Unix

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Programming less	28 November 2007
A programming lesson I keep relearning. The design of the central data structure of an app determines the quality of the app, in every way. Any extra thought that goes into this, will pay off in: 1. Maintainability of the code. 2. Size of the code (you'll write less code with a well thought-out central data structure). 3. Simplicity of the user interface (the structure inevitably shows through in the UI). 4. Ability to respond to feature requests. 5. Adapt to new hardware, OS changes, other apps. 6. More "it just works" experiences. This is why it's sometimes the right thing to start over from scratch. Programmers often want to start over because they look at the code and it looks complicated, and they think they can make it simpler if they start over. They're right, of course, it will be simpler when they start over, because it won't do nearly as much as the mature product does. Once they finish building out the feature set, it may well be just as complicated. It's a judgement call. I remember looking at the source of Unix kernel for the first time as a grad student in Wisconsin, and being amazed at the simplicity and obviousness of the code. I couldn't believe something so simple actually worked. Your code at its kernel level must have this simplicity. But at the edges, where you're accomdating the minds of users, inevitably it gets a little messy. The key thing to look for is how hard is it to add a completely new feature. It should be easy to do that. If it's not, it's likely because of a poorly organized (and therefore not well-understood) central data structure. I've rewritten apps many times, over many years, because when I wrote the first or second versions, I didn't understand the problem well enough, and the code had turned into a morass of patches and workarounds. Right now I'm recoding the internals of a special-purpose aggregator. I've written many of these, over the years, always quickly, trying to get something running fast, and then lived with data structures that resulted. This time I'm going slowly and carefully, with an installed base of one (me) and ripping up the pavement whenever I find even a slightly better way of doing something. I have other users who are waiting, but that's life. 5/7/97: "When a programmer catches fire it's because he or she groks the system, its underlying truth has been revealed."
Client-side vulnerabilities loom large	28 November 2007
Critical vulnerabilities in common PC software, including both applications and operating systems, continue to grow in number and stand as the leading cause for concern in the IT security landscape today, according to training experts at the SANS Institute.Holes in so-called client-side applications, including Web browsers, e-mail clients, productivity suites, and media players, have become particularly worrisome over the last year, according to SANS, which highlighted the issue as part of its annual report on the top 20 Internet security risks for 2007.As hackers have shifted their attention further away from operating system flaws and drilled down to applications-layer vulnerabilities they have found a seemingly endless wealth of possibilities for infecting PCs with everything from spyware to botnet programs, SANS researchers contend.Unless something can be done to improve software developers' coding habits or better test popular applications for such issues before they land on end-users' machines, attackers will be able to continue their successful assaults against enterprise networks and devices for the foreseeable future, said Rohit Dhamankar, project manager for the Top 20 report at SANS and a senior manager of security research for TippingPoint.?"There's just been such a dramatic rise in the numbers of vulnerabilities found in applications like Internet Explorer and Microsoft Office and a number of media players that attackers are having their way," said Dhamankar. "Enterprises are bolstering security, but desktop users still pose a massive risk if they can download anything they want from the Web; the attacks are also growing in sophistication to the extent that many can defeat antivirus and other security systems primarily by obfuscating their code."Some of the most powerful tools that hackers have adopted in hunting for potential targets are the same industrial-strength applications fuzzing tools that software vendors themselves are using to search for holes in their products, said the expert.Enterprises could do themselves a favor by enforcing stricter policies that dictate the types of applications that end-users are allowed to put on their work machines and using technical means to ensure that those rules are being followed, Dhamankar said.Other SANS researchers noted that while companies may not want to tell end-users that they cannot utilize media players, messaging clients, and other applications that have moved into the business world from the consumer sector, they could help themselves out by limiting the variety of client-side applications that people may choose from."IT departments can't focus on all the applications of the world, but they can choose several and keep their eye on those while allowing end-users some freedom," said Amol Sarwate, research manager at Qualys who studies vulnerability patterns for SANS. "What companies need to do is enforce standards for applications usage and utilize technical means to block unwanted software, devices, and even wireless access points."While many businesses have already realized that they need to shift more of their efforts toward defending client-side vulnerabilities, most have failed to embrace a proactive approach versus simply keeping track of publicly-reported flaws and patching those issues said Sarwate.Enterprises need to think about future security issues It will be particularly important for firms to examine the additional security issues that will be introduced in the coming years with broader adoption of technologies including VoIP (Voice over IP), according to the expert."The key is for people to start thinking ahead of these client-side vulnerabilities to understand what the next big thing may be. Things like VoIP need to be examined for their security implications," said Sarwate. "Many companies are already adopting these tools because of all the advantages they offer, but there will be many attacks carried out against these systems as well."Among the advice that SANS is offering organizations hoping to improve their client-side security coverage is to mandate secure configurations at installation time for all applications, to constantly verify patching and upgrading of both applications and system software, to scan for new vulnerabilities frequently, and to keep their security systems up to date.Other leading areas of concern highlighted by SANS in its report included critical vulnerabilities in Web applications that allow for cross-site scripting attacks or for computers to be otherwise compromised simply by pointing their browsers at poisoned URLs."Gullible, busy, accommodating computer users," including executives, IT staff, and others with privileged access also remain a major weak point for enterprise security, according to SANS, as these seemingly more seasoned users of computers and software are still falling for increasingly targeted spear-phishing campaigns in large numbers.One of the best ways to educate users about the problem is for organizations to create fake spear-phishing threats and send them out to internal users to determine which individuals might be most likely to fall for the schemes and follow up with additional training, the group said.Critical vulnerabilities in the software and systems that provide the operating environment and primary services to computer users, or server-side software, remain another area of leading concern, according to SANS.Problems in Microsoft Windows services, Unix and Mac OS services, back-up and AV programs, management servers, database software, and VoIP technologies in particular are proving troublesome, according to the report.Many of those issues can be addressed by following the same advice offered for solving client-side vulnerabilities, SANS said in the research.
Gartner: x86 servers gain as Unix shipments fall	26 November 2007
As adoption of x86 servers increased globally, Unix-based server shipments witnessed a slowdown during the third quarter, a Gartner survey released on Monday said.Unit shipments of Unix servers dropped for the top Unix vendors, Sun and IBM, though revenue increased, Gartner said in the survey. Hewlett-Packard saw both its unit shipments and its revenue for Unix servers rise, the survey said.Overall Unix server shipments fell 6.4 percent to 103,267 units. Sun led the pack, shipping 52,038 units, but that was 12 percent fewer than a year earlier. IBM shipped 27,904 units to come in second place, representing a 12.9 percent drop in volume. It was followed by HP, which saw a 29.4 percent increase in shipments. Apple, in fourth place, shipped 4,098 units, a 33.4 percent increase. Fujitsu/Fujitsu Siemens was in fifth place.Growing at a clip of 9.5 percent, shipments of x86 servers increased globally to 2.1 million units. HP was the top vendor, with a 30 percent market share, shipping 631,399 servers, which was a 20 percent year-over-year increase. Dell shipped 484,650 servers, a 5.4 percent increase. IBM, in third place, saw server shipments drop 3.5 percent. Fujitsu/Fujitsu Siemens and NEC followed in the fourth and fifth spots.Overall, 2.2 million servers shipped worldwide during the third quarter, an 8.7 percent increase. Global server growth was driven by demand for increased capacity and growth in emerging markets, said Errol Rasit, a senior analyst at Gartner, in a prepared statement.HP, which retained its spot as the top server vendor with a 29.3 percent market share, saw a 20.2 percent increase in shipments, followed by Dell, which saw a 5.4 percent increase. IBM was in third place, with shipments dropping 3.9 percent, followed by Sun and Fujitsu/Fujitsu Siemens.Server revenue worldwide was $13.4 billion, a 2.6 percent increase year over year. IBM earned $4 billion, a drop of 8.1 percent from the previous year, and had market share of 30.1 percent. HP, in second place with $3.8 billion in server revenue, closed in on the top spot. The company's server revenue grew 13.9 percent, and it achieved a 28.1 percent market share. Dell was in third place, collecting $1.6 billion, a 12.6 percent increase. Sun was in fourth place, followed by Fujitsu/Fujitsu Siemens.
Gartner: x86 servers gain as Unix shipments fall (InfoWorld)	26 November 2007
InfoWorld - As adoption of x86 servers increased globally, Unix-based server shipments witnessed a slowdown during the third quarter, a Gartner survey released on Monday said.
QA / Test Engineer [with good knowledge of Unix /	24 November 2007
Quality Assurance [QA] / Tester, London, Java, Unix, SQL web, agile. My client is a leading, multi-award winning online / media company. They are currently looking for a QA / test engineer with experience of testing websites and their underlying technologies. You will want to work, or already have worked, in an agile development environment. You will be able to demonstrate being involved with projects from an early stage, and projects which change over time. Technically, you will have sound Unix skills, some scripting skills, and basic SQL. You will understand how technologies work, not just at the front end, but internally, too. It will be an advantage to have some performance testing experience. Excellent opportunity to gain experience within leading, multi-award winning technical department. Abraxas plc acts as an employment agency/business. No terminology in this advert is intended to discriminate on the grounds of age, and we confirm that we will gladly accept applications from persons of any age for this role.
Sybase Team Leader | Ex Sybase DBA | Financial Ser	24 November 2007
Sybase Team Leader with excellent DBA skills is required by a global heavyweight in financial services. You will lead a small Database Support team & be a support member of a virtual team spread across the UK & India. You will work alongside the DBAs in London & India, with the UNIX support & developers. It is expected that you have strong experience as a pure database technologist with ASE. The focus is on ASE version 12.5 onwards. You must have experience of working on UNIX hosts, with development experience. You will not have a System Administrator or Operational background. You must have experience with Oracle and understand the new features of 10g. For further info, incl complete job spec, submit CV or call me directly on 020 7255 5513 for a confidential discussion on this role. Abraxas plc acts as an employment agency/business. No terminology in this advert is intended to discriminate on the grounds of age, and we confirm that we will gladly accept applications from persons of any age for this role.
Netgear Wireless Adsl 2 Router Modem (Fulham, Price: £35)	01 January 0001
Netgear 54MBPS Wireless Adsl2 Modem Router Brand new in box plastic still sealed. Retails at Pc World Business online for £47.02 Not required as have Apple Airport system on home computer. Bought this by mistake thinking I needed it but have not even opened the packaging. Pc and Mac-compatible Easy to use Next day dispatch once payment received or collection from Fulham Postage extra or collection Features Adsl2 Combines modem router switch 802.11g access point and Spi true firewall Up to 5 times faster than 802.11b True Firewall with Stateful Packet Inspection (Spi Intrusion Control Denial of Service (DoS) Virtual Private Network (Vpn) pass-through Wep and Wpa-Psk encryption to prevent unauthorised access to your wireless network Smart Wizard detects connects to your Isp Support for Wds Extend your wireless connection with the Wg602 Works with both 802.11g 802.11b System Requirements Adsl Internet service Ethernet connection (adapter and cable) for one Pc 2.4 Ghz wireless adapter or Ethernet adapter and cable for each computer Tcp Ip Networking software (Windows 98 Me Nt 2000 Xp Vista NetWare Unix Linux Windows 98 Me Nt 2000 Xp Mac Os NetWare Unix or Linux Internet Explorer 5.0 or Netscape 4.7 or higher Package Contents Wireless Adsl Firewall Router Dg834G Power adapter Ethernet cable Phone cable Adsl phone line filter (most countries) Resource Cd Installation guide Support information card
Linux Systems Administrator – Hampshire	23 November 2007
Linux, Linux, Linux, Systems Administrator, Systems Administration, Apache, PHP, MySQL, Unix, CISCO, Perl, Shell Scripting, TCP/IP, SuSE, Debian, RHEL, Fedora, CentOS, Scripting, Shell, Perl, SAMBA, Ubuntu, DHCP, DNS, Networking, Installation. Our client, a well established player within their field are looking for a Linux Systems Administrator to be based out of their Havant and/or Basingstoke offices. The candidate must have strong proven skills in Linux system administration and related technologies, specifically Redhat [Fedora/Enterprise], Suse, Debian, Management and Integration of Linux systems with Active Directory via Kerberos and Windows networking via Samba. Experience of Scripting languages such as Perl, Ruby, PHP would be ideal. The candidate should have experience of a demanding support environment, with a robust and proven track record of excellent customer support and problem solving abilities. This position is commutable from the following areas: This position is commutable from the following areas: Havant, Basingstoke, Hampshire, Waterloovile, Fareham, Portsmouth, Gosport, Chichester, Petersfield, Bognor Regis, Southampton, Eastleigh, Farnham, Haslemere, Andover, Isle of Wight, South Hayling, Midhurst. Karl Scrivener Branch Manager Idealpeople Ltd Tel: 01908 562585 Email: karl.scrivener@idealpeople.net Idealpeople are acting as an employment agency in relation to this vacancy. Find Top Tips for Job Hunters and Hirers at the [a href="www.idealpeopleblog.com"]Idealpeople blog[/a] Take a look at all of Idealpeople's vacancies at [a href="www.idealpeople.net"]www.idealpeople.net[/a]
SYSTEMS DEVELOPER X-STREAM - SWEDEN	22 November 2007
SYSTEMS DEVELOPER X-STREAM - SWEDEN needed to assist with design, development & customisation on Trading systems. Exp of SAI database, Reference Database Management forms, Trader Workplace, Interface Gateway components & knowledge of UNIX / LINUX, C & C++ will be an advantage as will a strong spoken / written ability with English & Swedish. A full job spec is available & all cvs by email in the first instance. Abraxas plc acts as an employment agency/business. No terminology in this advert is intended to discriminate on the grounds of age, and we confirm that we will gladly accept applications from persons of any age for this role.
Technical Consultant [Oracle, Unix] - Bristol	21 November 2007
Technical Consultant, Consultancy, Oracle 9, Oracle 10, Unix, AIX, Solaris, Oracle, Unix Flavours, RDBMS, Support, Design, Development. Our client, a leading consultancy are currently looking for a Technical Consultant to be based out of their Bristol offices. You will bring excellent knowledge and skills using UNIX [preferably AIX and Solaris] and Oracle 9 and 10 and must have up to date knowledge of technologies relevant to the RDBMS, operating systems, networks, mail systems and internet environments. Reporting to the Technical Manager your core duties will be: To provide technical information and support to relevant internal departments and external organisations. To provide coaching, advice and guidance to relevant internal departments and external organisations. To acquire and maintain specialist knowledge of designated company products and the relevant RDBMS, ODBC, operating systems, networks, mail systems, internet / intranet specific issues. This position is commutable from the following areas: Bristol, Bath, Avon, Swindon, Wiltshire, Cirencester, Gloucester, Newport, Cardiff, Chippenham, Melksham, Malmesbury, Portishead, Clevedon, Cheltenham Karl Scrivener Branch Manager Tel: 01908 562585 Email: karl.scrivener@idealpeople.net Idealpeople Ltd Idealpeople are acting as an employment agency in relation to this vacancy. Find Top Tips for Job Hunters and Hirers at the [a href="www.idealpeopleblog.com"]Idealpeople blog[/a] Take a look at all of Idealpeople's vacancies at [a href="www.idealpeople.net"]www.idealpeople.net[/a]