Re: Internet Worm

Perry E. Metzger (perry@imsi.com)
Mon, 17 Oct 1994 19:11:15 -0400

"Jonathan M. Bresler" says:
> > Try fixing a kernel bug with non-vendor sources. Hell, try fixing most
> > problems with non-vendor sources. Furthermore, my clients pay lots of
> > money for software support so that they don't have to fix the problems
> > themselves. Frankly, I think you are absolutely and completely wrong
> > on this.
> 
> 	rcp, rsh, rlogin....are not kernel sources.  try making the 
> code--works fine.  

Wrong. Dangerously wrong. If you tried building some non-sun library
code on your system, your berkeley r commands might suddenly work
wrong. Sun did lots of monkeying with the relationship between the yp
library, the resolver library, and the r-commands.

You don't and can't know what you are messing up.

> 	if youre saying that there are kernel bugs that compromise the 
> system.....then whose fault...where should we send our money?

The whole point is that the vendor is responsible for problems in
their system and should fulfill its obligations to customers who've
bought its software. Saying "quit bitching; use public sources" is
dangerously wrong.

Perry