OS X

One Down

October 25, 2003

One successful upgrade to Panther. All works as expected. Cisco VPN client V4.0 works as well. Yea!

Panther Arrives

October 24, 2003

Later today Panther will hit the streets. The Apple Stores around the country are hosting special events at 8:00 PM local time across the country. MacOSXhints.com will post several hints about the new OS. The good news is I might get to actually start using it as a project I was planning to deliver this week is delayed and the new included VPN functionality should enable using it without waiting for updated VPN clients.

It also looks like the Complete packages provided by Server Logistics probably will work as well. More good news.

Bad user interfaces

October 21, 2003

I installed an HP 3330 Multi-Function Printer for a client last evening. After applying the necessary firmware updates and software updates it was pretty slick.... almost.... When placing a paper in the tray it brings up a scan director asking what to do. Choosing "Scan" brings up an interface to choose what destination you want. Choosing file and a grayscale scan it asks for the file name. The scanner then scans the document as expected. However no file appears. A reboot later and much snooping around and the "Accept" button next to the scan button finally stands out. The file is not saved when a user asks to scan to a file. Its only saved when you hit accept after you've previewed the scan.

Upgrade Path?

October 13, 2003

I've decided to upgrade the machine running this and several other sites when OS X 10.3 comes out later this month. The 400 Mhz G4 Ti Book that runs this site currently runs 10.2 server, setup with the idea of creating a netinfo hierarchy and common user data base throughout the operation. I've come to the decision that for just a few users it's easier to setup the same users on each machine, changing userid's if necessary to get things in sync.

This raises the question - what is the best way to upgrade from 10.2 Server to 10.3 (non-Server)?

Problem with Apple and Canon

August 24, 2003

While waiting for the umpteenth disk reconstruction recently I came across this knowledge base article on Apple's site. They indicate it may cause some inconvenient problems. For me it's cost the data on the disk several times. The incompatibility seems to cause the master data block on the disk to be so corrupted that the only recourse is to begin anew. I'd love to do as the article suggests and call Canon. I wonder when I'll get a response? The problem seems to be primarily the ZR-40, ZR-45 and ZR-50 cameras.

UNIX based controversy

June 14, 2003

The Open Group is suing Apple over their use of the term UNIX Based to describe its OS X operating system. The Open group claims the use infringes on their trademark. Apple is countersuing claiming that the trademark has become a generic term.

The claim seems to be made easily as a read of a recent Sys Admin magazine will show. The logo for Sys Admin shown here and it's tagline were modified this month to include UNIX and Linux but since 1992 it said just UNIX.

Sys Admin apparently violates The Open Group's claim of trademark in several ways:

  • Attribution - The Open Group's legal page says "Blanket or generic attributions are not acceptable." While Sys Admin says "All trademarks are respectfully acknowledged."
  • Sys Admin recognizes (with the TM or (R) marks) trademarks which have not become generic such as Solaris(TM)
  • Sys Admin uses the term UNIX generically in its tagline as well as in its text. For example the June 2003 issue has an article titled Freeware Forensics Tools with the subtitle that starts "Westphal examines three popular UNIX freeware tools." After introducing the tools the article states "All three tools mentioned in this article were utilized in a Linux 7.3 environment."

The use of UNIX to describe Linux will raise many hackles amongst purists but it goes to show how much the term UNIX has become generic to describe an entire class of operating systems. This is only one example of how diluted The Open Group's once trademark has become. So it seems likely that UNIX will join escalator, thermos, linoleum, yo-yo and zipper as one-time trademarks that have become generic.

Sys Admin is but one of the fronts on which The Open Group has failed to maintain it's trademark. FreeBSD has long used the term UNIX on their home page to describe their product (which is also the foundation of Apple's OS X).

These are two of many prominent examples proving that The Open Group has abandoned their once trademark on the term UNIX. Apple Computer's case should have many examples to draw upon.

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