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October 23rd, 2007

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Microsoft to push functional programming into the mainstream with F#

Microsoft has announced that support for the F# functional programming language will be fully integrated into Visual Studio. This marks a bold new commitment to facilitating functional programming on the .NET platform and could potentially help legitimize functional programming in enterprise environments. Microsoft’s promotion of F# to a fully-supported language in Visual Studio is also indicative of the extreme versatility of the .NET platform and Microsoft’s Common Language Runtime.

F# began its life as a Microsoft Research project to demonstrate the efficacy of .NET as a platform for mixing multiple distinct programming paradigms. F# is heavily inspired by the OCaml programming language, and a subset of F# and OCaml are largely compatible. F# offers developers many valuable and compelling features without sacrificing much runtime efficiency. F# supports type inference, pattern matching, high-order functions, and currying. F# also supports interactive execution, which means that F# programs can be run like scripts or inputted in an interactive top-level environment similar to the Python shell or Ruby’s IRB. F# also has full access to the .NET APIs and components written in other .NET languages.

The advantages of functional programming

Unlike imperative or procedural programming languages, in which computation is typically performed by altering program state, functional programming languages operate on the principles of mathematical evaluation and reduction. Such programming languages are deeply rooted in formal mathematical logic and computational theory. Functional programming languages are largely based on the system of lambda calculus devised by Alonzo Church, in which numerical values, sequences, data structures, basic mathematical computations, and even recursion can be expressed entirely with nested functions.

The close association with lambda calculus and category theory makes functional languages a powerful tool for understanding and programmatically modeling concepts like catamorphisms and recursion. For some programmers, learning to see the ineffable theoretical perfection of functional programming languages is a profoundly illuminating experience that opens the mind to a completely new way of perceiving and understanding computer programming. In some cases, certain functional programming languages are also valued because functional purity is highly conducive to referential transparency and minimizes the potential for side effects.

Outside of the academic world, functional programming idioms are valued because they are often far more expressive than imperative or procedural equivalents. Modern dynamic scripting languages like Python and Ruby, for instance, offer first-class functions in order to boost developer productivity. Even C# offers some features—like LINQ—that are heavily based on functional programming concepts. The ability to mix F# and C# in .NET applications makes it far easier for software developers to use the programming paradigms that are best suited for each individual task.

Functional programming on .NET

Microsoft’s decision to productize F# represents a particularly significant step forward for the .NET platform. Microsoft took an equally significant step when it unveiled the Dynamic Language Runtime earlier this year. The .NET platform now fully, officially, and equally supports functional, dynamic, and conventional imperative programming paradigms in an interoperable manner all with a single runtime. This is a tremendous accomplishment and strong evidence of the .NET platform’s success and long-term viability.

“[W]e aim to continue the flow of good ideas from functional programming world into mainstream development,” wrote Microsoft developer division vice president S. Somasegar in a blog entry. “Furthermore, the somewhat mathematical slant of functional programming just seems naturally appealing to professionals whose primary domain is described with mathematical notation—domains such as financial, scientific and technical computing. On top of the syntactic appeal, the strong type system yields the sort of guarantees which are often crucial in these domains, and enables a superb tooling experience through Visual Studio.”

Although this is the first time that Microsoft has treated functional programming on .NET as a product instead of an experiment, many independent developers have long used functional programming languages on top of .NET. The open-source Nemerle programming language, for instance, supports extremely impressive features like macros and is preferred over F# by some programmers in the Ars community. There are also several Standard ML and Lisp implementations for .NET.

As the C# programming language and .NET continue to evolve, developers can undoubtedly look forward to seeing more dynamic and functional programming concepts move out of scripting and academia to augment and complement more conventional programming techniques. Microsoft’s efforts to push dynamic and functional programming into the mainstream are one of many signs that the art of software development is enjoying a profound renaissance.

Reported By: Tony Cheung from Hong Kong
Writen By: Ryan Paul
Source: Arstechnica.com

msblog fingerprint tag

Written by kenlin@HK [MVP] on October 23rd, 2007 with no comments.
Read more articles on .NET Framework and Visual Studio and MS News.

Adobe Reader and Acrobat Allow Attacks via PDFs

Severity: Medium

22 October, 2007

Summary:

Yesterday, Adobe released an update to fix critical security vulnerabilities that affect Adobe Reader 8.1 and Adobe Acrobat 8.1 (and all earlier versions) running on Windows XP. By enticing one of your users into opening a specially crafted PDF file, an attacker can exploit the worst of these flaws to gain control of that user’s system. If you use Adobe Reader or Acrobat in your network, you should download, test, and deploy version 8.1.1 as soon as possible.

Exposure:

In a security bulletin released yesterday, Adobe warned of several critical vulnerabilities in Reader 8.1 and Acrobat 8.1 (and all earlier versions) for Windows XP. While their advisory regularly mentions multiple vulnerabilities, they specifically refer to only one issue, which they describe in little detail. Adobe only says that if an attacker can convince a Windows XP user who also has Internet Explorer (IE) 7 into opening a specially crafted PDF file, the attacker can exploit this unspecified flaw to gain control of that user’s computer. Since you can embed PDF files into Web pages, simply visiting the wrong web page might trigger this flaw.

Petko D. Petkov (aka pdp) of GNUCITIZEN.org, first discovered this flaw last September. Following the tenets of responsible disclosure, he did not release any details about this flaw, instead waiting for Adobe to release a patch. However, he also promised to release Proof-of-Concept (PoC) code that demonstrates this flaw in action as soon as Adobe released their update. So expect to see exploits for this vulnerability shortly. Adobe users should upgrade as soon as possible.

Solution Path

Adobe Reader 8.1.1 and Acrobat 8.1.1 fix these vulnerabilities. Windows XP administrators should download, test, and deploy these updates as soon as possible.

For All WatchGuard Users:

Although many of WatchGuard’s Firebox models can block incoming PDF files, most administrators prefer to allow these file types for business purposes. You should download and install Adobe Reader 8.1.1 instead.

However, if you still want to block .PDF files, follow the links below for instructions:

  • Vclass
    • SMTP Proxy. You’ll have to create or adjust a custom proxy action based on SMTP-Incoming in order to strip .PDF files. If you have created your own Proxy Action based on SMTP-Incoming, you can edit it so that it blocks these files. In the Vcontroller software, click the Proxies button and double-click your custom proxy action. Under the Content Checking tab, change “Category” to Attachment Filename and click either the Add to Top or Insert After button (only one or the other will display). Next, type “PDF_files” as the new rule’s name, and choose Pattern Match. Next to Pattern Match, type “*.PDF” and select Strip as the Action. Now you can apply this new Proxy Action to your SMTP rule to ensure your Firebox blocks .PDF files.

 

  •  
    • HTTP Proxy. You’ll have to create or adjust a custom proxy action based on HTTP-Outgoing in order to strip .PDF files. If you have created your own Proxy Action based on HTTP-Outgoing, you can edit it so that it blocks these files. In the Vcontroller software, click the Proxies button and double-click your custom proxy action. Under the Request General tab, change “Category” to URL Paths and click on Add. Next, type “PDF_files” as the new rule’s name, and choose Pattern Match. Next to Pattern Match, type “*.PDF” and select Strip as the Action. Now you can apply this new Proxy Action to your HTTP rule to ensure your Firebox blocks .PDF files.

Status:

Adobe released Adobe Reader 8.1.1 and Acrobat 8.1.1 to correct these issues.

References:

Written by bardissi on October 23rd, 2007 with no comments.
Read more articles on Microsoft and Student Computing and Watchguard and Adobe and Network Infrastructure and Non-Profit Technology and Windows XP and Business Computer Support and Home Computer Support and Windows Vista.

Windows RealPlayer Vulnerability Discovered in the Wild

Severity: High

22 October, 2007

Summary:

Late Friday, RealNetworks released a patch for a critical vulnerability affecting RealPlayer 10.5 and RealPlayer 11 beta running on Windows. By enticing one of your users to a malicious Web site, an attacker can exploit this vulnerability to execute code on your user’s computer, with your user’s privileges. In the worst case scenario, the attacker could gain total control of the victim’s PC. If you allow the use of RealPlayer in your network, have your users upgrade immediately.

Exposure:

RealPlayer and RealOne Player are widely-used software for Internet media delivery. RealOne Player plays virtually every major Internet media format, including Windows Media, Quicktime, MPEG-4, and even DVDs. If you’ve watched streaming videos on the Internet, or listened to music samples while buying CDs online, you’ve probably encountered RealPlayer.

WatchGuard does not recommend using RealPlayer or RealOne Player, partly because both contain automatic communication features which, by default, let RealNetworks and RealNetwork’s “partners” (such as NASCAR and CNN) install software on your client computers. But in reality, many of your users have probably installed one of these products, with or without your permission.

In a security update released late Friday, RealNetworks warned of a new vulnerability that affects RealPlayer 10.5 and 11 beta running on Windows. (OS X and Linux users are not affected.) The flaw, discovered in the wild by Symantec, involves a buffer overflow vulnerability in one of RealPlayer’s ActiveX controls (specifically, ierpplug.dll). By enticing one of your users to a malicious Web site, an attacker can pass an over-long parameter to the vulnerable ActiveX control, which triggers the buffer overflow flaw. The attacker can then exploit the flaw to execute code on your user’s computer, inheriting your user’s privileges. Windows administrators often give users local administrator rights. If the exploit is successful in that context, the attacker would gain complete control of your user’s machine.

Symantec found attackers exploiting this vulnerability in the wild. In other words, the bad guys found the flaw first and are actively using it to break into computers. If you use RealPlayer in your network, this vulnerability poses a critical risk. You should apply RealNetwork’s update immediately.

Solution Path:

RealNetworks has released a patch to correct this vulnerability. Clients who use RealPlayer 10.5 or 11 beta in Windows should upgrade immediately, or remove the software entirely. You can download RealNetwork’s patch here.

For All WatchGuard Users:

The vulnerability described in our alert uses normal HTTP traffic, which you must allow for your users to browse the Web. If you use RealPlayer in your network, you should download RealNetwork’s update as soon as possible.

Status:

RealNetworks has issued a Security Update that fixes the problem.

References:

Written by bardissi on October 23rd, 2007 with no comments.
Read more articles on Apple and Student Computing and Watchguard and Windows 2000 and Network Infrastructure and Non-Profit Technology and Windows XP and Business Computer Support and Home Computer Support and Windows Vista.

Everything is Here

The Intel E6750 Boxed CPU and three Western Digital 320-Gb SATA hard drives arrived today, and now all of the parts are here. I set everything except the case out on the picnic table for a photo. Out of several photos, my sweetie liked this one with fall color in the background :-)

All of the stuff
Then I downloaded an Intel video that demonstrates how to install the processor and “thermal solution” (fan + heat sink) on the Intel DP35DP motherboard. After playing the video once, I played it again and did the installation while watching the video. What makes it tricky is that dozens upon dozens of tiny pins on the motherboard socket must match up with a similar number of contact lands on the CPU wafer, without bending any of the pins.

And the CPU is just a wafer at this point, not fragile exactly but the motherboard pins are. You are supposed to set the square wafer straight down on the pins without sliding it at all, but I must admit that when I set it down it wasn’t perfectly aligned and it did slide slightly. I hope those pins handled it - I didn’t look.

Motherboard with CPU and memory
After inserting the wafer you close a little door and then a little spring handle to press the door and wafer down tightly against the socket pins. Then you put the heatsink on top of it all and fasten it down with its own little plastic clips, plug the heatsink fan into the appropriate connector, tie off any spare wire, and job done. I hope. I’ll feel a little better when I power it up and get a BIOS screen.

By comparison, the 4 Gb of G.Skill RAM seemed quite easy to install. Just push it carefully into the socket.

On another note: My first experience with computers was in 1962, 45 years ago, when disk drives were barely on the horizon. We used a magnetic tape operating system, and wrote programs on punched cards or paper tape. Later, about 28 years ago, I bought my first computer while working at 3M, with 64 Kb of RAM (yes RAM, not core), and a 5-Mb disk drive which was too heavy for one person to manage alone. These palm-sized disks each have 64,000 (sixty-four thousand) times as much disk capacity, and the CPU will enjoy 62,500 times as much RAM. Oh, and the RAM is about 800 times faster, while the CPU is easly 2500 times faster and there are two in the chip. Isn’t technology stunning?

Written by Don on October 23rd, 2007 with no comments.
Read more articles on E6750 and G.Skill and mirrored disks and otherSoftware and computer and hard drive and Computer.

Windows XP Service Pack 3 RC Preview is now available on Connect

Microsoft just released Windows XP Service Pack 3 RC Preview is now available on Connect.

Beta testers can get it now!

Source: connect.microsoft.com

Written by magakos on October 23rd, 2007 with no comments.
Read more articles on otherSoftware.

Microsoft Releases Virtual Machine Additions for Linux

Virtual Machine Additions for Linux

Brief Description

Compatible with Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1
Virtual Machine Additions for Linux are designed to improve the usability and interoperability of running qualified Linux operating systems as guests or virtual machines of Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1

Quick Details
Version: 2.0
Date Published: 10/22/2007
Language: English
Download Size: 2.9 MB


Overview

Virtual Machine Additions for Linux are designed to improve the usability and interoperability of running qualified Linux operating systems as guests or virtual machines of Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1.

Now with support for SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 10

Microsoft is committed to testing and supporting many third-party operating systems for use as guest operating systems on Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1 virtual machines. To help make sure that you have a favorable experience when you run third-party guest operating systems in Virtual Server 2005, Microsoft Product Support Services (PSS) has created a product support model for these third-party guest operating systems. This support model is consistent with the support model that is used for Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1. Product support for the Virtual Machine Additions will be provided through the normal support channels available for Virtual Server 2005 R2 SP1.

Virtual Machine Additions information
To improve the interoperability between virtual machines running Linux guest operating systems and Virtual Server 2005 R2, Virtual Machine Additions are available for Linux guest operating systems. You can install these Virtual Machine Additions components in your Linux guest operating systems to improve the following operating system capabilities:

  • Guest and host synchronization for time synchronization, for heartbeat generation, and for coordinated shutdown operations
  • Mouse driver
  • Display driver
  • SCSI hard disk emulation

Note: The SCSI hard disk Virtual Machine Additions component requires Virtual Server 2005 R2 Service Pack 1 (SP1).

Qualified Linux guests:

Link to full post on Microsoft.com

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My take on this, desperate times call for desperate measures……

Feel free to comment about this post at the wine-forum.

Written by twickline on October 23rd, 2007 with no comments.
Read more articles on otherSoftware.

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