insider/confidential/default.htm
• A whacko Y2K site: http://www.beefjerky.com/y2k.html
• Great info for web authors and page-builders: http://wdvl.com/Authoring/Style/Sheets/Margins/
• A "doh" site from a college: http://b4033.cafaro.ysu.edu/
• And a very, very silly site at http://www.amused.com/fish/

Over the years, literally tens of thousands of great sites have been posted--- both in the daily main area, and in periodic "Readers’ Choice" selections which can contain hundreds of great site suggestions from readers just like you. All the past HotSpots and Readers’ Choices are available in the Archives at http://www.browsertune.com/hsarchives/ .

Tens of thousands of people have made the HotSpots their home page--- click on over for a visit, and check it out for yourself: http://www.browsertune.com/flanga/hotspots.htm

Or, if you have or know of a great site you'd like to share with others, drop me a line at the HotSpots suggestion box at http://www.browsertune.com/flanga/mail2me.htm .

OK, I don’t mean to sound like Meg Ryan’s famous restaurant scene, but it does feel good to see how many of you are continuing to use the fast, free "Recommend This Newsletter" link at http://www.langa.com/recommend.htm#2 ! It’s wonderful that so many of you want to share the LangaList with others.