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Of patches, fixes & updates |
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Written by Tony Phelps
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Thursday, 17 November 2005 |
Software development is half art, half science. It can be done well or
badly. But there are always mistakes that need fixing. And so the “bug”
came to be…
The term “bug” originated from the days when a computer was about as
powerful as a modern digital watch is. The computer filled a large
room, and the components were large and delicate. One of the
reasons they failed was literally because of a bug – a moth causing a
short-circuit. Hence, there was a bug in the computer.
Nowadays, bugs are mostly confined to invisible software types.
Vanuatu, though, is more likely to experience the old-fashioned version
than many places, because a computer system unit is a dry, warm and
dark place that is very inviting to geckos, cockroaches and other bugs!
Most of the time, a typical computer user won’t come across a software
bug. Professionally-produced software undergoes extensive testing, so
most problems should be sorted out long before you get the software.
But even so, there may be other bugs that simply slow things down, or
occasions when something a little unusual or advanced is done which
causes an unexpected result. Software developers constantly work to
improve their products, and it is almost guaranteed that there will be
at least some fixes to problems (known as patches or updates)
available. Sometimes these patches are bundled up together into a
“service pack” which applies them all at once. Note that patches &
updates can apply not just to the applications, but also to the
underlying system too, eg. Microsoft Windows.
Obtaining updates is usually as simple as connecting to the internet or
getting hold of a CD from a popular PC magazine. They are mostly quite
simple to apply, with clear instructions. The big question is whether
it is worth it. Software updates can be very large (Windows XP Service
Pack 2 is hundreds of megabytes), and even quite modest sizes can take
a very long time over a dialup internet connection..
Business & government computers should certainly be regularly
updated. Many fixes are for security, to prevent viruses and other
malicious software (malware) from doing things or to prevent outsiders
breaking in to the computer. It is also well worth it for home users,
for the same reason. Microsoft Windows has long had an automatic update
feature, which makes it so easy to stay up-to-date. And those hackers
& virus writers just love an out-of-date computer! |
