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Microsoft Opens Source to China

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the not-part-of-the-axis-of-evil dept.

angst7 writes "ZDNet is reporting that Microsoft has signed an agreement which would allow the Chinese government access to Windows source code. This is part of an effort to curb the shift toward Linux in China due to that country's concerns regarding the security of closed source software." Reader NZheretic points out that less than a year ago, Jim Allchin swore under oath that disclosing the Windows operating system source code could damage national security.

7 of 480 comments (clear)

  1. What good does this do by overshoot · · Score: 5, Insightful

    if the Chinese can't recreate the shipping binaries from the source that MS shows them? The last time the question came up (the Caldera suit) Microsoft finally had to admit that even they couldn't reproduce the distribution binaries from source.

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    Lacking <sarcasm> tags, /. substitutes moderation as "Troll."
  2. Yes, but.... by SomeOtherGuy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    can they type: ../configure;make windows;make install?

    If not -- then how do they know that the code they are looking at is the same version that goes into the build on their desktops?

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    (+1 Funny) only if I laugh out loud.
  3. Do they really think it will stay secure? by Rooked_One · · Score: 5, Insightful
    I mean really????? Doom3 was supposed to be under lock and key, but yet i'll bet 90% of the people reading this have it on their hard drive right now.



    Just curiously... if all the linux users care about is open source, wouldn't the functionality of windows compared to linux IN SOME ASPECTS cause a flux of *nix users to use windows if they could fiddle with it as they liked? I mean besides server issues, windows is the way to go if your computer is really just a PC.

  4. That IS a little creepy by G27+Radio · · Score: 5, Insightful


    When he swore under oath that opening the source for Windows would be a threat to national security, I completely agreed. The number of security holes in Windows with the source remaining closed was bad enough. Now China gets to see the source, and we don't? Wouldn't that put them at an advantage over US companies that can't audit the code for security holes?

  5. Uh? by m4g02 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I cant wait to put my hands on that baby, i know, is an ugly one but would be very intersting to look the sources. This make me wonder, with all the security issues that Windows has isnt a bit dangerous to give the source to only one country who could find several bugs and holes by looking at the codes?, isnt it scary?, say bye-bye to Windows on sensitive servers.

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    Sigs are for morons... Wait a minute...
  6. Re:Not even sharing, just showing really by unoengborg · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If they can't compile it into running windows programs, how can they be sure that the programs on their windows CDs are built from the code that they have looked at?

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    God is REAL! Unless explicitly declared INTEGER
  7. Re:That's shares source with China, by mikehoskins · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Am I the only one who notices something?

    M$ lies (under oath) about security problems with OpenSource, due to its "open" nature.

    M$ has FAR more security problems than OpenSource.

    Countries (often those who hack into M$ computers) want the source opened, or else, so M$ complies....

    M$ won't open their source to the public, who needs knowledge and a defense against those attacks.

    Ergo, M$ opens the source to the wrong people, instead of the right ones. This is the difference between the "black hats" and the "white hats."

    OpenSource realizes that BOTH can see their source, so the "white hats" patch the holes in anticipation of problems. M$ does not....