Botnet frustrates attempt to install Arch Linux with Twitch users

An attempt to co-install Arch Linux with the Twitch community on a virtual machine is thwarted by a botnet trying to push through Gentoo. The botnet managed to partially install Gentoo.

The project Twitch in The Shell @ Arch Linux aims to install Arch Linux on a virtual machine with the Twitch community. Every five seconds, the most popular keystroke is entered via the chat functionality. Cooperation should eventually make the OS work. The project follows on from Twitch plays Pokémon, where players collectively tried to progress through the game Pokémon via the chat system.

However, the attempt to get Arch Linux up and running was soon hampered by a botnet, which attempted to install the ‘rival’ Gentoo distribution. The botnet partly succeeded, after which the Twitch in The Shell project was restarted. The botnet abused the chosen method to count the most popular entries when installed on the virtual machine.