Show of 2-21-2004

  • Website Fun
    • What is a data-driven website?
    • Why is it used?
    • Primary scripting types: Java (jsp), Visual Basic (asp), PHP (php), Perl (shtml)
    • Primary backend databases: text file, ODBC Database (Access), SQL Database (MySQL, MSSQL, Oracle)
      • Primary webservers: Apache (Linux/Unix), IIS (Windows)
    • The People Behind Open Source Technology: PHP, Apache, Linux
  • What is PHP?
    • An easy-to-use open source web scripting language
    • PHP succeeds an older product, named PHP/FI.
    • PHP/FI (Personal Home Page/Forms Interpretor)
    • PHP had a Perl-like command structure, somewhat inconsistent
    • PHP/FI was created by Rasmus Lerdorf in 1995
    • Rasmus chose to release the source code for PHP/FI for everybody to see
    • By 1997, PHP/FI 2.0 (written in C), had a cult of several thousand users with 50,000 domains
    • New Acromyn (PHP Hypertext Processor)
    • PHP 3.0 (similar to today?s version) was created by Andi Gutmans and Zeev Suraski in 1997 as a complete rewrite and was designed to support a University eCommerce project.
    • PHP 3.0 was officially released in June 1998, after having spent about 9 months in public testing.
    • Hundreds of thousands of domains (approximately 10% of Internet)
    • PHP4 was released in Winter 1998 by Gutmans and Suaaski
    • The new engine is called ?Zend Engine? (Comprised for first names Zeev and Andi)
    • Comprises about 20% of Internet domains
    • PHP 5 (Beta 4) has been released
    • Download software from: http://www.php.net/downloads.php
  • What is Apache?
    • Apache project is a collaborative software development project to create a robust, commercial-grade HTTP (Web) server.
    • Jointly managed by a group of volunteers called the Apache Group
    • Based on NCSA httpd 1.3, a public domain HTTP deamon (developed by Rob McCool) in early 1990s
    • This project stalled when Rob left National Center for Supercomputing Applications in February 1995
    • A small group decided to continue development by creating ?patches? for this softare (Brian Bechlendorf and Cliff Skolnick)
    • In February 1995 the group had eight members, Apache was born
    • A complete rewrite was completed by December 1, 1995
    • In 1999, the group formed the Apache Software Foundation
    • Website: http://www.apache.org
    • Consensus software with changed voted on by group of currently active developers
    • Today 68% of Internet webservers are Apache, 23% are Microsoft IIS
  • What is Linux?
    • Based on OS by Minix that was created by Dutch professor, Andrew Tanenbaum, as a teaching tool
    • Designed to run on 8086 Intel processor. (12,000 lines of C)
    • He released the code and wrote an excellent book explaining operating systems
    • Linus Tovalds, at age 21, read his book while at University of Helsinke
    • In 1991, there was no open source operating system
    • In August, 1991 Linus began the project to create a new operating system based on Minix. (First version released October 1991)
    • Andrew Tanenbaum did not like the architecture and told Linus.
    • His response (?Your job is being a professor and researcher. That?s one hell of a good excuse for some of the brain-damages of minix?)
    • It was licensed under the GNU General Public License for open software A world-wide group of volunteers began developing Linux collaboratively with Linux holding the final vote for any changes.
    • Windows-type interface now available (K Desktop Environment and GNOME)
    • Grid computing supported
    • Download a free copy from www.linux.org
  • Astronomy: Black Hole Destroys Star
    • Astronomers reported the first strong evidence of s supermassive black hole stretching and tearing apart, and partially absorbing a star.
    • Event marked by powerful X-Ray blast from a galaxy about 700 million light-years away (emitting just before the fragment was trapped by the Black Hole)
    • The resulting flair was thousands of times brighter that all of the billions of other stars in the galaxy
    • This particular black hole has a mass 100 million times that of the sun
    • The unlucky star veer off-course after a near miss with another star.
    • The black hole consumed from 1 to 25 percent of the star, flinging the rest into space
    • Similar events occur every 10,000 years in a typical galaxy
  • Latest version of MyDoom targets RIAA
    • MyDoom.F is spreading slowly
    • Attacked Microsoft and RIAA with DDOS
    • Based on code from previous versions
    • Email (with a hooker) may be quick, but it lasts forever
  • Risks of High Tech Prostitution
    • Records of Frederick County Madam, Angelika Potter were made public last week
    • She ran Corporate Affair Escort Service until raided by police in 1999
    • Records seized in that raid were made public this week
    • All 8,500 pages available for $3,000 (Frederick-News Post only buyer)
    • Included thousands of emails (many from customers were released)
    • Three CD of images used on website
  • Hackers Break into 232 Campus Computers Last Saturday
    • Attack made possible by vulnerability in Microsoft OS discovered on the Wednesday before
    • This security hold uses a buffer overflow in ASN.1 (Abstract Syntax Notation)
    • Once one computer was compromised, they moved to other trusted sites, collected passwords along the way and installing backdoor Trojans
    • The important observation was that the delay between announcement of vulnerability and attack was only three days. Patch and patch quickly
  • Low Tech Hack for iTunes Giveaway
    • Jon Gales posted his hack on MacMerc.com, a Machintosh user site
    • Apple Computers? iTunes and Pepsi are giving away 100 million songs
    • Promotion announced on Superbowl by 12 year old kids who had been sued by RIAA for mp3 file sharing
    • Tilt and twist bottles in a certain way to see if it is a winner before making purchase
    • Those who see the word ?again? are losers
    • If you see random letters or numbers you are a winner
    • Each Pepsi winner can download 10 songs/day up to 200 songs
  • Homeless Hacker Pleads Guilty
    • Adrian Lamo, a 22 year old hacker with a conscience
    • Lamo frequently trespassed on the networks of prominent companies
    • He then informed the companies of his exploits and often worked with them, as a consultant, to close the holes
    • Before the courts ordered him to return to California, area to live with his parents
    • He wandered around the United States on Greyhound buses, sleeping on friends’ couches and, when necessary, staying in vacant or derelict buildings.
    • He broke into New York Times Servers and got confidential source information.
    • The Times was not amused. It pressed charges.
    • Adrian Lamo, 22, of Carmichael, Calif., pleaded guilty to a single count of computer damage. Sentencing is set for April 8.
    • A plea agreement between prosecutors and the defense agrees that federal sentencing guidelines would result in a sentence of six months to a year in jail.
    • Also broke into Worldcom, among others
    • Go to www.freelamo.org for more info about movement to get all charges dropped.
  • SPOT Watches ? Dumbest Idea of the Year so far
    • Uses Smart Personal Object Technology (SPOT)
    • Uses FM radio subcarrier frequencies to wirelessly deliver weather, news, stock quotes to a variety of devices including watches
    • ?Smart watch? that does not need to be set
    • MSN messenger can send messages and outlook with sync your calendar
    • SPOT services costs $59/year
    • Needs recharged every four days — a big disadvantage!
    • Seem to lockup in the presence of noise. Need the three finger salute to reboot.
    • Wireless Lamposts Take over World ? Watch this IPO
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