Re: [TCLUG:14215] using OpenSSH

[Dan Debertin <danield@bitstream.net>]

On Fri, 3 Mar 2000, Christopher Palmer wrote:

> 
> OpenSSH is the descendent of a program that worked on many different types
> of Unix. So compatibility was *taken out*.

Yes and no. OpenSSH was written *for* OpenBSD, in order to make it more
secure and free. Compatability was *taken out*, but so was the
non-free-ness of it as well. Granted, it would have been nice of deRaadt
et al to have ported it to other architectures, but it was written as a
systems component of OpenBSD that implemented SSH2 without all the
licensing nonsense. It was a separate group that did the Linux port --
whether or not they did a good job is another matter entirely.

Writing a program under UNIX and releasing it under GPL/BSD/whatever does
not obligate me to port it to every flavor of UNIX under the sun. Granted,
I am officially a Nice Unix Person if I do so, but there is no moral
obligation for people to do so. If I don't, I am just a Nice Free Software
Programmer with Not Enough Spare Time ;).

> 
> I agree. But BSD people are often heard whining about how Linux developers
> don't make their software generic enough to run on different Unices, hence
> the sarcasm.

They do in a way have a point. If you've ever programmed for other Unices
(and I know you have), you've probably noticed that Linux is not exactly
"standard" UNIX -- it's UNIX-like. 

Just because they're whining doesn't mean that what they are whining about
is utter nonsense.

~Dan D.
__________________________________________________________________________
--  The belief that enhanced understanding will necessarily stir a
--  nation to action is one of mankind's oldest illusions.

++ Daniel M. Debertin
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++ danield@bitstream.net
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