From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 Received: from jazzswing.ncsc.mil (jazzswing.ncsc.mil [144.51.68.65]) by tycho.ncsc.mil (8.9.3/8.9.3) with ESMTP id AAA19178 for ; Wed, 5 Jun 2002 00:07:36 -0400 (EDT) Received: from jazzswing.ncsc.mil (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by jazzswing.ncsc.mil with ESMTP id EAA15471 for ; Wed, 5 Jun 2002 04:07:25 GMT Received: from flamingo.mail.pas.earthlink.net (flamingo.mail.pas.earthlink.net [207.217.120.232]) by jazzswing.ncsc.mil with ESMTP id EAA15467 for ; Wed, 5 Jun 2002 04:07:24 GMT Received: from sdn-ap-009txhousp1494.dialsprint.net ([63.188.213.224] helo=there) by flamingo.mail.pas.earthlink.net with smtp (Exim 3.33 #2) id 17FS57-0002CY-00 for selinux@tycho.nsa.gov; Tue, 04 Jun 2002 21:07:33 -0700 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" From: JW Reply-To: jw@centraltexasit.com To: SE Linux Subject: Re: Outside observer comments Date: Tue, 4 Jun 2002 23:07:39 -0500 References: <31A81CDD9175D411815100508BE32AA60142F388@emss02m13.ems.lmco.com> <007801c20c3a$bf5ee920$0200000a@wb1> In-Reply-To: <007801c20c3a$bf5ee920$0200000a@wb1> MIME-Version: 1.0 Message-Id: Sender: owner-selinux@tycho.nsa.gov List-Id: selinux@tycho.nsa.gov On Tuesday 04 June 2002 09:43 pm, you wrote: > Hello, > > I recently added myself to the SELinux listserver because of genuine shared > concerns about securing open source computing. Your very message would suggest that you have no idea what Open Source is all about. I strongly suggest you go read the following: http://www.opensource.org/docs/definition.html (and all of http://www.opensource.org/, really) http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/copyleft.html > NSA is correct to be doing > this initiative and linux in its evolution will be better for it. Yes, but that is not the issue. The issue is a third party is claiming patent and licensing rights over GPLd code. > Now, from the few dozen emails that have come across my screen are any > indication, bickering is counter-productive. That is only your opinion; and we are not bikering, we are asking for solid clarification of a bad situation. If Secure Computing is correct, then all work on SE-Linux to date is actually illegal, because non-Free work was mistakenly published under the GPL (if secure computing is correct), and that is not legal (you cannot publish non-free work under a Free license such as the GPL). Additionally, if Secure Computing is correct, it would suggest that whoever put the SE-Linux code under the GPL did not have the legal rights to do so (You can't publish as "Free" code/ideas that you are not the author of). > It resembles government > procurement at its worst. No, it resembles citizens defending themselves against corporate or governmental tyranny, and clarification of who's lying and who's not. The NSA and Secure Computing are saying 3 different things. Until today, everyone has been belive the NSA. Either Secure Computing or the NSA is dead wrong, and we need to know which one very soon, as it has serious implications either way. I am sure people who have contributed code to SE-Linux under the assumption that the NSA was telling the truth when they stated SE-Linux was Free are not going to be very happy to find that they have been deceived, and will probably want to retract thier contributions, which they have copyright ownership over. > In that atmosphere I am afraid that there is > little that I will be able to contribute. You don't seem to understand what a serious matter this is anyway, and contributing to a project without understanding it is a very bad idea. For your own sake, it is just as well that you not contribute. > Perhaps this isn't the best forum to post such a blast as this, but its > intent at least is well meant. I appreciate your (no doubt) well-intended yet sadly misinformed message. Hopefully you will understand it all better in the future. I really do suggest you go read the URLs I mentioned above before attempting to contribute to a Free Software project. To do so without understanding what you are doing is not wise. JW -- You have received this message because you are subscribed to the selinux list. If you no longer wish to subscribe, send mail to majordomo@tycho.nsa.gov with the words "unsubscribe selinux" without quotes as the message.