Here's why I don't think a binary virus are a big problem in Linux.
Every now and then I try to get a binary I downloaded working in
Slackware Linux. First, the system complains that I don't have the
50 libraries it needs to run. After getting these libraries one
by one off the internet, it stops complaining about the libraries
but now complains that it wants version XXX of libc and I only have
version YYY. And of course, there is no standard directory structure
meaning libraries are often not in the right place for
the binary. At this point, usually after a wasted day, I say
screw it and give up.
So if there is some mythological Linux virus writer who can write a binary
that will work on all Linux systems, I say we give him 10 million bucks
to vet all the major code that people want to run on Linux but can't because
of Linux's own version of MS dll Hell.
If I can't get binaries I WANT to run, run, then how the hell can this
virus be universally executable?
The best parody of this was from Eddie
Murphy on SNL. He played a prison inmate who
wrote poetry.
"Images" by Tyrone Green
Dark and lonely on a summers' night
Kill my landlord, Kill my landlord.
The watchdog barkin'. Do he bite?
Kill my landlord, Kill my landlord.
Jump in the window, break his neck.
Then his house I start to wreck.
Got no reason.
What the heck?
Kill my landlord, Kill my landlord.
I as a Californian was so dissappointed that we weren't deluged with campaign ads like the rest of the battleground states. Oh, to miss the joy of seeing one attack ad after another. We must rid ourselves of the electoral college so we can all experience this wonderful campaign equally.
To those who wish that IBM or whoever would simply buy out
SCO, consider the following:
1) America is rampant with frivolous lawsuits. Hell, we invented
the term, along with nuiscience suit. What big company doesn't have one
or more?
2)There will be more to follow. Count on it. When you get big enough,
you get sued. If you're intimidated now(or your manager is), then you
might as well drop Linux because this won't be the last. This lawsuit
is as full of s*** as they come, and if we as a community concede to
their desire for a buyout under these circumstances, we have no chance
of surviving.
3)The only thing which gives this lawsuit any legitimacy is the fact that
SCO bought some UNIX licenses in the past. Everything else about it is
made up of lies and contradictions:
They attack Linus for not carefully checking and preventing proprietary
code from infecting Linux, yet SCO itself continued(continues?) to distribute
Linux, apparently oblivious to violation of their own IP.
Their inability to decide on what type of IP case this is; copyright? patents?
contract violations?
They claim ownership of all code related to Unix. As the BSD case has
established, this is impossible. If they claim ownership only of work
derived specifically from Sys V, then all they can ask for is for
those "stolen" parts to be removed.
4)The only thing that matters is what is done in court. "Cease and desist"
letters, random claims of ownership of IP, threats to sue anyone and everyone,
look pathetic. Despite all the fears of FUD scaring users away, most people
understand this. This is why smart companies have a policy of silence during
litigation.
5)Be grateful SCO's claims are so outrageous. It's as if I were to send Microsoft
a letter claiming they stole some of my IP and therefore the entire company is mine.
Or that some MS employee sneaked some SCO code into Windows, and therefore SCO owns all
of Windows XP.
The best thing to do is point people to articles like
Eric Raymond's
and
ANUPAM CHANDER's
as well as the fact that in the first court challenge by
LinuxTag,
SCO backed off.
I move that those of us wishing to be free from
patents move to an island. We will call this
island ZERO ONE. Free to innovate and work as a
collective, we will then quickly outproduce the
rest of the world in terms of technology.
This potentially may end badly, but we'll deal with
that later.
Slashdot Mirror
Here's why I don't think a binary virus are a big problem in Linux.
Every now and then I try to get a binary I downloaded working in Slackware Linux. First, the system complains that I don't have the 50 libraries it needs to run. After getting these libraries one by one off the internet, it stops complaining about the libraries but now complains that it wants version XXX of libc and I only have version YYY. And of course, there is no standard directory structure meaning libraries are often not in the right place for the binary. At this point, usually after a wasted day, I say screw it and give up.
So if there is some mythological Linux virus writer who can write a binary that will work on all Linux systems, I say we give him 10 million bucks to vet all the major code that people want to run on Linux but can't because of Linux's own version of MS dll Hell.
If I can't get binaries I WANT to run, run, then how the hell can this virus be universally executable?
Yeah. For Homer, they should have gotten John Goodman.
The best parody of this was from Eddie Murphy on SNL. He played a prison inmate who wrote poetry.
"Images" by Tyrone Green
Dark and lonely on a summers' night
Kill my landlord, Kill my landlord.
The watchdog barkin'. Do he bite?
Kill my landlord, Kill my landlord.
Jump in the window, break his neck.
Then his house I start to wreck.
Got no reason.
What the heck?
Kill my landlord, Kill my landlord.
C-I-L-L.... my landlord.
(from the UCSD Koala)
1. Babe, I bet you and I share the same
Resonant Frequency.
2. You put the fun in eigenfunction.
3. My love for you is invariant in every
inertial reference frame.
4. In the limit as time goes to infinity,
I know we'll converge.
5. You're prettier than all the girls on
http://www.cybersluts.com/
At least they extended their archives back to the 1980s. In the good ol' days, even the trolls were better. My nomination for Greatest Troll Ever .
I as a Californian was so dissappointed that we
weren't deluged with campaign ads like the rest
of the battleground states. Oh, to miss the joy
of seeing one attack ad after another. We must
rid ourselves of the electoral college so we can
all experience this wonderful campaign equally.
To those who wish that IBM or whoever would simply buy out SCO, consider the following:
1) America is rampant with frivolous lawsuits. Hell, we invented the term, along with nuiscience suit. What big company doesn't have one or more?
2)There will be more to follow. Count on it. When you get big enough, you get sued. If you're intimidated now(or your manager is), then you might as well drop Linux because this won't be the last. This lawsuit is as full of s*** as they come, and if we as a community concede to their desire for a buyout under these circumstances, we have no chance of surviving.
3)The only thing which gives this lawsuit any legitimacy is the fact that SCO bought some UNIX licenses in the past. Everything else about it is made up of lies and contradictions:
4)The only thing that matters is what is done in court. "Cease and desist" letters, random claims of ownership of IP, threats to sue anyone and everyone, look pathetic. Despite all the fears of FUD scaring users away, most people understand this. This is why smart companies have a policy of silence during litigation.
5)Be grateful SCO's claims are so outrageous. It's as if I were to send Microsoft a letter claiming they stole some of my IP and therefore the entire company is mine. Or that some MS employee sneaked some SCO code into Windows, and therefore SCO owns all of Windows XP.
The best thing to do is point people to articles like Eric Raymond's and ANUPAM CHANDER's as well as the fact that in the first court challenge by LinuxTag, SCO backed off.
I move that those of us wishing to be free from patents move to an island. We will call this island ZERO ONE. Free to innovate and work as a collective, we will then quickly outproduce the rest of the world in terms of technology.
This potentially may end badly, but we'll deal with that later.
I would say 'pot, kettle, black' but I'd have to shout it at almost the entire 'slashdot community'
Most readers at Slashdot probably would not claim to be unbiased in this matter.
Didio OTOH, as presented in the article, does come accross as a neutral commentator. So the parent
post is very helpful.
Full disclosure is always best.