Mailinglist Archive: opensuse (3863 mails)

[Stephen Jacobs <Steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This is probably a dumb question, and possibly insulting to you guys
(though I honestly hope not - that's not my intent), but here
goes...

To provide some perspective - I've been supporting Windows users
professionally for the last 10 years or so. Lately, the amount of
time I spend fixing problems related to trojans, worms, spyware,
virii, etc..., has exploded. As a matter of fact, I'm working on a
client's system right now, just to the left of the system I'm using
to type this message. Over the last couple of years I've slowly
begun to use Linux rather than Windows for = my own personal
computers. I'm learning, but slowly.

Now, to get to the point. I have a system running SuSE 9,
FTP-installed. It has the libjawt.so problem that I've found
mentioned in various online support threads, including a thread in
the January archives here. Usually the various mentions end with
somebody telling the user to download and install the Java Runtime
from Sun. I tried that and still get the error when trying to run
YAST.

In the January thread for this list, Guillermo recommended another
poster download and install the JRE, AND download and install his own
RPM, from his own website.

I'm anxious to get this problem resolved so I may install various
components, but I'm a little gunshy about just downloading and
installing some random package from a site I know nothing about.

I don't believe there is anything malevolent at all about Guillermo's
files, but I'm ordinarily a very trusting sort, and I'm wondering
what the wise course of action would be for something like this.

Those of you more clued-in, how would I confirm something like this?
My instinct says there's nothing to worry about, but having spent the
weekend fighting various Windows malware on 2 different client
systems, I'm thinking it might be prudent to think carefully about
blindly installing anything.

Thanks,
Steve

PS: I don't mean to single this one instance out. I'm confident the
particular thread I'm mentioning is perfectly innocent. I was really
asking more 'in general', as this sort of thing occurs all the time,
and I don't want to one day install some RPM that hoses my system,
because a knowledgeable 15 year old wanted to get some kicks.



  

-- 
Best regards,
 Stephen Jacobs                      mailto:Steve@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Spirits were brave, men boldly split infinitives that no man had split before. 
Thus was the Empire forged.