Not sure if I trust Linux

[opensourceanonymous]

Hi everyone,

Don't be fulled by the title. I think that Linux is solid and runs very good when setup.

I went to the parlor lately, I asked if they sold a good video card that would run well in Linux. The salesperson answered that he didn't know much about Linux and that he didn't trust Linux because too many people we're involved with it.

Now I am new to Linux and it is not the first time I heard the same thing. It makes me wonder.
Could someone clarify this for me if possible?

Thank You for you time!

[Snowhog]

Re: Not sure if I trust Linux

That many people are involved in the development and maintenance of Linux 'et al' is true. That doesn't make it an OS one shouldn't 'trust.' If that were true, then why not apply the same reasoning to M$, to Apple, to IBM, to ... all companies that employ hundreds, if not thousands, of employees worldwide.

The number of people involved has no bearing on trustworthiness.

[MoonRise]

Re: Not sure if I trust Linux

That many people are involved in the development and maintenance of Linux 'et al' is true. That doesn't make it an OS one shouldn't 'trust.' If that were true, then why not apply the same reasoning to M$, to Apple, to IBM, to ... all companies that employ hundreds, if not thousands, of employees worldwide.

The number of people involved has no bearing on trustworthiness.

I agree with you Snowhog. I think this again is the misrepresentation of what "Open Source" is compared to "Closed Source". Again, I don't advocate one over the other as there are advantages to either. My reason for switching is mainly because I feel that I own my system and other OSes tend to make it not. Plain and simple as that.

[Troberg]

Re: Not sure if I trust Linux

If anything, openess and more people means that it's more stable and more secure. There's simply more opportunities for problems to be noticed and more opportunities for problems to be fixed.

The guy was probably just hoping to sell you something.

[opensourceanonymous]

Re: Not sure if I trust Linux

Thank you for the quick responses.

[dibl]

Re: Not sure if I trust Linux

Burroughs.

Sperry-Univac.

Tandem Computers.

Wang.

Digital Equipment Corporation.

Compaq Computer Corporation.

Commodore.

And he wants to hitch his star to a closed-source OS?

[marshallbanana]

Re: Not sure if I trust Linux

If anything, openess and more people means that it's more stable and more secure. There's simply more opportunities for problems to be noticed and more opportunities for problems to be fixed.

I concur. Yes everyone can see the code and many people edit it. But this in my opinion makes it less likely to contain malicious code or bugs (intentional or unintentional) not more.

[stealthbanana]

Re: Not sure if I trust Linux

Sounds like PCWorld here in the UK, staffed by people with a somewhat limited level of knowledge on what they sell (I shall be polite).

I would see the many people involved a bonus, more trustworthy as a whole. As others have said, many eyes spot more errors. Remember a few months ago when MS started pumping out stealth updates with no user option to say no? The built in back door to Vista security (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/12...ackdoor_fears/). OK, the ssl debacle we currently have been having is bad, but fixed quickly and openly when it was discovered, unlike its windows counterpart (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/11...er_gen_flawed/)

It is a shame when you go into a shop and ask a question expecting a knowledgeable reply, but rather than the salesperson being honest and saying they don't know, they make uneducated and incorrect statements.

To me, if you want trustworthy computing, use GNU/Linux or other open source. That is trustworthy from the users point of view. If you want 'Trusted' computing, trusted from the point of view of big business and governments, use Windows.