Re: Green Hills CEO: Linux threat to free world!

From: Paul Carpenter (paul$_at_pcserv.demon.co.uk)
Date: 04/10/04 

Date: Fri, 9 Apr 2004 23:06:06 +0000 (UTC)

On Friday, in article
     <40771fe1$0$79302$812600b3@news.nntpaccess.com>
     pmaloy@codesprite.com "CodeSprite" wrote:
>"Lewin A.R.W. Edwards" <larwe@larwe.com> wrote in message
>news:608b6569.0404091334.5addfe27@posting.google.com...
>> > to happen, but what are the real safeguards against backdoors in Linux?
>When
>> > I've tried using it, I've had to install libraries from all over the
>place
>> > just to get all the applications I want working (and the new libraries
>stop
>> > other apps working, but let's not go there) - and I certainly haven't
>seen
>>
>> So, if I may compress your statements into a particularly worm-ridden
>> nutshell: You installed random software from diverse and untrusted
>> sources not familiar to you, in order to solve compatibility problems
>> you didn't fully understand, and you expected the result to be a
>> coherent, secure, monolithic block with totally predictable behavior?
>>
>
>Well, I don't recall ever installing an application onto Windows, finding it
>required an updated DLL, and when that DLL is installed finding that other
>applications installed earlier in the day mysteriously stop working, which

I have too bloody often!! But then again nearly ALL Windows apps end up
modify the OS so you are more likely to see update DLL, system won't boot.

>is a parallel to my experience with linux - all applications and libraries
>installed from Mandrake's rpm repository. But as I said - that's a side
>issue and almost certainly entirely due to my own lack of understanding.

I have seen multiple copies of some libraries running on some systems, but
due to the fact that applications normally don't try to alter the OS files
it is usually some applications that fail not the whole system.

Generally I find the apps that cause most problems fall into the categories
of poorly maintained (to latest versions of libraries) or bad ports from
Windows world where things are done differently.

Personally I consider any embedded system using any form of Windows (single
board to embedded 'PCs') must only expect to have a product life cycle of
three years. After this time getting replacements and their drivers to work
is the usual problems. Especially if the replacement is now USB/AGP/new bus. 

-- 
Paul Carpenter		| paul@pcserv.demon.co.uk
<http://www.pcserv.demon.co.uk/>        Main Site
<http://www.gnuh8.org.uk/>              GNU H8 & mailing list info.
<http://www.badweb.org.uk/>             For those web sites you hate.

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