this post was submitted on 22 Nov 2023
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Linux

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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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stolen from linux memes at Deltachat

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[–] smileyhead@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

As far as you are aware. Only author knows what code is in it.

It's basically like giving computer to a random guy on the street for a day as he promise to disable Windows update for you. Maybe he do it, maybe not, for you it worked, would it work for me? Will there be anything additional in the background running after, I don't know.

[–] 0x4E4F@infosec.pub 0 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

That is true, yes, I do agree.

But, on the other hand Windows is not open source as well and I have to use it for work or an oddball proogram here and there that just doesn't run on Wine.

Hell, people also use a lot of closed source code in their Linux installs as well. Let's strat with drivers and firmware binary blobs, printer drivers (binary blobs as well, depends on manufacturer) and end with NLE software like DaVinci Resolve... we use binary blobs all the time, including our phones, and even though none of us asked for that, but instead was shoved down our throat in order to be able to live in a modern society, no one seems to complain about that... but, when a random stranger suggest using something, oh no, that thing most definitely is something malicious 😒.

Run it in a sandbox for a while, see if it calls home. If it does try to call, block it with a firewall, is that so hard 😒... though I've never seen it even try to call home or do something malicious, and as I said, I've been using it for years. Also, people use a lot of their products, I have yet to see one complaint regarding any of their products doing something malcious.

[–] B97@mastodon.social 0 points 11 months ago (1 children)

@0x4E4F @smileyhead
Its hard to find a driver that does not go into a distro without the source

[–] 0x4E4F@infosec.pub 1 points 11 months ago

Really? What are the distro's firmware files then? firmware-intel, firmware-amd, firmware-qualcom... what are those?