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Full Discussion: Microsoft Patents Sudo?!!
Special Forums News, Links, Events and Announcements UNIX and Linux RSS News Microsoft Patents Sudo?!! Post 302370549 by Linux Bot on Wednesday 11th of November 2009 08:00:06 PM
Old 11-11-2009
Microsoft Patents Sudo?!!

Lordy, lordy, lordy. They have no shame. It appears that Microsoft has just patented sudo, a personalized version of it.
Here it is, patent number7617530. Thanks, USPTO, for giving Microsoft, which is already a monopoly, a monopoly on something that's been in use since 1980 and wasn't invented by Microsoft. Here's Wikipedia's description of sudo, which you can meaningfully compare to Microsoft's description of its "invention".
This is why what the US Supreme Court does about software patents means so much. Hopefully they will address the topic in their decision on Bilski. Sudo is an integral part of the functioning of GNU/Linux systems, and you use it in Mac OSX also. Maybe the Supreme Court doesn't know that, and maybe the USPTO didn't realize it. But do you believe Microsoft knows it?
Perhaps Microsoft would like everyone in the world to pay them a toll at least, even if they don't want to use Microsoft's software? Like SCO, but with more muscle behind the request? Or maybe it might be used as a barrier to competition? What do you personally believe Microsoft wants patents on things like sudo for? To make sure innovative new companies can compete on an even playing field with Microsoft?

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ORANGE(1)							   User Commands							 ORANGE(1)

NAME
orange - extract CAB files from self-extracting installers DESCRIPTION
orange [-d DIRECTORY] [-D LEVEL] [-h] FILENAME -d DIRECTORY Extract files to DIRECTORY -D LEVEL Set debug log level 0 - No logging (default) 1 - Errors only 2 - Errors and warnings 3 - Everything -h Show this help message FILENAME The file to list or extract contents of Orange is a tool and library for squeezing out juicy installable Microsoft Cabinet Files from self-extracting installers for Microsoft Win- dows. It currently supports the following kinds of installers: * Early support for installers created by Installer VISE. (Orange 0.3 or later) * Support for some installers created by Inno Setup. (Orange 0.2 or later) * Early support for the installer used by TomTom prod- ucts. (Orange 0.2 or later) * InstallShield versions 5 and 6, using Unshield for extracting InstallShield Cabinet files. * Setup Factory versions 5 and 6 using Dynamite for data decompression. * Some other installer (using a DLL called inflate.dll). This is used by for example Macromedia Flash Player 6 for Pocket PC 2002. * Microsoft Cabinets (also self-extracting) when you have Cabextract installed. * Zip archives (also self-extracting) when you have UnZip installed. orange 0.3.1 July 2004 ORANGE(1)
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