[NTLK] Possible serious bug in NewtWiki...

From: Jim Anderson (blag_at_narcosislabs.org)
Date: Sat Aug 24 2002 - 02:42:45 EDT


=09Someone wrote to tell me about a serious bug in NewtWiki. I want to wa=
rn=20
anyone, because it is possible that this bug could mess up data.

=09There is a kind of link in NewtWiki called a package link. It looks li=
ke=20
"pkg:<some package name>", and it opens a package on the Newton. If you t=
ry=20
to follow a package link for a nonexistant package, NewtWiki will attempt=
 to=20
open a different package (the nearest named package preceeding the one yo=
u=20
tried to open). This doesn't quite work right, and you can end up with a=20
system error that restarts the Newton. The fellow that wrote me told me t=
hat=20
he was able to hang his Newton doing this, and when he restarted it claim=
ed=20
that his memory card was formatted for a different language and needed to=
 be=20
updated. Allowing the Newt to update the card seemed to make everything w=
ork,=20
and he hasn't seen any missing or damaged data. This makes me pretty=20
paranoid, though.
=09I haven't been able to replicate this (hang, followed by a card error)=
 on my=20
Newton, but I have been able to generate a system error that restarts the=
=20
Newton. Since this may mess up data, I'd recommend that you don't use pac=
kage=20
links until I've gotten a handle on this.

=09Sorry,
--=20
Jim Anderson

Evil Overlord Rule 24:
I will maintain a realistic assessment of my strengths and weaknesses. Ev=
en=20
though this takes some of the fun out of the job, at least I will never u=
tter=20
the line "No, this cannot be! I AM INVINCIBLE!!!" (After that, death is=20
usually instantaneous.)

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