alex wrote:
I thought that was a pretty sensible and balanced article. One thing I did take issue with,though, was this:Has the Linux security bubble burst?http://www.informationweek.com/story/IWK20030124S0013/1
"Consider just two cases in point: The Open Source Mozilla project ran three years late in development, and that was just a browser, not an entire operating system. Linux itself took about 7 years before it was even remotely ready for prime time. In the face of software gestations this lengthy, I think it's hard to argue that open source's supposed "fast fixes" actually mean much in real world benefits. "
Actually, Open Source gestation is generally pretty quick (especially if someone says "security flaw", which has every coder in the room putting on a big pot of coffee so they can stay up and fix it). It is true that Linux took a long time to evolve into an OS that ordinary users could use - what do you expect from an OS whose founder initially described as "just a hobby - nothing big and professional like GNU."
Mozilla is a special case. It was set up by Netscape, who didn't have piles of money to throw at software developers, and suffered from a lot of infighting in its early days. In some ways, Mozilla was one of many reasons Netscape losty the browser wars - Netscape 5 was ditched, it was years before a new version came out, and when it did, in the form of Netscape 6.0, it was appalling - slow, buggy, you name it (although the version of Mozilla shipping at the same time was pretty decent). Now we have a version of Netscape based on (I think) Mozilla 1.1, and it beats the hell out of IE, but it's too late.
But as I said, the Mozilla project was a special case. People often forget that "Open Source" doesn't just mean Linux or FreeBSD. It includes such basic programs as Apache and Sendmail, without which the web would not exist. They don't have a fast development cycle ,in terms of new versions, because there is rarely any point - if it ain't broken, don't fix it. but if a security vulnerability turns up, it's fixed before you can say "Slammer".
Sir Robin
--
" Like these cutters, and hackers, who will take the wall of men, and picke quarrells."
- G. Pettie
Robin Turner
IDMYO
Bilkent Univeritesi
Ankara 06533
Turkey
www.bilkent.edu.tr/~robin
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