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Smuggling Open Source Past The Boss

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the how-*dare*-you-extend-my-budget? dept.

Saint Aardvark writes: "CNN has an article on software engineers sneaking open source software past the boss -- and how the smart boss doesn't look too closely." A nicely balanced article (originally from Computer World).

2 of 136 comments (clear)

  1. Ask your boss; he might surprise you. by daviddennis · · Score: 5

    I work for a mid-sized company of about 100 employees. The contract house I worked for had produced a Windows-based web site for them; I started with a Linux-based system that did a small part of their site.

    The owner of the company noticed that I was far more responsive than the other people at the contract house, so he hired me as a programmer/manager to straighten things out.

    The first thing I did was to propose that we change the web site from Windows to Linux. The original site was taking 4.5 seconds to pull up a page with no load. I did a demonstration that was instantaneous, and Windows' doom was sealed.

    I will treasure the moment forever where I was in the room with my former boss and the owner of the company. The FB was claiming that I could get my neck wrung if Linux wasn't good enough for the job. I said that I'd used it elsewhere, and I knew it was. "Microsoft provides a level of acceptable mediocrity," saith the FB in a tone that made it clear that this was something good.

    The owner exploded: "Our company does not seek mediocrity."

    We've been running the Linux system for about a month, and so far it's exceeded company expectations and I've become a corporate hero for the first time in my life.

    So don't underestimate bosses. Sometimes you can convince them to do the right thing.

    D

    ----

  2. Legit Channels by darial · · Score: 5

    I once tried to get a Linux box past the boss through "legit" channels, and had a major success. We were replacing an older-than-god Sun mail server, and I suggested a Linux box. At the time I think it was Slackware. Got it all set up, we moved it inot the network, and it worked fine. However, the boss decided to cover his ass, and bought an NT server and a commercial mail program that will remain nameless (you'll see why in a bit). I was miffed, but rather than sulk or smuggle, I got out the hex editor and disassembler. Two hours later, I had found 10 unbounded str* functions that lead to buffer overflows. Wrote up an exploit, and showed it to the boss. He didn't really believe it, but let me run the thing, and sure enough, it worked. Two hours and a little help from me and the now-classic AlephOne article later, he had written his own exploit on a different hole. At that point he sent the mail program back, demanded a refund, and there's a linux server there to this day.