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Security in Linux

Speaking of security, I believe that Linux has an edge over Windows and other operating systems. This is not just a pigment of my imagination but is in fact a reality. Systems like Linux and Unix rule in the OS security scene. And are not so far out of reach for the layman.

I believe that Linux and similar open source OSes have a clear upper hand as far as it comes to Security. Even though their source code is freely available to people wishing to see the internals of the system. The security daemons and authentication code may be open to the public. And no effort is made to hide source code that is the backbone of the OS.

Yet contrary to popular belief, having an open source or free for all system tends to be more secure than a closed source system like Microsoft Windows and its sub-flavours. A closed source system is prone to security breaches and exploitation of bugs due to the fact that there are very few people who are actually working on the scene. People who find a bug in the system generally never manage to reach the people responsible for fixing the bug. And even if they do, getting the bug fixed would take a long time due to the fact that the code is not open. And is restricted to only those individuals who have access to the true source code.

In an open source-based OS, the keys turn in the locks much smoother. The source code of Linux and other open source OSes is open to the public and every inch of code is open to scrutiny by anyone and everyone. It is a notable thing that OSes like Linux are open to criticism by the public and seemingly unrelated programmers and users. The source code of such OSes is rewritten every time a bug is noted in its code. With qualified and unqualified, experienced and inexperienced programmers and debuggers working on the integrity of open source OSes. It follows logically that the workforce with their shoulders to the grindstone are numerically much higher, and the speed at which the solution to a bug or a problem is developed is greatly increased.

Sometimes, it may be noticed that patches to fix certain bugs and problems in an open source OS are released just minutes after the bug is detected. In OSes like Microsoft Windows, it often takes a month or two before patches are released to the public.

Linux comes in its many different flavours, a flavour to suit every personality strain that exists. "In diversity lies strength" and Linux breathes this formula in every breath!

Being Open Source, Linux is one of the few OSes that everyone has the opportunity to contribute to. Almost every other OS, take for instance, a classic instance, Windows by Microsoft. Only a few individuals have the opportunity to contribute to the OS. The rest of their world is faced with a rigid non-flexible model of an OS that cheers, "It's our way or no way!" With Linux, a developer can work on any program for Linux and make it any way that he wishes to. For example, you could download a distribution of Linux, find that it doesn't suit your needs or you just don't like the feel or something like that, all you need to do is download one of the two hundred or so distributions or so and choose which suits you or just modify one to suit your needs or just sit down and make your own distribution!

Linux is protected from software companies better that other OSes are out in the world today by a licence known as the GPL or the GNU-Public Licence. (GNU-PL = GNU is Not UNIX-Public Licence) Microsoft is best known for this tactic of buying out any existing competition that might be going against them. No one can ever buy out Linux because most of the eleven million users of Linux also happen to be part of the development process. And though it is theoretically possible, Buying out eleven million people is something pretty far from practical thinking.

No matter what may happen to the bigger corporations around, Linux will forge on for a long time to come. Linux has managed to creep over the net, gaining popularity in the networking circles, getting itself a grip over the server side market. With time, Linux will grow more popular, it will grow bigger and stronger as an OS, with new users and new developers. The Internet has accelerated the spreading popularity of Linux many fold and has been a steroid in it's popularity even in the corporate circles.

If all goes well, Linux will live and change with the times to make it an operating system that is made for the people by the people.)

A. Siddhartha Angiaras Acharya
[email protected]

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