On Thu, Nov 12, 2009 at 5:27 AM, Robert Heller heller@deepsoft.com wrote:

At Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:07:15 +0800 CentOS mailing list centos@centos.org wrote:

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http://blogs.computerworld.com/15082/omg_microsoft_patents_sudo_linux_and_ma...

Is this for real?  Blogs.computerworld.com seems to be down/dead/broken database...

Try Groklaw:

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20091111094923390

Akemi

Akemi Yagi wrote:

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On Thu, Nov 12, 2009 at 5:27 AM, Robert Heller heller@deepsoft.com wrote:

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At Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:07:15 +0800 CentOS mailing list centos@centos.org wrote:

...

...

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http://blogs.computerworld.com/15082/omg_microsoft_patents_sudo_linux_and_ma...

Is this for real? Blogs.computerworld.com seems to be down/dead/broken database...

Try Groklaw:

http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20091111094923390

Yes. With respect to those luminaries at the U.S. Patent Office, this is just one more justification for my core observation on public servants: "The primary purpose of any government entity is to employ the unemployable".

As opposed to some people at some companies I've worked for?

No, who pushed software patents in the first place? Who PAID legislators to write the laws to allow them, and who got people appointed who wanted them?

I'll respond with the primary purpose of modern American business is to empty your wallet, not to provide goods or services.

mark

Worked for me, see http://downforeveryoneorjustme.com/

On Thu, Nov 12, 2009 at 08:27:22AM -0500, Robert Heller wrote:

At Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:07:15 +0800 CentOS mailing list centos@centos.org wrote:

...

http://blogs.computerworld.com/15082/omg_microsoft_patents_sudo_linux_and_ma...

Is this for real? Blogs.computerworld.com seems to be down/dead/broken database...

Yes real. But they have not patented sudo but a twist on it.

As best I can tell they have solved one of the things I hate about WindowZ security. It is that it is opaque. This twist opens some windows of information to the user when privledge change is needed. i.e. and hints what account/ password to type and has the data and authentication methods to get there.

The patent was filed in 2004 or so so ya got to reach back into the way back machine if you are going to find prior art.

The best place to look is in retail software and the data base world perhaps banking software.

If I understand it... this system has it all and I have seen it in action for years... Retail, Login enter coat #SKU12345 price $1234567.00 Customer has a coupon to get the coat for $5.00 enter price override #SKU12345 to $5.00 one time Bzzz- call manager override and approval required manger pass word ********** entered Customer pays $5.00 and checks out.

A common view of an operating system is a data base engine that manages data including authentication. The data base folk have been doing this for decades. I fail to see anything new here.

Anyhow this was posted on /. and discussed in depth and to death.

http://yro.slashdot.org/story/09/11/11/2055226/Microsoft-Patents-Sudos-Behav...

http://patft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d...