From owner-freebsd-hackers Sat Dec 23 23: 6: 0 2000 From owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Dec 23 23:05:58 2000 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Received: from homer.softweyr.com (bsdconspiracy.net [208.187.122.220]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 350C437B400 for ; Sat, 23 Dec 2000 23:05:57 -0800 (PST) Received: from [127.0.0.1] (helo=softweyr.com ident=Fools trust ident!) by homer.softweyr.com with esmtp (Exim 3.16 #1) id 14A5Im-0000ZK-00; Sun, 24 Dec 2000 00:10:40 -0700 Sender: wes@FreeBSD.ORG Message-ID: <3A45A170.5F3FD1D8@softweyr.com> Date: Sun, 24 Dec 2000 00:10:40 -0700 From: Wes Peters Organization: Softweyr LLC X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.75 [en] (X11; U; Linux 2.2.12 i386) X-Accept-Language: en MIME-Version: 1.0 To: Matt Dillon Cc: Dennis , hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: FreeBSD vs Linux, Solaris, and NT References: <5.0.0.25.0.20001220192150.01f42450@mail.etinc.com> <5.0.0.25.0.20001221120837.022ab0a0@mail.etinc.com> <5.0.0.25.0.20001221184852.03ceab10@mail.etinc.com> <200012220029.eBM0TxE82553@earth.backplane.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.ORG Matt Dillon wrote: > > In that respect, I personally will not run anything inside my kernel that > I don't have source for. Now, I don't run frame-relay or T1's into > FreeBSD boxes, so I'm not commenting on your software specifically. I'm > commenting in general. The problem is not only support, but also > protection against obsolescence. Companies upgrade their products, > companies go out of business, companies stop supporting products. > Without source you can wind up S.O.L. with a binary-only device driver. > It's just too risky for me. Due diligence. Any company you buy critical software from should have the source code to the software escrowed, with written policies they will show you outlining how they archive the source code and the tools required to build it into the escrow. If they don't, you shouldn't be doing business with them. Open source projects place the onerous of providing a reasonable escrow on the consumer. ;^) -- "Where am I, and what am I doing in this handbasket?" Wes Peters Softweyr LLC wes@softweyr.com http://softweyr.com/ To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-hackers" in the body of the message