BUG IN INTERACTIVE UNIX - WHERE IS THE FIX ?????

[Bill Kennedy]

In article <1991Mar16.054849.24570 at ddsw1.MCS.COM>
[ Karl and I exchange some barbs about the fix, we cite Joern Lubkoll... ]
>
>Well, consider that the distributor is Multiuser Systems, which used to be
>ISC Hollis.

The operative phrase here is "used to be".  They aren't ISC Hollis, they are
a completely different firm with different ownership and an entirely different
business relationship with Interactive Systems Corporation.  I had said that
as long as he was referring to them as a "major" distibutor, maybe he needed
a "minor" distributor.

>We still don't have the disks.  I've received email from Marty
>asking if I'd like a copy direct, and replied affirmitive along with a
>surface mail address.

Surely by now you do, but maybe you made the same mistake I did by not also
specifying that you need the development set disks.  I emailed the support
address and had a reply within a few hours confirming that I needed not only
the diskettes I had in my hands, but also the SDS update.  I haven't gotten
the latter but they haven't had time to get them to me.

>I'm waiting now to see if ISC can get them here directly.

Hmmm...  Let me be sure I'm on the right wavelength here.  I'm in Pipe
Creek, TX (pop 125, it's on better maps of Texas) and I've got 'em and
you're in Chicago and you don't.  That's just *GOT* to be Interactive's
fault!  Those folks wouldn't know how to use a stamp if it licked them
on the lips.  Pfeh!  Don't trust 'em Karl, they mail stuff to Pipe Creek
Texas; worse! it gets here.  Must be some subversives or pinkos at work
on this.

>>There's no love lost between you and Interactive; me neither for that matter.
>
>This is true.  And Multiuser Systems (prior ISC Hollis) has been darn good
>about getting SSU disks to me in the past.  Christine told me they weren't
>available several days after the supposed availability date, and I still
>don't have them.

Well now that you've followed the instructions, more or less, I suspect that
you've gotten them.  I must confess that if I was Marty Stewart I'd have sent
them registered mail, return receipt requested.  Too bad that the return
receipt couldn't be posted as an image so that we could be sure that this was
not some kind of conspiracy or so that Karl could claim that it had been
forged.  This isn't an SSU kind of thing, it's an emergency and getting the
whole darned distribution network involved would only delay things.

>Actually, rather interesting that you directed followups to /dev/null, isn't it?

Most folks that have a beginning command of rn/vi can overcome that, notice
where they're directed in this one?  It's a dandy gadget I saw Gene Spafford
use once when he was sure that neither the net nor he wanted to see what came
out of the heated poke on the `F' button.

>>Let's join forces and flame
>>ISC for something real, not some misinformation from an (by definition)
>>unreliable and anonymous source.  
>
>With the fixes that I already have, plus this one for the gaping hole, I
>would be quite happy.  I have a darn good uptime record around here, and am
>overall happy with the product.  I am NOT happy with this kind of security
>problem, even if it doesn't affect me (it does affect some of my customers!).

Mine too, but let me be sure that I read the above correctly and that I don't
get something out of context.  Are you saying that "I have a darn good uptime
record around here" and that you are "overall happy with the product"?  I
degaussed my screen to be sure, but it looks like that's what you said.  So
what's the beef?

>(Btw, the TCP/IP and NFS fixes DO appear to correct one of the more blatent
>problems with the TCP part of the system.  I no longer experience hangs
>during heavy usage.  Now if Sun could get their software to work this well
>:-)

I guess I'll just never figure this out; obviously I'm not a Mensa candidate.
We've got these dirty rotten scoundrels who can't get anything right and who
obfuscate the issue by not distributing through normal channels but overall
it's a good product, better than Sun.  Since Sun invented NFS am I supposed
to understand that Interactive improved it?  That would seem to violate the
purity of essence of NFS; obviously I'm not a Mensa candidate.

For those who are still reading, yes this was worth my time to compose and
post.  Since I had sent (polite) email I didn't expect a follow up at all.
Yes, I trivialized his original howl, it was out-of-date and underinformed.
In no way did I expect to get an equally underinformed and out-of-date
follow up.  So what's the big deal here?  I absolutely, positivley *NEVER*
expected that said follow up would have a compliment for ISC pasted on the
side of and flapping behind it, now THAT's newsworthy!

>Karl Denninger (karl at ddsw1.MCS.COM, <well-connected>!ddsw1!karl)
-- 
Bill Kennedy  usenet      {att,cs.utexas.edu,pyramid!daver}!ssbn.wlk.com!bill
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