This is the article:

http://www.vnunet.com/news/1160853

I really did not post this article because of the title of the article:
"Linux security is a 'myth', claims Microsoft"

Because

A.

I partly believe that Linux security is a myth, for example of when hackers can achieve enough fame from making a mockery of Linux as it does with Windows, then we will see where Linux stands on the front of virus's and breaking's. Please don't flame me, I am a totally in love with Linux, and I know that in a common install Linux is more secure that Windows, but everyone has their price (even hackers). Thats all i have to say on that, no further comment. (this is not what I want to talk about)

B.

I brought this article attention because of this statement:

Sure, it is propaganda, Microsoft can't seriously know all the efforts of all the different people behind open Source. And yes the handful that donate to the tree are supported by hundreds of others with their patches/bug reports. They use scare tactics, yes, but also they would never say something that couldn't be true because it's not in their best interests. So saying false statements will lose the opinions of their share holders, etc.

What I am getting at is that the Linux community really needs to band together and keep it's focus. The fathers of this blessed O/S have worked hard to get it to where it is today, and we need to find the heart and strength in the new programmers of today to bring us forth to tomorrow.

I have already made it a personal goal in my life to contribute to the Open source Community. I am struggling to learn my Programming (C, C++, Perl, Scripts, Java) and playing catch up so that one day I may fill a hole that needs to be filled. I am computer Science and Engineering Technology major. I don't need to be able to program well, i just need to be able to read and understand it, But I feel that this is a righteous cause and I want to be noble.

I am calling out to people of the Linux/Open source community, to look around. This is a great place and time we are in, the reins are held tight and we are moving forward, but there will be a time when the reins will be passed down to the next generation, and we need to be ready for that time to come and to keep the spirit alive.

I am not trying to be offensive or dismantle what we have. I am wanted to keep people logical and fundamentally on the ground so that we see what is true and not what we want to see. I am saying to look deep inside yourself and if you believe in open source fight for it. Not in rants, raves, and flames. Fight for it where it counts, and that is hard work. (code, patches, and programs)

Who knows what will happen when our chief advisers step down, i.e. Linus Tolvalds. Are we ready? We always need to be ready, we have no choice, it is our freedom.

Thank you for Listening and fight for the righteous Cause,
Bryon

I'm sick and tired of trolls. Taking advantage of these rubbish articles. What's the best way to deal with them? Ignore them or smack down with their pathetic points of arguments.

Troll:

Me:

When is Mandrake Linux going to preinstalled on peoples computers. I'm sick of Microsoft monolopy.

BTW I don't use Mandrake Linux. I use Slackware. Mandrake is just an appropiate example.

Security is only as good as you make it. New linux distros are more secure out of the box than Windows anything out of the box.

Brian1
" Google the Linux way @ http://www.google.com/linux "

Notice that even if the first line is true, he's comparing the number of people coding for the kernel vs the number of people writing for the entire platform.

microsoft is totaly wrong.. linux is more secure agianst viruses than windows....

-delete-

What exactly is it that you want to retract? I'm having a hard time trying to figure out what you mean, since you were the one who started the thread but (apparently) now want to claim it's a mistake.

The article itself has merit; it simply gives some insight into the Microsoft point-of-view. -- J.W.

Linux Security is No myth

Most Security breaches are made becose of flauws in applications.
In windows these applications are mostly run as administrator rights (most users have that), this becose you cant do shit with a (normal) user account.
in linux all programs that dont have to be root arnt root so most attacks result in a Local root attack.
That kinda reduces the odds isnt it.

I know this isn't probably what you ar elooking for but there are a few computer distobuters that are selling computers with Linux OSs preinstalled. HP for one and I have even seen them in my local walmart. I am not sure how the sales are doing from these machines but consitering there is usaly a 100-200 price difference in the same computer with MS on it I would buy the Linux one just to same th e money. (And if I wasn't a linux user, and couldn't get into linux I would just install a pirate copy of Xp) But I think this is a move in the right direction to get the Linux OS out there to more home personal PCs.

here are some links:
http://opensource.hp.com/
http://h10018.www1.hp.com/wwsolutions/linux/index.html
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...3A3951%3A41937

These are just a few.

McGrath is way off. One of the main reasons why the Windows operating system is so vulnerable to virii is that it uses ActiveX which allows IE to install and run software. This is refused by such browsers as Firefox (although there are plugins but who would be dumd enough to use them?). Linux has not made that dumb mistake so getting a virus to actually run in Linux is very difficult. Even if you get the virus to run on the system you have too many variants of the Linux system and the virus must be pretty good written to be able to handle a handfull of different systems. Even if you manage to overcome those two problems you have one more: you need to give the virus root access if you want to do something else then just mess with the users home-dir.

These three main things (there are certainly more) make at least writing virii alot harder in Linux than in Windows.

Hi, thank you guys for the replies, but i don't think you understand what I am trying to get accross. This post isn't about security but about goals of personal people. I posted this for a morale boost to show how I got in the spirit and how I set a goal in life to help the Open Source Movement (which i think is very vaild) and for others to do the same. I wanted people to look at themselves and think,

"Man, I can make a difference."

And in Open source / Linux You can! :-) That to me is the #1 reason i love linux.

It isn't because of security it is about freedom.

Security to me is the same with every system, in the fact that you make it as secure as you make it. I ran fine on windows, and i am sure with most of the computer literate people here you would too.

I wanted to give a morale broost in saying

"We work for the good of tomorrow"
Good Luck Programmers!
~Bryon

JerryMcFarts, it's funny you bring this up. I myself started to think those thoughts a couple of weeks ago and it resulted in a promise to myself that I would someday do some sort of tribute to the opensource/linux community. I started to feel kinda guilty since I was using software that other created for me but I didn't give anything back.

Keep the spirit alive. :)

btw other securety thing
with sudo you can also make a limited root admin so you can update configure your box. but you can rm -rf /
stupid class m8 did that when i was helping some one else with C

Hey, you can always pay them . Donate to Mozilla or the FSF or to any other developer(s) whose stuff you like the most. I do.


Seriously, though, Microsoft's propaganda is beggining to piss me off.
Their anti-Linux campaign has assumed the proportions of Rabochy Put now. This only proves that they are afraid of the OS and know that Linux/FreeBSD will eventually surpass them in terms of user base. Apart from gamers and vendor-locked-in developers, the only windoze users I have seen so far are silly yuppies who don't know any better. MAC users are a little better, though it's still proprietary ( I guess all prop tech is not ALL bad).

Also, there are companies like Novell & IBM that are behind Linux (questionable abt IBM), so Linux people have got some power in the PR department.


http://www.novell.com/linux/truth/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3600724.stm

http://www.cyber.com.au/users/conz/r..._campaign.html

http://lwn.net/2001/0607/a/esr-big-lie.php3

Well...... Once Linux becomes user-friendly (in terms of people don't need to hop on the Konsole in order to do something), it just may beat Microsoft down into the ground. I hate Microsoft [as a company] because they just buy their way into the market rather than actually trying to make a good product or service. The Xbox for example - it's a piece of shit. Yet some how its in second place in the console wars. Why? It's cause they advertise and brainwash the general public into thinking its worth the $150 when its not. Just as an aside to gamers, we all know xbox doesnt have crap for games.

I don't hate windoze as I've expressed many times before, but I still hate Microsoft (which is why I downloaded windoze rather than paying for it). I don't see how they can possibly charge for windows though, doesnt Bill have enough billions? ;-)

Anyway, the reason Linux isnt going mainstream is cause its very un-user friendly. Most average people just want to get the job done, not play around with the console for eight hours. Drivers support is also very poor. Some of the newer distros (like Debian and Mandrake) have made things a little easier - but not as easy as windows.

I believe Linux has the potenial to surpass windows --- just not at its current state.

Please don't flame me people, if you disagree with me --- go to the shooting range and take it out on a copy of windows ;-)