From 543af578c868342a5cdb5f990c74f57b8d8852b2 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Nathaniel Beaver Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2016 11:50:53 -0500 Subject: [PATCH] Typo-fixing and clarifying. --- readme.rst | 42 ++++++++++++++++++++---------------------- 1 file changed, 20 insertions(+), 22 deletions(-) diff --git a/readme.rst b/readme.rst index 25d1748..7160e99 100644 --- a/readme.rst +++ b/readme.rst @@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ were insufficient to include both control characters and special characters in addition to the required 26 alphabetics and 10 numerics, so they decided to use a 7-bit code. However, ASCII was designed to include a useful 6-bit subset, -which could only include single alphabet. +which could only fit a single alphabet. The consideration of a 6-bit, 64-character graphic subset was important to the standards committee. If the ultimate decision was that columns 6 @@ -535,7 +535,7 @@ was optimized for its architecture. https://lkml.org/lkml/2002/7/30/257 (CP/M was written for an eight-bit architecture, -which is presumably why it used an 8.3 filename instead of 6.3 filename.) [#8.3_filename]_ +which is presumably why it used an 8.3 filename instead of a 6.3 filename.) [#8.3_filename]_ Similarly, the RT-11 didn't use ASCII for filenames, but rather an encoding called RADIX-50, @@ -929,15 +929,15 @@ Filename restrictions. In Linux and other Unix-derived operating systems, the only characters that may not appear in the name of a file or directory [#forbidden_characters]_ -are the slash ``/``, -which is used to delimit paths, -and the ASCII null ``\0``, -which is used to terminate strings in C. [#C_strings]_ +are the slash ``/`` +(which is used to delimit paths) +and the ASCII null ``\0`` +(which is used to terminate strings in C). [#C_strings]_ Windows has the same restrictions, as well as many other `restrictions which are considerably more complex`_ and are partly the result -of `backwards compatibility with operating systems from the early 1970s`_. +of `backwards compatibility with CP/M pseudofiles`_. .. _backwards compatibility with operating systems from the early 1970s: http://bitquabit.com/post/zombie-operating-systems-and-aspnet-mvc/ .. _restrictions which are considerably more complex: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa365247%28v=vs.85%29.aspx#naming_conventions @@ -1145,8 +1145,7 @@ into `unintentionally running malware`_. .. _unintentionally running malware: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/recognizing-dangerous-file-types Also, if the file extensions for different filetypes happen to collide, -as they inevitably do -|---| it doesn't help that filenames are case-insensitive |---| +as they inevitably do, one program must take default precedence over the other for that file extension. For example, there `a lot of different file formats`_ with a ``.dat`` file extension, @@ -1568,7 +1567,7 @@ This was not without controversy. https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/hh848042%28v=vs.85%29.aspx Linux also has an API, -but it is based on a standard (POSIX), +but it is based on the POSIX standard, is not tied to the desktop environment, and is not controlled by a single corporation in the same way that the Windows API is. @@ -2239,7 +2238,6 @@ which are not in the Chocolatey repository (as of July 2015). - `HEPHAESTUS`_ periodic table for X-ray spectroscopy `* `__ - `EXPGUI`_ XRD analysis `* `__ - `DiffPDF`_ PDF comparison `* `__ -- `Unison`_ file synchronizer `* `__ - `xchat`_ IRC client `* `__ .. _Chocolatey: http://chocolatey.org/ @@ -2374,6 +2372,7 @@ like ``Tools -> Options -> General Options -> ...`` The emphasis on textuality also makes diagnosing problems easier. For example: +- Want to see what disks and partitions are mounts? Run ``lsblk``. - Want to see which displays you're connected to? Run ``xrandr``. - Want to see what USB devices are connected? Run ``lsusb``. - Want to restart your networking daemon? Run ``sudo /etc/init.d/networking restart``. @@ -2490,7 +2489,7 @@ rather than reproducing and reporting bugs. .. _reboots: http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/31204/why-do-application-installs-make-you-reboot-and-close-other-apps/ In 2000, when Hotmail switched from FreeBSD to Windows server, -a white paper noted this problem, which persists 15 years later: +a white paper noted this problem: Windows operations still involves too many reboots. Sometimes they are unnecessary, but operators reboot a system rather than take the time to @@ -2550,24 +2549,23 @@ As a result, .. _falsely attribute: http://www.combofix.org/suspect-a-malware-infection-heres-the-right-way-to-remove-it.php .. _software misbehavior to malware: http://lifehacker.com/5958001/the-5-biggest-myths-about-slow-pcs-and-how-you-can-actually-fix-them -.. [#not_a_virus] - https://dniinoi.wordpress.com/2008/03/26/the-myth-behind-virus-attack-and-hardware/ - https://security.stackexchange.com/questions/65153/is-there-any-virus-that-can-cause-physical-damage - http://askbobrankin.com/can_a_virus_really_destroy_your_hard_drive.html - This also has consequences for developers. Because few Linux users experience problems due to malware, they will report bugs caused by the actual applications, not ones caused by malware. -Most Linux distributions have a better security model -which uses secure package installation by default, -but allows installing software from other sources as well, -unlike the overly restrictive app-store model -seen in more recent versions of Windows. +Most Linux distributions use cryptographically secure package managers +which is a signifiantly better security model +than downloading unsigned executables over a network +and then granting them administrative privileges. Finally, because Linux is a ubiquitous server operating system, its security is under constant attack, and Linux desktop users benefit from fixes to the vulnerabilities. +.. [#not_a_virus] + https://dniinoi.wordpress.com/2008/03/26/the-myth-behind-virus-attack-and-hardware/ + https://security.stackexchange.com/questions/65153/is-there-any-virus-that-can-cause-physical-damage + http://askbobrankin.com/can_a_virus_really_destroy_your_hard_drive.html + .. TODO: addendum of commonly cited, but incorrect, advantages?