OMG!!! Why do they just patent the computer?!?!?

Story: Microsoft Patents Operating System ShutdownTotal Replies: 3
Author Content
JaseP

Sep 03, 2010
10:03 AM EDT
You have got to be kidding me, right?!?!? What in the world would convince the patent office that a method of turnng something friggin off is patentable... ?!?!? Oh,... filing fees, that's right!!!

As I am sure we all know, in Linux it's; shutdown -h now.

All processes are sent the kill signal,... done.

Do they really think they've invented something here?!?!

This is why the system is just so,... BROKEN.
tracyanne

Sep 03, 2010
5:48 PM EDT
Prediction. Microsoft will patent restarting applications that were running during last session.
TxtEdMacs

Sep 03, 2010
6:45 PM EDT
ta,

Done ... just one problem. One or more are badly corrupted running applications that results in taking the system really down. I think if you real the patent claims carefully that's the technology MS is corning the market. Matchless, I say.

YBT
hkwint

Sep 03, 2010
7:15 PM EDT
Just read the patent (claims, background, summary).

What it basically describes, is how to handle design / programming errors. If you don't make design errors (such as programs being allowed of _not_ reacting to a "SIGTERM") or programming errors (programs hanging), I think you wouldn't ever infringe this patent.

Needles to say, Linux has got all kind of fancy signals to send to programs. The (BSD) manual says "kill" first appeared in AT&T Unix v3, which I think is before 1975, so nobody has to be afraid I think.

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