I hate computers (sometimes) - Wed, Feb 13, 2008

Why do major computer problems always hit when you really don’t have the time or need to deal with it?  For example, there was a major local root exploit published on slashdot on 2/10/08.  A real doozey.  Run this program as a normal user and you magically get root access.  Shit like this makes the assholes of sysadmins chew on the leather of their big chairs.  Shit like this makes me glad that I went into pharmacy and not a full time sysadmin.

Since all the major vendors (and even the kernel developers) are blindsided by this (2/10/08 is a Sunday) someone puts out a hotfix.  So I apply said hotfix to my workstation, my internal file server, and a server in an undisclosed location that is NOT at my house.

Everything is fine, until the MOMENT I get into my car to go and do something that will take 4 hours.  Off goes the cellphone to let me know that all 3 machines have shit the bed.  Wonderful, just fucking wonderful.  Cue the terrible anxiety for the WHOLE damn 4 hour appointment.  I get home, just get to fixing the servers that have shit the bed when the pent up anxiety makes my dinner explode out of my ass in 10 min increments.

I read then to see that the hotfix is really hit and miss as to if it panics the kernel or not.  To make things even fucking better, I find a /proc option that will automatically reboot your server if it locks up due to kernel panic.  Go fucking me.