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View Full Version : Linux becoming better known....



NE Key
May 15th, 2008, 02:18 PM
I was having a look at on line banking with the Halifax (HBOS plc) and this came up in the "information window";

(http://www.*******ankingdemo.co.uk/vsim/messages/popup.html)

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Operating Systems

This simulation supports the following operating systems:

* Windows 2000 Professional SP2 - SP4
* Windows XP Professional, SP2 or earlier
* Windows XP Home, SP2 or earlier
* Windows Vista
* Windows NT SP6a
* MacOS X (Safari browser only)
* Linux - any variation

Browsers

This simulation supports the following browsers:

* Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5, 6.0, 7.0. Get the latest version.
* Mozilla Firefox 1.0, 1.5, 2.0.4 (Not supported on MacOS X). Get the latest version.
* Netscape 7, 8.1. Get the latest version.
* Mozilla 1.7
* Safari 2.0.4
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So we now have a High Street Bank that recognises its customers use linux...

Progress is slow but sure.

Mr. Picklesworth
May 15th, 2008, 02:43 PM
It's fun that they say "any variation;" the number of products which say that may attract some attention. Now that Windows is deeper into its existence and old products are losing support, there are a lot of people annoyed by the forced upgrade when they try to buy new software (even given the fact that Windows 98 and Windows 2000 are both terrible).
It will be interesting to watch.
Having said that, writing "any variation" is a bit flawed; what if it's a Linux distro without a secure web browser?

btermeli
May 15th, 2008, 02:53 PM
and another news from Turkey; Escort Computer,one of the biggest computer producer in Turkey, starts to distribute its some models with Pardus pre installed. (Pardus:Turkish National Linux distribution www.pardus.org.tr/eng/)
Linux is the future :):)

eldragon
May 15th, 2008, 03:33 PM
my local bank has all its computers running some sort of linux with kde.
ive found that out while peeping into a clerk's terminal. :D

they are even allowed to use pidgin in the bank. something i thought was from a security point of view, a no-no.

days_of_ruin
May 15th, 2008, 03:39 PM
I have met three different people who use ubuntu.And heard about it on talk
radio.:guitar:

toupeiro
May 15th, 2008, 03:59 PM
Having said that, writing "any variation" is a bit flawed; what if it's a Linux distro without a secure web browser?

Naturally, if this were the case you wouldn't be viewing the banking requirements website let alone online banking as a whole being a little out of scope for you, regardless of what they say they support. ;) There's nothing stopping you from putting a secure web browser on your distro,

Dr Small
May 15th, 2008, 04:23 PM
my local bank has all its computers running some sort of linux with kde.
ive found that out while peeping into a clerk's terminal. :D

they are even allowed to use pidgin in the bank. something i thought was from a security point of view, a no-no.
Yes, using pidgin in a bank could potentially be a security threat and an open hole to the entire network. Sorta like robbing the bank without having to pass security. :)

unisol
May 15th, 2008, 04:24 PM
what distro is Pardus based on?

enchantedsky
May 15th, 2008, 04:26 PM
Of course your bank knows about Linux; I bet all their servers run Linux! If they had Windows servers, they'd lose all their bank account information to hackers by now.

Dr Small
May 15th, 2008, 04:29 PM
Of course your bank knows about Linux; I bet all their servers run Linux! If they had Windows servers, they'd lose all their bank account information to hackers by now.
Yeah, isn't that the truth..

toupeiro
May 15th, 2008, 04:34 PM
what distro is Pardus based on?

Pardus is not based fundamentally on any of the "Big 3" linux distros (Redhat, Debian, Slackware). It is its own trunk off the GNU/Linux root system, metaphorically speaking. :)

Half-Left
May 15th, 2008, 04:38 PM
The op is right, small steps, it's good to see linux on lists of supported OS's

tazmannusa
May 15th, 2008, 06:09 PM
I for one am glad to here that. Im running dual boot Vista ultimate and Kubuntu 8.04 as a home dhcp server with ICS. I can do damn near everything from kubuntu that I can from vista. So why pay big $ for an OS thats a pain in the **** that I have to jump threw hoops to activate. Kubuntu boots faster
and doesn't change settings on its own, once configured correctly it just works. Don't get me wrong Ive always liked windows and various Linux distros.
Short story on activation. I built new pc a few months ago, a OEM of Vista home premium came with a board I bought, got it up and running ok but little buggy and after reading on some of the features in the ultimate version decided to upgrade so I bought the digital anytime upgrade and what a nightmare that was, crashed all drivers ect. had to start from scratch again.
Only way to do it was install home premium with minimal drivers and activate it then use digital key and reinstall ultimate with no option to do a clean install and then activate again, buggy a heck and crashed all the time so you know the drill started looking and installing newest drivers, bios update and finaly after about a month running stable without crashing. Finaly they release sp1 so I download the full sp1 . slipstreamed
the the ultimate version from DVD and made new DVD with sp1 already installed. Sweet did a clean install of ultimate and what a treat everything worked good no bugs no crashes, booted faster and ran faster but could not activate it, tried but it would report back cant do clean install with this version. emailed the digital upgrade team support and they reported back cant do a clean install period. What a bunch of cr--.
Why anyone would pay big$ to go through this, I think I need my head examend and I will guarantee I wont do it again.
Tom

Fedz
May 15th, 2008, 06:58 PM
I'm one ;)

Ever since banking with Halifax I've used Ubuntu :D

Nice to know I've made an effect ... even in a small way ;)

NatWest (RBS) is a different matter however ... :rolleyes:

Biochem
May 16th, 2008, 01:09 AM
Yes, using pidgin in a bank could potentially be a security threat and an open hole to the entire network. Sorta like robbing the bank without having to pass security. :)

Unless they use an internal server and us pidgin to communicate by IM between employees. That would be more secure than using proprietary solution.

Of course their firewall block all external MSN and other IM.