On Sunday 08 June 2003 12:33 pm, JoeHill wrote: > On Sun, 8 Jun 2003 17:00:29 +0100 > > Anne Wilson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> uttered: > > Viruses, possibly, but there's more to it than that. > > as I say, that's all i'm talking about.
Many of these "Linux is buggier than Windows" articles are based on Enron-style accounting. Typically, they do this counting a single flaw that is discovered in some common Linux program multiple times: For example, a vulnerability is discovered in SendMail. RedHat releases a fix: Plus one. Suse releases a fix: Plus one. Mandrake releases a fix: Plus one. Debian releases a fix: Plus one. etc, etc, etc. Pretty soon, the one vulnerability gets reported as seven vulnerabilities. Next: Many open source flaws are discovered by someone looking at the code; if you read the reports, you see that nothing bad has occurred yet as a result of the vulnerability, but it could occur. In contrast, most Microsoft flaws are discovered when people see smoke coming from their servers, and the whole damn web is suddenly brought to its knees. Another: Open sources flaws are usually resolved within a few days of discovery; sometimes even sooner. By contrast, there's the Microsoft approach: First, denial. Second, say that it is under study (sometimes this is accompanied by a recommendation that various "features" be turned off). Third, issue a patch. Fourth, issue a patch for the patch. Repeat until the next version of Windows is to be inflicted on the public, telling them that this new pile of stuff is much more reliable and safer than that POS we sold you two years ago. Yet more: AFAIK, open source mail readers do not open executables. Since email is the primary means for transmitting virii and worms, any Linuxer is automatically way ahead of the game. Do any consumer-level versions of Windows contain any form of security? Is the subject even mentioned during the installation process? (I gave up after 98SE, so I'm not hip about XP Home.) A bit like buying a house without locks on the doors, isn't it? -- cmg
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