Shattering
Paradigms
What is OSS?
  Examples
  More examples
  Extreme
Product Cycle
Free? How?
Stable? Secure?
Support
Commercial
Questions
Links
 Is it stable and secure?

  • Unlike closed, proprietary software, OSS is subjected to intense, constant peer-review.
    • Bugs are much more likely to be found early, and reported to the maintainers.

  • Can't Crackers use the source to break in?
    • Security risks (bugs which allow someone to do things they shouldn't) are generally found first by a concerned user than by a cracker.
    • When a cracker does find the "exploit" first, analysis of the exploit on the early compromised machines results in very fast response.
    • Knowledge of a bug makes bug-finding easier.

  • What about Crackers installing backdoors?
    • Peer review prevents this in official version.
    • Always use official, trusted sources.

  • What about Year 2000?
    • Unix doesn't count time using two digits, but rather is counted in number of seconds since January 1, 1970. A 32-bit system such as x86 Linux should thus have no date problems through the year 2038.
    • Y2000 statement from SuSE.

Copyright 1998 Chris Halsall and the Victoria Linux Users Group. Reuse permitted for OSS promotion.