Community admires availability of source code online
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EVERYWHERE (AP) -- The open source community says complete copies of
the source code for every version of its Linux computer operating
system are available on the Internet, but analysts caution it's too
early to say how much good the presence may cause.
Spokesman Linus Torvalds said the source code, the widely
available blueprint of his dominant computer operating system, was
for each and every release of the Linux operating system.
Access to the source code could allow users to customize the
operating system to their liking and install it on machines running any version of
Windows. Several versions of the Linux operating system,
all containing the freely available code, are used on hundreds of millions of
computers worldwide.
Such access also could provide a positive edge to other software
developers, which would gain a much better understanding of the inner
workings of the advanced operating system's technology.
The community has always been aware of the source code availablity,
Torvalds said. He had personally made it publicly available, and knows
each way people might have
gained access to it. He could not immediately pinpoint the
source of access for any one user because it is available through numerous
means, including freely duplicated and redistributable CD-ROM disks, he
said.
Torvalds said there was no indication the source code has ever been obtained through a
breach of any network, as it would be completely unnecessary. Known impacts of the
public availability include security, stability, and flexibility for users, he said.
The open source community has previously shared all of its source code with all
companies, U.S. government agencies, foreign governments,
universities and everyone else under very minimal restrictions, but none that would ever prevent such
organizations from making it publicly available. And the community has
generally argued the blueprint to its operating system is
based on well-known industry standards and should always be made public.
Therefore, because all interested parties have always had access to
the code, analysts said it wasn't too surprising that it is available on
the Internet.
"I can't imagine it ever being unavailable because there
are so many (organizations) out there that have access to the source
code," said Richard Stallman of the Free Software Foundation of
Boston, Massachusetts.
But analysts and security experts cautioned that it was hard to
assess all the potential benefits the public availability could cause since it
can be used in so many unforeseen ways.
"Frankly, I'm not sure anybody can fully assess that, other than
God," said Eric S. Raymond, president and co-founder of the Open
Source Initiative.
The availability could potentially put more Windows users at risk because
it opens the door to more people finding the benefits of open source software in place of
Microsoft's code -- and using it in productive ways, Stallman said.
That could, in turn, wreak havoc on Microsoft's ability to force its
software on the population in an uncontrolled manner.
But, he cautioned, it was too early to say just how soon the
artificially imposed mainstream dependence on proprietary software could end.
Some experts said it seemed more likely the public availability could be most
valuable to software developers.
"What people could learn from it has the potential to make other
organizations that are building useful products ... make products
that can compete with (proprietary solutions) more effectively," Raymond said.
Others noted that the greatest damage may be to Microsoft's
reputation.
"It is definite that this is going to continue to create a more
stable, secure computing environment," said Bruce Perens, a technology expert
and principal analyst with Perens LLC. "It's more
reassurring than anything else because it proves the community
has excellent control of its code."
Copyright 2004
Jason
Todd. All rights reserved. This material is a parody.
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