Linux virus (was RE: [plug] Windows Briefing)

[Greg Mildenhall]

On Wed, 3 Jan 1996, Trevor Phillips wrote:
> Matt Kemner wrote:
> > Sure it is possible for someone to write a Linux virus, and it can destroy
> > your home directory if it wants to, but 
> > most Linux users are smart enough not to run any software they don't
> > have source for, and know to avoid running anything as root.
> Oh? How often do we run things as root?? How do we know a "configure" or
> "install" script we run doesn't tweak something in the system if run as
> root?
Because the source code is available.

> How do we know that cute li'l util or app we compiled and run
> doesn't do things other than advertised? 
Because the source code is available.

> Do we have to read the entire source and setup scripts to locate
> malicious commands??
No. Someone has already done that. A typical Free Software project will
have multiple authors of the original code, and two or three packagers who
will have looked over the code, then a number of interested users.
If it runs as root, triple the estimate of people who have read the
source.

> I suspect the lack of such "viruses" (more trojans...) is due to the
> fact you know whose responsible for the code (in most cases)...
Well, perhaps even more of a factor is that you can prove that the
software is doing what it is doing.

-Greg Mildenhall