General software updates

[Ray]

Thanks, Ray - missed that, now updated. 

I only found out when Firefox came with an update message, Rik.

ps the pasty was up to the usual standard. 

[Rik]

Mine's booked for Friday. 

[Ray]

Mine's booked for Friday. 

I'll be on sandwiches on Friday, Rik, I'm at Three Counties Showground in Malvern at a Dog Show for most of the day, so I'm hoping this good weather lasts. 

[Rik]

It looks set to until Saturday last time I looked, Ray. I hope you have a good and successful show.

[Ray]

It looks set to until Saturday last time I looked, Ray. I hope you have a good and successful show.

I hope so, Rik, and thanks. 

[Sebby]

Thanks, Ray - missed that, now updated. 

I notice that Firefox 2 is no longer supported. The last (literally) update was in December 2008.

[Rik]

It had to happen, I suppose. I still prefer FF2 in some ways, only I can no longer remember what they are.

[Gary]

I still use Kaspersky 2009 on my laptop but on Justina's I use Nod as on my mothers, I loved the version 2 interface but after some issues with ESS I went back to kaspersky 2009, it knows all my programs has rules for them updated by Bit 9 white listing so it knows what the programs on your pc are, the hips part of it watches each program and changes it rights and permissions depending on behaviour and if its currently vunerable, and it blocks iframes, Kaperskys heuristics are really becoming top notch now, like Nods great heuristic detection, as signature based detecting alone is not the best way forward.

I am behind a Nat SPI firewall with loads of great features but no way would I trust the windows firewall, I like to know what's going out as well as coming in and with as little input as possible, saying that its fun to get your hands dirty with Kaspersys many settings but now its leave it and get on with my surfing , and at least it reminds me of programs that are vulnerable as it also uses the secunia program, well a licensed version to look for programs that need updating, good job as so many seem to these days, almost every other week it feels like sometimes with FF 

I do think sadly like with version 3 Eset borked its firewall again by rushing it out to keep up, they make an excellent av but the firewall leaves alot to be desired still, the version 3 one is little better than the windows ones, and it needs all other components to be working to function properly, as a firewall on its own it does badly on matousecs testing. http://www.matousec.com/projects/firewall-challenge/results.php and version 3 of ESS did not even have self defence and could be terminated by malware I think they should concentrate on the AV product they so well and leave firewalls and antispam to others.

[scook94]

FF 3.0.9 is out (not sure if it's reported eslewhere?)

Firefox 3.0.9 fixes several issues found in Firefox 3.0.8:

    * Fixed several security issues.
    * Fixed several stability issues.
    * Many users experienced an issue where a corrupt local database caused Firefox to "lose" its stored cookies.(bug 470578)
    * Fixed an issue where, starting with Firefox 3.0.7, inline image attachments on popular webmail services (like AOL and AIM) would not display. (bug 482659)
    * Large forms would sometimes take a long time to submit. (bug 426991)
    * In certain cases, new windows would not have proper focus. (bug 446568)
    * See the Firefox 3.0.8 release notes for changes in previous releases.

[Rik]

Thanks, Steven. 

[kinmel]

Ubuntu 9.04 Desktop and Server editions released a few minutes ago - Ubuntu

[Rik]

Speedy work, Alan. 

[kinmel]

Speedy work, Alan. 

More a matter of ............ Standby !, standby ! go   

[Rik]

 

[kinmel]

the Server has completed the upgrade to 9.04 with no problems 

[Steve]

Someone is very impressed with the latest Ubuntu release http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-291651.html

[Sebby]

I must admit I'd be interested to see what it's like these days. When I gave it a try about 4 years ago, I found it a bit sluggish and not nearly refined enough for my liking. It sounds like it's come on a long way since then.

[Gary]

Firefox 3.0.10 released fixes a security issue and Fixed a major stability issue. http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/3.0.10/releasenotes/

This is starting to make we wonder about Firefox's safety and stability there has been a lot of updates and having more security issues than IE, Safari, and Opera put together last year is making this browser appear a bit of as minefield right now, I am really in two minds about it, these bugs should not keep getting into releases and quick fixes 

[Gary]

I Forgot to mention its only the Windows version that has the flaw, so all the flashers in Macs are ok 

[Rik]

Downloading as I type Gary, thanks. 

[Simon]

I wonder if it's more that Firefox are upfront about the issues and fixes, whereas the others just keep quiet about it and fix things in their own time?

[Sebby]

Wow, there hasn't been a lot of time since 3.0.9.

Still, I suppose it's better that Mozilla address issues quickly.

[Gary]

I wonder if it's more that Firefox are upfront about the issues and fixes, whereas the others just keep quiet about it and fix things in their own time?

Thats possible Simon but if Opera left its uses in that dangerous place someone would have found out by now, there would have been a zero day tip off maybe, I think Mozilla needs to be a bit more carefl wth regression bugs, we have had a few. They do patch quickly and I have noticed 3.0.10 is quicker on my system that 3.0.9 which was only six days old. There was a which is the safest browser discussion over on Wilders and I was really surprised, FF does not count after its large number of critical bugs, even IE8 is seen as safer by some now. Fast patching is good but finding the bugs first would be better, it all seems to have gone down hill a bit since Window Snyder left the Firefox and Mozilla security team, I'm still using it as my main browser but I have to say my confidence in it is becoming knocked. Hopefully 3.5 will be better code wise, when that's released.

On a side note its odd how you perceive things Window Snyder conjured up some fearsome women of evil looks in my minds eye, how far from the truth.

Snyder was Director of Security Architecture at @stake and was a senior security strategist at Microsoft in the Security Engineering and Communications organization, most notably as security lead and signoff on Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Windows Server 2003. After leaving Microsoft in 2005, she worked as a principal, founder and CTO at Matasano Security LLC. She joined Mozilla in September 2006. Then left towards the end of 2008, and she is only 33.

http://www.ists.dartmouth.edu/images/WindowSnyder2.jpg

[Gary]

Wow, there hasn't been a lot of time since 3.0.9.

Still, I suppose it's better that Mozilla address issues quickly.

I agree Sebby but we seem to be saying that a lot more these days to mitigate issues, here's to 3.5 and a return to better security, hopefully 

[Steve]

https://developer.mozilla.org/devnews/index.php/2009/04/27/firefox-35-beta-4-now-available-for-download/ Not tried it yet anyone else?