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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."
You know, given the Vista experience, we're getting to the point where you know there's open source software afoot if the scanner simply runs without crashing something.
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1) It can be used to help companies ensure that they are being compliant with the various licenses [good].
2) It can be used to "root out" those 'evil' open source applications [bad].
Unfortunately I agree that option 2 is most likely as it is really used to search for applications and not code. Why you would want to search for explicitly open source, vs. just knowing what is on a corporate PC doesn't make a lot of sense to me.
Ok, I give up, why you?
I'm probably not alone curious and wanting to download this free app to (re)discover which OSS is installed on my computers... You can download it from here: http://www.openlogic.com/discovery/new_download_re gister.php?ls= and you need to give your name, email, location and some more before downloading the beast.
Animoog.org
I have 12,000 violations on my laptop. I better make out a check to the EFF before the bang the door down... what's the annual licensing fee on GPL software again?
Think of the Children; Sleep with your Sister
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.
Slashdot: Playing Favorites Since 1997
Why the accusatory last sentence? Open Logic is a company that provides services for open source products, and the impression I get from this tool is that it shows managers how much they already depend on open source.
"You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows." - Bob Dylan
It could also scan for and find Open Source software that was installed by a third party without proper compliance with the GPL. Install as much third party junk as you can, then scan to see who is using GPL software without compliance.
There is nothing so silly as other peoples traditions, and nothing so sacred as our own.
You know, the interesting thing is, so many people are trolling this, but if you are, you must have never been through VC funding.
/ALL/ open source software used ANYWHERE in the company. Yeah. Sounds like fun, right? It sure was. Either way, this app could've made my life a lot easier. :(. Too bad I see it NOW!
I had to make a list of
Jay | http://oldos.org
CEO: we need to start scanning now!
..
..
..
IT Guy: which computers should we start with?
CEO: Start with the people who file the most computer complains and go downward
(IT guy comes back next day)
IT Guy: Sir all of the Vista machines who had problems reported 0 infections, and at the bottom of the list the department running OS X and Linux development machines. They had tons of the stuff.
I know in my own organization that management barely knows what the proprietary software does for them, much less the open source software. So this could be a really good thing if it causes IT managers, CIOs, CTOs, etc. to wake up and realize just how much of their business really runs on open source software. They might start treating it with a little more respect, even though much of it does not appear on their budget reports.
Ouch! The truth hurts!
I wonder if it detects itself?
politicians are like babies' nappies: they should both be changed regularly and for the same reasons
From TFS: "an application that scans Windows, Linux, and Solaris machines and attempts to identify open source software."
What will they think of next? Panning for dirt? Yes, I think you might find just a teensy bit of open source software on the average Linux install. Now what?
... build a scanner that inventories ALL software and catagorized it as OSS, unknown or proprietary/licensed? Odds are its the latter two that will come back and bite corporate IT departments in the *ss if not properly licensed.
Have gnu, will travel.
croddy@localhost $ vrms
Non-free packages installed on localhost
doom2-wad IWAD from ID Software's DOOM 2 computer game
iozone3 Filesystem and Disk Benchmarking Tool
nvidia-glx NVIDIA binary Xorg driver
Reason: Proprietary license
nvidia-glx-dev NVIDIA binary Xorg driver development files
Reason: Proprietary license
openlogic-discovery Tool for locating installed open-source software packages
Reason: Who needs this - when you've got me?
5 non-free packages, 0.3% of 1519 installed packages
I just want to let you know OpenLogic is a big fan of source. Our mission is to enable companies to use more open source software. Our whole business is built around that proposition, so we are definitely not trying to get companies to remove FOSS. The reality is that enterprises we work with are already using lots of FOSS -- whether they realize it or not. However, the corporate legal, compliance, IT and architecture folks want to know that they have certain policies and procedures in place around open source -- especially for software that's going outside the company or software that's going into production. By getting certification, support and indemnification from OpenLogic, it allows the corporate compliance types to feel MORE comfortable about FOSS and therefore be more willing to let developers use FOSS. The reason that we developed this free tool is that when we talked to companies, they weren't really sure what FOSS they were using. For many companies, the asset management tools that they already have in place can not necessarily detect open source software. We wanted a simple tool that would let them create that inventory. As far as registration, we have been debating that internally and have some changes planned to reduce the barriers -- so stay tuned on that front. Kim Weins
FTFA:
Customers would guess that they had 15 or 20 open source products on their networks only to discover that workers were using 200 or more open source applications, she said.
Knowledge is your friend. If their intention is to root the applications out, they will discover how expensive non free software really is. Awareness always leads to more free software use.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
This is more than a bit silly. Scanning for just open source software makes about as much sense as an email service that scans just email from mailing lists. While there may be reasons to scan for non-compliant software, there doesn't appear to be any compelling reason for this to exist as a product. If a company is going to scan for software, just scanning for open source software has no business case.
Perhaps I am dense, but this just doesn't seem to make any sense, even as a direct attack on the open source community at large....
Even among the companies that will allow just any ol' user to install applications, there are some who have policies against applications that don't come from above.
This could just as easily work in favor of Open Source applications. If typical scans reveal popular apps, and those popular apps are the ones people use with great success, and there are eyes that open to the fact that they too, use Open Source applications, that they are among their favorites, and exactly what Open Source applications are.
In the event that a corporate IT manager looks at some such report, and says to a CTO, "Look, CTO - I told you our Open Source software initiative would work". "Our users are spending 75% of their sanctioned computer time in such applications as Open Office, Thunderbird, and GAIM." "The supplemental reports I have generated show the remaining 25% divided between other Non-Open applications; iTunes, Spybot Search and Destroy, AdAware, ClickMeFun2000.exe, Solitaire.exe, and these commercial products to allow Windows users to our UNIX services."
That's a conversation I'm looking forward to having, because I'm anxious to deliver the punchline!
Persistant home folders on a SAN, with an imaged Linux Desktop! Yes, we can even have anti-virus..