Being a Libra I have to agree & disagree about open source. Open source
also allows the good hackers to find exploits much more easily by reverse
engineering the whole process. Open source is very cool for application
design but gives too much information to those with more destructive
tendencies.
Just my re-contribution of 2 cents out of my stockpile I collected ;)
----- Original Message -----
From: "Control Program"
To:
Sent: Sunday, May 06, 2001 9:19 PM
Subject: Re: linux on a 2500 ? Was: Programming under IOS [7:3362]
> On Sun, May 06, 2001 at 01:28:25PM -0400, Chuck Larrieu wrote:
> > Without getting into the relative merits of router running open versus
> > closed code, or the obvious cost issue, what would be the advantage of
a
> > Linux OS versus IOS?
>
> Why not consider open versus closed source code? The public availability
of
> operating system source code is an enormous advantage that Linux systems
> (and a variety of others like Mach and the FreeBSD/NetBSD/OpenBSD family)
> have over their proprietary counterparts. Source availability enables
rapid
> development by allowing for higher-quality feedback from people who aren't
> directly involved with development. Anyone, anywhere, can submit a patch
to
> the development team - as well as to the public - to correct a bug or add
a
> feature. This has proved invaluable in security circles; in some cases,
> kernel-level fixes have been written and made available within two to
three
> hours of the discovery of a new security vulnerability.
>
> Source availability allows for advanced troubleshooting in the event that
> you trace your problem to an operating system bug. With proprietary
> alternatives, your only recourse is to notify technical support and hope
the
> developers get around to fixing your bug before it's too late to matter.
> The same reasoning applies to adding new features or customizations.
>
> It is rapidly becoming clear that public availability of program source
code
> directly affects the quality of that code. Such availability effectively
> distributes the 'development load' among many more people, with all the
> attendant benefits that distributed processing implies.
>
> Some other immediate benefits of using something like a Linux-based system
> on router hardware include instant support for and compatibility with
> existing OS file formats and filesystem types; a much greater ability to
> 'tune' your kernel image to your specific situation, providing decreased
> image size and situationally-optimized performance; the potential for much
> more advanced user interface features; and immediately available tools
that
> can be easily modified and cross-compiled to run on router hardware
> (tcpdump, packet generators, netcat, intrusion detection utilities, ...).
>
>
> > Doesn't the "OS" have to be an inherent part of the "IOS" in any case? I
> > presume that Cisco boxes operate as do any Von Neuman based
architectures,
> > and that the IOS is really more an application that is loaded via the
boot
> > proms, where the "operating system" resides? Am I completely out of the
> > water here?
>
> I don't know if you're out of the water, but I was unable to make sense of
> this paragraph. Perhaps you mean to ask about the difference between IOS
> and other operating systems like Unix/Linux? In that case, there's really
> no difference at all - IOS is an operating system like any other, although
> more specialized than Unix. Unix does, however, separates the kernel
> (low-level hardware support, core I/O, and processor and memory
management)
> from user-level applications such as the shell (CLI), shared libraries,
and
> daemon processes such as inetd (the Internet protocol super-server) and
> cron. Because of its historically specialized nature, IOS melds 'kernel'
> functionality with 'application' functionality.
>
> Experience has shown that the modular design approach scales much better
in
> the long run.
>
>
> > In raw terms of what is happening on a router, does a Linux based OS
versus
> > whatever the Cisco IOS is really matter? in terms of code size? In terms
of
> > router speed?
>
> This is purely a 'one OS against another' issue. Is Windows 2000 'better'
> than Linux if you have an Intel box? Despite the religious handwaving of
> the advocacy-inclined, the fact is it depends on what you want to do.
>
> In addition and again, having more than one alternative available has
> historically proven vastly beneficial to hardware lifetime and acceptance.
>
>
> > The IOS, as best I can guess, has it's roots in C.
>
> It is written in C (and assembler), as is Linux.
>
>
> > web link below, there aren't a lot of features in these Linux OS's
either.
> > I suppose over time that will be resolved, but at what cost in terms of
OS
> > image size?
>
> As discussed earlier, image size is much less of a concern with Linux
right
> now than IOS. The ability to situationally optimize a given image allows
> you to include exactly the features you need, contributing to efficiency
in
> space (image size and memory footprint) and time (performance).
>
> Furthermore, the Linux architectural approach is modular. Most kernel
> functions are now available as loadable modules which can be dynamically
> loaded and unloaded during runtime.
>
>
> > writing for a Cisco box, they have to ensure compatibility in every
> > way shape and form with other Cisco boxes,
>
> What kind of compatibility? Network protocol-wise? That's the reason why
> standards and open specifications exist - they promote interoperability.
> That's why, in a different OS implementation, you'll get OSPF and BGP, but
> not EIGRP.
>
> In the realm of the 'implementation dependent,' there are bound to be
> interoperability issues. This transcends the 'Linux vs. IOS' question;
it's
> a general fact of "intercomputing." The Linux people are probably more
> experienced at generating 'illicit compatibility' (interoperability in
spite
> of the unavailability of specifications, design documents or source code)
> than anyone else.
>
>
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