When it comes to desktop oriented operating systems, Windows has been essentially monopolizing the market by being sold on every popular brand of computer. This in turn brought more popularity to the Windows operating system and created a standard for operating system software. The idea that every computer comes with Windows on it is not far-fetched, as most computer manufacturers include the operating system with their pre-built systems. However, anyone who had ever had spyware on their computer, anyone who had ever had a system crash, and anyone who had to spend hours trying to get tech support to get their computer back up and running was most likely one of the victims of Windows, not knowing that there were any other alternatives for their PC.

So here comes in Linux, the operating system that was originally built by Linus Torvalds, a Finnish hacker, to enhance the original UNIX systems that were currently in place at the time (Petreley). While it originally served a purpose for servers, Linux has been developed into a desktop platform as well, taking on the look and feel of any current Windows environment. Not many people have heard about Linux, unfortunately, and those who have are under the misconception that Linux is something for “geeks” to use, meaning it takes a lot of time to adapt and learn it. However, this misconception along with many others, are the reason why this operating system isn’t heard about or used more today. So why should Linux be used instead of Windows?

Linux is easier to use.

One of the main driving forces behind Linux is the implementation of many distributions of Linux – different looks, different functionality, and different computing purposes for each version. This may not seem easy at first; with many choices of Linux spread around on the internet, choosing a version that best fits your computer can be daunting. There are distributions of Linux suited to be a media center, a server, a graphics developing desktop, or just a plain and simple Windows look alike. “Ease of use in Linux is typically custom created by the user, to the user’s specifications” (Short). Not sure which one is best? Try them out. Most Linux distributions actually have a live version of their software for you to experiment with; plug the CD into your computer, play around with the distribution of Linux, and if you don’t like it, simply take the CD out and try another – without harming any data you currently have on your computer in any way. To compare, there is no trying out with Windows – you either have it installed on your computer or you don’t, so you never really know for sure exactly how well it would run on your computer before you take time to install it. Using Linux is just as easy, and if not easier than Windows. Most Linux distributions have a graphical environment similar to that of Windows – there are folders you can open up, there are applications you can open up, etc (Petreley). Anybody who has been able to use the basic functions of Windows could easily use Linux.

Linux is more secure than Windows.

The initial argument made behind Windows security is the fact that because there are more installations of Windows worldwide, it is therefore the prime target of attacks by hackers (Petreley). That being said, if Linux was to undergo the same amount of scrutiny in numbers, the operating system would show many inherent flaws that would have been otherwise unseen. This type of thinking is, of course, somewhat faulty. The Apache webserver, a native application of the Linux environment, is used by over 70% of all internet hosts, including Yahoo and Google because of its stability (Petreley). Yet, being the most popular webserver on the market, it doesn’t have a lot of security issues – while the issues it has are fixed almost immediately. This same sort of security applies to all of the Linux distributions, where a security issue is brought up and then fixed usually within a day (Petreley). Compare this to Windows which will fix a security issue the same day only if it is critical, otherwise updates and patches to the operating system are only released every second Tuesday of the month (a.k.a. “Patch Tuesday”). Furthermore, this also proves that Linux was built right the first time around, since it was built by security experts who knew exactly what they were doing. “Linux is security oriented and Linux users enjoy that inherent security” (Short). On a related note, the words anti-virus and Linux are rarely used in the same sentence – there just isn’t a need for Linux to have those kinds of programs when the security on it is already implemented well.

Linux is free and will always be free.

This compared to the current prices of the latest version of Windows, which ranges anywhere from $100 to $220, is quite an incentive for people who are looking to save money or who are on a budget, especially schools or organizations which have a lot of computers to maintain (Horowitz). An average computer lab which uses Linux instead of Windows ends up saving about $7,000. Linux is free to download, free to copy, and free to share with your friends, unlike Windows which forbids any of those actions. Ubuntu, an independent Linux distribution, steps the idea of “free-ness” up a notch and actually offers premade CD’s of their software shipped to your house at absolutely no cost to you (Ubuntu). Along with that, the company behind Ubuntu, Canonical, also provides full commercial support for the operating system, so you’re not left to fend for yourself if you do decide to switch from Windows (Ubuntu). Sure, you may get what you pay for, but you get so much more when you don’t have to pay anything at all.

Linux is not only free, it is open source.

This allows the person who is using Linux to take the source code of the operating system, change whatever they want to change in terms of functionality and features, compile those changes, and then redistribute the new operating system however they want to. The idea behind this is to customize a system based on the type of computer you have. For example, if a person has a five year old computer, they will have to buy a new computer to be able to run the latest version of Windows on it. However, they can also choose to save money and have the latest and greatest by switching to a custom designed version of Linux that runs on little resources to the computer itself – distributions of Linux such as Xubuntu (a lightweight version of Ubuntu) and DSL (Darn* Small Linux) which run with a simpler interface to save memory but still have the latest programs and features needed in a common operating system.

Linux is simply a better alternative.

Microsoft most certainly does not enjoy the idea that there is competition for their operating system, mainly that the competition is literally giving away their product. Or that the product given away is easier to use, more secure, and more customizable than their product. So why isn’t everyone switching to Linux now? As mentioned before, the standard for the operating system lies heavily with Windows at the moment. However, the standard can always change.

Works Cited

Horowitz, Michael. “Linux vs. Windows (a comparison).” 22 September 2002. MichaelHorowitz.com. 21 May 2008. <http://www.michaelhorowitz.com/Linux.vs.Windows.html>

Petreley, Nicholas. “Security Report: Windows vs. Linux.” 22 October 2004. The Register. 21 May 2008. <http://www.theregister.co.uk/security/security_report_windows_vs_linux/>

Short, Chris. “Linux and Ease of Use.” 10 June 2003. Lockergnome. 21 May 2008. <http://www.lockergnome.com/chrisshort/2005/01/04/linux-and-ease-of-use/>

Ubuntu. 20 May 2008. Canonical Ltd. 21 May 2008.
<http://www.ubuntu.com/>

Seeing as how quite a few people found the previous article on a PeerGuardian alternative in vista useful, I decided to adapt the tutorial to fit a client that is used a little more frequently – uTorrent.

Those of you still interested in making this work in Azureus, you can read my previous article. As for anyone who is wondering on how to block IP addresses without using PeerGuardian in uTorrent, here it is (also, I assume you already have installed uTorrent at this point):

• Open up uTorrent and head over to Options -> Preferences on the menu bar. Click on Advanced and search for ipfilter.enable – make sure that it is set to true (it should be by default). Close uTorrent.

• Download and install the latest version of Blocklist Manager (2.7 at this time).

• Go ahead and open up Blocklist Manager:

• Click on the Sources button. It should download the latest available source file locations (not the actual IP lists themselves, as they will come later).

• Now go to Tools->Options (Ctrl+O). Head on into the Sources option on the left. You should see something like this:

• Enable all the sources as you see fit. Just remember, this blog is on an Edu Range

• Now, head back to the main screen of Blocklist Manager and go to Export -> Export Manager in the menu bar.

Set the following fields:

Name: Whatever best fits
Format: eMule/Donk
Location: XP - C:\Documents and Settings\<USERNAME>\Application Data\uTorrent\ipfilter.dat
Vista – C:\Users\<USERNAME>\AppData\Roaming\uTorrent\ipfilter.dat
Export Location Active: Checked

And click Add

Now, go back to the main screen of Blocklist Manager and click Process. This will automatically download all the sources and compile a list of IP addresses which now need to be put somewhere. At this point, make sure that uTorrent is fully closed (out of the taskbar). Click Export List to export the IP addresses to the blocklist file. It may ask you if you want to overwrite the previous file – say yes.

You will also want to keep up to date with your IP listings; make sure you process and export the list from Blocklist Manager weekly or monthly (or daily if you are absolutely paranoid). The sources themselves are rarely updated, but it is nice to check by just clicking on the Sources button. Other than that, happy IP blocking!

Edited Jan 15, 2008: There is a way to load your IP Filter with blocklist manager straight into Azureus without the Safepeer plugin with the latest version of Azureus. Simply export your blocklist manager’s IP addresses into a text file using Peerguardian export settings (shown in the tutorial), then point Azureus to that file location by heading over to Tools->Options->IP Filters->Auto Loading.

There are many great things about Vista, but compatibility isn’t really one of them. Especially if you’re running on a 64 bit environment using Vista. The nature of this post, of course, is the alternative to PeerGuardian, a popular IP blocking program, for Windows Vista. Now if you’re running anything below Vista (98/XP/etc), you may want to give PeerGuardian a shot, as it does an excellent job at blocking mostly all potential “online predators French Monkeys”. Nothing against France, everything against those darn French Monkeys. Anywho, PeerGuardian is an excellent choice unless:

1. You are using Windows Vista. Especially the 64-bit version. While you can get away with using PeerGuardian RC2 on Vista, it will behave very unpredictably. What I mean is, it has a lot of trouble starting up sometimes when it has cache problems with local lists. It sometimes hangs, and more often than not slows down your system. And for the 64 bit environment, you’ll have to go to more lengths of installing a driver which isn’t digitally signed, which more often than not doesn’t work. Either way, RC2 is the only version that will work for Vista (to block out IPv6 addy’s), any other version just doesn’t quite do the job.
2. You don’t like the idea of having your entire system being blocked from those outside forces, whether they be French Monkeys or spammers. You just want a specific program, like a bittorent client, to not be disrupted by intruders.
3. You want to try this out, just to see if it works, because you’re like that. I don’t know why you’re like that, but that isn’t any of my concern.

So, what tools will you need? I’ll be working specifically with the Azureus bittorent client, but this can be anything with IP blocking capabilities (in fact, here’s the tutorial to use for uTorrent). Here’s the list of things you’ll need to download:

1. Azureus
2. Azureus SafePeer Plugin (not required with later versions of Azureus, since they have an IP Filter option)
   
3. BlockList Manager (I prefer this method of updating the IP filters)

So, after you get Azureus, install and configure it to your needs (the connections, network settings, etc). Afterwards, install the SafePeer plugin (again, if you got the latest version of Azureus, you don’t need this; otherwise details on how to install should be found in the archive with the plugin download). Lastly, install the BlockList Manager.

Start up Azureus, and navigate your way to Plugins->Safepeer (if installed).

• Make sure you have Enable SafePeer checked
• Uncheck Enable Blocklist Manager
• For the Cache file, simply type in blocklist.cache. Do not make this an absolute path (C:\etc), because as of version 2.5.1 of SafePeer, it removes the slashes which further complicates things.

Then, go to the Blocklist tab:

• Set the Cache file to be blocklist.cache. Again, as in the last step, make sure that it is all you enter.

Close and shutdown Azureus (the little bugger likes to stick around in the taskbar). Go ahead and open up Blocklist Manager:

Click on the Sources button. It should download the latest available source file locations (not the actual IP lists themselves, as they will come later).

Now go to Tools->Options (Ctrl+O). Head on into the Sources option on the left. You should see something like this:

Enable all the sources as you see fit. Just remember, this blog is on an “Edu Range”

NOTICE: These steps are applicable only for Blocklist Manager v2.6.5. The steps for the newest version (2.7.7) can be found below this.

v2.6.5

Now, go to the App Locations option on the left.

For SafePeer: Check the box for SafePeer and point it to your blocklist.cache file. For Vista, this should be something like “C:\Users\Your Name\AppData\Roaming\Azureus\plugins\safepeer\blocklist.cache”. For XP and below, it should be in “C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name\AppData\Azureus\plugins\safepeer\blocklist.cache”. If you are having trouble finding it, you can also type in %APPDATA% into any open explorer window.
Then, go to the Selected Filters option on the left and check SafePeer.

Non SafePeer: Check the box for PeerGuardian and point it to any text file (it doesn’t have to exist at this point). Make sure to remember this file location and make sure that this file location will always be accessible to Azureus (meaning if it is on an external hard drive, for instance, make sure the hard drive is always connected when you start up Azureus).
Then, go to the Selected Filters option on the left and check PeerGuardian.

v2.7.7

In the main screen of Blocklist Manager, click on the Export tab and select Export Manager. Here you can add the location to which you will be exporting your IP filter list to (in this case, to Safepeer’s blocklist.cache).

SafePeer: Simply type in any name into the name field, change the format to Safepeer, and type in the location of your Safepeer blocklist.cache file. For Vista, this should be something like “C:\Users\Your Name\AppData\Roaming\Azureus\plugins\safepeer\blocklist.cache”. For XP and below, it should be in “C:\Documents and Settings\Your Name\AppData\Azureus\plugins\safepeer\blocklist.cache”. If you are having trouble finding it, you can also type in %APPDATA% into any open explorer window.

Non SafePeer: Type in any name into the name field, change the format to Peerguardian, and type in any location of any text file that you wish to store the IP filter data in. Make sure to remember this file location and make sure that this file location will always be accessible to Azureus (meaning if it is on an external hard drive, for instance, make sure the hard drive is always connected when you start up Azureus).

Put a check by Export Location Active and the click Add to add the export setting. The setting should be added with an enabled status.

All versions

Save your settings and you’ll be back at the main Blocklist Manager screen. Click on the Process button.

This will automatically begin downloading the sources and processing the lists. It will check for dupes and overlapping IP’s as well.

Once done, simply click on the Export button (make sure you have Azureus fully closed), it will ask you if you want to overwrite. Say yes, it will convert the list, and save it to the blocklist. You can now close the Blocklist Manager (although you will still want to just process the lists and export them every week or so to keep up to date).

Open up Azureus, navigate to Tools->Options and click on IP Filters on the left hand side. You should now have a list of bad IP’s along with others in the list:

If you see the list, then you’re all set.

Edited on Nov 22, 2007 – Added guide for the new version of Blocklist Manager (2.7.7).

So, my new computer specs are in, alongside the prices (shipping included). The prices may have changed from what they were originally (since this is technology after all), but nonetheless and without further ado, I present my new computer:

Case: Antec 900 Midtower Case

Description: Introducing the Antec 900 hardcore gaming case. Now you can own any noob ever spawned with this ultra-mean case in classic black finish. We know your gaming hardware produces a lot of heat, that’s why the case is built for maximum cool with a perforated front bezel, three 120mm fans with mounts for even more fans, and a monster top-mounted 200mm fan that’s right, we said 200mm! The versatile Nine Hundred is maximally customizable to fit your needs. The modular design lets you modify the placement of the front fans and hard drive cages. There’s even a tray on top for your mp3 player, digital camera, or that spare illudium Q-42 explosive space modulator that you have lying around. Be the envy of everyone at your next LAN party, impress your friends, and just generally show everyone that you are the ultimate master of all time with the Antec Nine Hundred!

Price: $96.91
Carrier: Techonweb
Extra Comments: Very nicely built case, very cool with huge fans circulating the airflow, nice cup holder. Gets very dusty, however.

Power Supply: Ultra XVS Modular 700W ATX Power Supply

Description: The XVS power supply combines durability and high-performance with quiet, dual 80mm cooling fans and Ultra’s patented modular interface.

Price: $96.93
Carrier: Buy.com
Extra Comments: Two fans, black, very powerful power supply (get the pun on that one). Comes with loads of power connectors for every type of connection.

Motherboard: GigaByte GA-N650SLI-DS4

Description: Designed for enthusiasts with extreme over-clocking and blistering gaming performance in mind, the GIGABYTE GA-N650SLI-DS4 features FSB1333 support for the record-setting Intel Core2 Extreme Quad Core processors and NVIDIA SLI-memory technology. Powered by the nForce 650i chipset, the GA-N650SLI-DS4 is SLI enabled with dual PCI Express x16 connectivity for extreme gaming performance. Built tough to provide maximum stability, durability and performance for even the most hard-core gamers, the GA-N650SLI-DS4 delivers several advanced GIGABYTE innovative feature – Safe, Smart, Speed, SLI and all-solid capacitor design.

Price: $131.48
Carrier: Club IT
Extra Comments: Very versatile motherboard, came with enough SATA and IDE cables for everything, pretty much compatible with all of my other hardware. Drivers work for 64 bit versions of Vista as well!

Processor Chip: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.4GHz per core

Description: This is an Intel Core 2 Quad processor with a frequency of 2.4GHz, 1066MHz FSB, and an 8MB cache. Leaders of the pack seeking monster performance, look no further. With four execution cores, the Intel Core 2 Quad processor blows through processor-intensive tasks in demanding multitasking environments and makes the most of highly threaded applications.

Price: $284.50
Carrier: ZipZoomFly
Extra Comments: 64-bit support, and although not many applications have multi-threading/multitasking at this time, it will become more frequently used in the future. Still, runs really fast.

Video Card: eVGA GeForce 8800 GTS PCI x16 640MB

Description: The EVGA GeForce 8800 GTS 640MB PCI Express graphics card features the DirectX 10 GPU and a powerful unified architecture that delivers an incredibly true-to-life gaming experience. Power through games at record speeds and charge through game maps with vividly realistic, sun-up to sun-down HDR lighting effects while steering clear of mind-blowing physics effects such as explosions, fire, and smoke. Crank up 16x full-screen anti-aliasing without missing a beat – no jaggies, no worries.

Price: $379.99 ($349.99 after $30 rebate)
Carrier: Buy.com
Extra Comments: Nicely built card, very bulky, so its very hard to put two of them side by side (but I’m ok with that since I only plan on using one). May require additional power to be connected.

Memory (part 1): Corsair XMS2 2GB PC2-6400 DDR2 DIMM Dual Channel Memory Kit

Description: The Twin2X2048-6400C4 is a 2048 MByte matched pair of DDR2 SDRAM DIMMs. This part delivers outstanding performance in the latest generation of dual-channel DDR2-based motherboards. It has been tested extensively in multiple DDR2 motherboards to ensure compatibility and performance at its rated speed. This memory has been verified to operate at 800MHz at the low latencies of 4-4-4-12. The Twin2X2048-6400C4 comes with Enhanced Performance Profiles (EPP), the open standard for performance module SPD’s jointly developed by Corsair and NVIDIA. EPP SPD’s on Corsair modules allow users to automatically configure EPP enabled motherboards with aggressive memory performance settings, for maximum memory and system performance.

Price: $107.00 ($67.00 after $40 rebate)
Carrier: ClubIT
Extra Comments: Great pair of memory sticks, works fine, good rebate deal. Lifetime warranty.

Memory (part 2): OCZ Technology 2GB PC2-6400 DDR2 DIMM Dual Channel Memory Kit

Description: OCZ PC2-6400 Platinum Revision 2 is the latest version of the Platinum DDR2-800 Series. The PC2-6400 Platinum Rev. 2 has been re-engineered to turn out heart-pounding 4-4-4 timings with flawless performance and stability and offer lower latencies than standard 800MHz DDR2 memory. OCZ exclusively developed these modules for the extreme gamer and overclocker to give high-end DDR2 based systems that extra performance edge that is demanded by today’s hard core gamers and enthusiasts.The OCZ PC2-6400 Platinum Rev. 2 utilizes OCZ heatspreader design. XTC (Xtreme Thermal Convection) Heatspreaders allow increased ventilation and heat dissipation due to the honeycomb design providing more direct access to the actual memory ICs. As part of the award winning OCZ Platinum DDR2 series, the PC2-6400 Platinum Rev. 2 is built with leading edge technology designed and qualified with special selection of premium components to maximize performance in even the most demanding computing environments. OCZ PC2-6400 products are 100% hand-tested to ensure compliance with stringent quality standards. In addition, each member of the OCZ Platinum family is backed by an industry-leading lifetime warranty, toll-free technical support and the exclusive EVP (Extended Voltage Protection) coverage.With its ultra-fast performance, high quality and reliability, the OCZ PC2-6400 Platinum Revision 2 edition is a perfect memory upgrade for the latest CPU arrivals.

Price: $99.90 ($69.90 after $30 rebate)
Carrier: ZipZoomFly
Extra Comments: Great pair of memory sticks, works fine, good rebate deal. Lifetime warranty.

Additional Network Card: Linksys WMP54G PCI Wireless Card

Description: The Linksys Wireless-G PCI Card installs in most desktops and lets you put your computer almost anywhere in the building, without the cost and hassle of running network cables. Now you don’t have to drill holes in your walls and climb through the attic or cellar to get connected to the network. Once you’re connected, you can keep in touch with your e-mail, access the Internet, use instant messaging to chat with friends, and share files and other resources such as printers and network storage with other computers on the network. The Wireless-G PCI Card connects you with Wireless-G networks at an incredible 54Mbps! And for added versatility, it can also inter operate with all the 11Mbps Wireless-B (802.11b) products found in homes, businesses, and public wireless hot spots around the country.

Price: $31.00
Carrier: eBay MarketPlace
Extra Comments: The one downside to this adapter is that it does not have any sort of Vista 64-bit driver out (there is a Ralink driver floating around on the internet somewhere that can be used instead, but only for the 4.0/4.1 version). Tin foil antenna is a great addition to this card to boost the signal.

Update: (09/10/07) I’ve located the 64 bit WMP54G driver that can be used under both Windows XP 64-bit and Windows Vista 64-bit (and it is the one I’m currently using for my computer). To install, go to your Control Panel -> System -> Device Manager -> Locate your network device, and update the driver by pointing it to the enclosed files.

Hard Drive: WD Caviar SE16 500GB Hard Drive

Description: Designed for use in the fastest PCs on the market, including high-performance business computers, multimedia and gaming systems, the 500GB WD Caviar SE16 7200 RPM Hard Drive comes with a massive 16MB cache for lightening fast performance. Its cool operating temperature means longer service life and greater reliability. While its WhisperDrive and SoftSeek technologies minimized noise to levels barely perceptible to the human ear in home and business environments. The Caviar SE16 protects your important data in a number of ways. Its Data Lifeguard technology is an exclusive set of data protection features, including shock protection, an environmental protection system and real-time embedded error detection and repair. WD’s Data Lifeguard technology automatically finds, isolates, and repairs problems that may develop over the life of a hard drive.

Price: $107.90
Carrier: ZipZoomFly
Extra Comments: Fast hard drive, copying of files takes mere seconds.

Optical Drive: Sony AWG170S-B2 Dual Layer DVD±RW Writer

Description: This is an Internal SATA DVD+/-RW DL drive. It features write speeds of up to 48x for CD media and 18x for DVD media, as well as a fast SATA interface.

Price: $36.99
Carrier: ZipZoomFly
Extra Comments: Fast, uses SATA. Not much else to divulge.

Keyboard: Microsoft PS2/USB Digital Media Pro Keyboard

Description: The Digital Media Pro keyboard features a new zoom slider that allows you to zoom in and out of documents and pictures with ease. Other user friendly features include customizable My Favorites keys, Media Center, and hot keys which provide 1-touch access to commonly accessed media, programs and files. The enhanced F-key functionality enables you to perform common tasks, such as opening documents and replying to e-mail, with the touch of a button. You can also toggle between standard and enhanced F-key commands for even more flexibility. The Sleep and Log-Off features save energy and protect your data by putting your computer in sleep mode or logging off Windows with the press of a key.

Price: $19.24
Carrier: BuyPCDirect (PriceGrabber)
Extra Comments: The zoom feature of this keyboard is pretty much worthless. Otherwise, all of the buttons are programmable. Vista 64 bit drivers need to be downloaded via Microsoft.

Mouse: Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse 2.0

I already had this mouse, bought it at Costco for $30 a few years ago. Very dependable and long lasting critter, it went through many tough times in my laptop bag and many FPS/RPG gaming sessions. Battery life is great.

Monitor: ViewSonic VG2230wm Black 22″ Widescreen LCD Monitor

Description: 22″ VG2230wm features widescreen and multimedia performance for enhanced productivity. With ERGONOMIC HEIGHT ADJUST and tilt, you’ll work comfortably for hours. The 360 degrees SWIVEL allows you to share your view with coworkers, and the widescreen aspect ratio allows you to view two documents side-by-side or work in two applications simultaneously. Graphics professionals and gamers will love the FAST 5MS VIDEO RESPONSE that delivers blur-free, full-motion video and crystal-clear graphics. OPTISYNC ANALOG AND DIGITAL INPUTS provide versatile connectivity options. The integrated amp and stereo speakers give you a complete multimedia experience and the attractive slim bezel is VESA wall mount-compliant so you can accent your office decor and make the most of valuable desktop space. The VG2230wm widescreen multimedia LCD delivers a complete visual display experience to your desktop.

Price: $306.99
Carrier: ZipZoomFly
Extra Comments: A nice 1680×1050 resolution on a 22 inch panel that can be turned and twisted in many directions (no sideways tilt, however, which I don’t use anyhow). The only problems I saw with it were the stock colors were bright and changing them was a bit of a hassle with the buttons located in an interesting order, but after the learning curve it went and customized nicely. The blue LED on the front is not too bright, making it great for late night programming.

Total Computer Price: $1698.83 ($1598.83 after rebates)