Stop Updating Shit I Don't Need!

Ubuntu Linux has an automatic update feature like every other piece of software on the planet. Unlike the good old days when I could go out a purchase a floppy disk, bring it home, and be left alone with my software working the way I want, these days, everything is exposed on the Internet. Therefore, all software must phone home to be patched daily for exploits that the jerks on the Net have managed to use to hijack computers and break into sensitive data.

I hate it.

What I hate most about it is being interrupted by a notification icon telling me updates are ready. I also hate popups reminding me to restart after an update. Remember when Linux guys used to brag about having their machines up and running for months without restarting? Remember when they used to brag about how Linux could be patched without a restart?

HAHAHA! Those days are over.

While I was typing this, Ubuntu Hardy told me to download updates. 11 files were patched. Here's what pisses me off more than anything else: All the files being patched on my system are shit I don't use!

Evolution received an update. I use Gmail. I don't need evolution updates. If evolution is a security risk, give me the option to uninstall it instead of integrating it with the clock on the task bar. OpenSSL was updated. I'm sorry, but I don't have any SSL certificates to build. Why is this even on my machine? Samba was updated. I'm using this machine to blog. Why is Samba even installed on the friggin' thing by default. Samba is an obscure rarely used file server solution that is supposedly compatible with Windows networks.

Come on! Almost anyone with a Windows network and a site license has Windows servers! Samba is a stupid idea for a desktop system! Get rid of it! Make it an obscure option post-installation.

In short, I had to download and install patches for my machine, and I must now restart because three applications I have ZERO USE have holes in them that need plugging.

Stop it! Stop patching shit I don't need! Don't patch my system if I don't have the program running actively or use it! Hell, don't install it if I don't ask for it.

I tried to uninstall Samba. The system warned me that the entire operating system would be uninstalled with it. What a crock.