Scanner Spots Open Source Installations

Mike writes "Information security firm OpenLogic has begun letting users download 'Discovery,' an application that scans Windows, Linux, and Solaris machines and attempts to identify open source software. The Discovery application claims to identify more than 5,000 versions of the top 900 open source packages. The scanning engine is able to detect open source installations whether they were installed explicitly or bundled with other software products. Kim Weins, vice president of marketing, says 'We developed it in response to customers not knowing what open source programs they were using.' I can't help but think that this a move to slyly demonize FOSS by scaring businesses into thinking they don't know what's on their PCs."

Comments

Inventorying OSS can help OSS

[MSTCrow5429]

"I can't help but think that this a move to slyly demonize FOSS by scaring businesses into thinking they don't know what's on their PCs."

Looks to me that this is just a simple inventory tool so business has an idea of what's on their machines, and perhaps if they see that people, having appropriate account permissions on the PC, are voluntarily installing open source alternatives, say OpenOffice instead of MS Office, businesses may be more conducive to migrating to OSS, or at least openly accepting it.

Business have no clue what's on their machines. That's why you have staff workers running around as admin all the time, and picking up literally thousands of instances of spyware/adware/malware. They just can't get enough toolbars and cute fluffy pointers.