Security Strategies in Linux Platforms and Applications, 3rd Edition

Security in an Open-Source World

The paradigms in an open-source world are different. Most Linux users do not have support contracts from Red Hat, Canonical, or any other company that may support this operating system. Nevertheless, as you should already know, there is a substantial open-source community available on mailing lists, blogs, Internet Relay Chat (IRC) channels, and more.

Eric Raymond, a leader in the open-source movement, notes in The Cathedral and the Bazaar that one of the secrets of the success of open source is the power of the community. Raymond dubbed this “Linus’s Law,” in reference to Linus Torvalds: “Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow.” In other words, open source relies on the power of the community. In fact, ...