[CentOS] OMG! Microsoft patents sudo! Linux and MacOS dead!

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 at centos.org> wrote:
> 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > http://blogs.computerworld.com/15082/omg_microsoft_patents_sudo_linux_and_macos_dead?source=CTWNLE_nlt_dailyam_2009-11-12
> 
> 
> 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-Behavior

   http://patft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=/netahtml/PTO/srchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=7,617,530.PN.&OS=PN/7,617,530&RS=PN/7,617,530