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Npm is the biggest and most active developer ecosystem out there. Statistically, mistakes/issues are going to happen. Given its popularity, it's easy to talk s

Npm is the biggest and most active developer ecosystem out there. Statistically, mistakes/issues are going to happen. Given its popularity, it's easy to talk shit about npm, but rarely do people say anything actionable. C++/boost could have a bad actor upload malicious code. The only difference is that people probably wouldn't notice for months, because everyone's running decades old versions of boost anyway. Not because they're mindful of security, but because nobody can bother to update it unless the need becomes dire. Now, a favourite of mine (often preached by CPP Deva): if you're a good enough developer, you don't have these problems. Were the npm problems avoidable? Yeah, if "yOu aRe a GoOd eNoUgH dEvElOpEr" and use lock files (generated by default) and only install from it (eg `npm ci` being the simplest method). Disclaimer: I used to be an everyday npm user, and I'm not a fan of it by any metric, but the npm shit-slinging edgyness hype is so last year's trend. Jesus Christ.

fivea 5y ago
>>C++/boost could have a bad actor upload malicious code. The only difference is that people probably wouldn't notice for months, because everyone's running decades old versions of boost anyway. Not because they're mindful of security, but because nobody can bother to update it unless the need becomes dire. This baseless assertion is quite wrong and completely detached from reality. Boost is not a one-man show which is a git commit away from disaster. Boost is a commmunity-driven project where any change to an existing package is subjected to a public review and proposals for new components are performed through a submission process. https://www.boost.org/users/faq.html https://www.boost.org/users/faq.html
- spoiler 5y ago
  I write C++ (for better or worse), and I know Boost is an algamation of libraries and many hard working maintainers. I didn't mean to imply anything bad about boost. I think you misunderstood me because I gave a poor example. I'm talking about the general/average mindset of the C++ community when it comes to updating dependencies. Also the way dependencies are "managed" (or lack of it) in virtually every project. The HN crowd isn't considered "average" in that dimension, probably. So even if you yourself have a culture of keeping things updated with Conan or whatever, it's definitely not the status quo.

fivea 5y ago

>>C++/boost could have a bad actor upload malicious code. The only difference is that people probably wouldn't notice for months, because everyone's running decades old versions of boost anyway. Not because they're mindful of security, but because nobody can bother to update it unless the need becomes dire. This baseless assertion is quite wrong and completely detached from reality. Boost is not a one-man show which is a git commit away from disaster. Boost is a commmunity-driven project where any change to an existing package is subjected to a public review and proposals for new components are performed through a submission process. https://www.boost.org/users/faq.html https://www.boost.org/users/faq.html

spoiler 5y ago
I write C++ (for better or worse), and I know Boost is an algamation of libraries and many hard working maintainers. I didn't mean to imply anything bad about boost. I think you misunderstood me because I gave a poor example. I'm talking about the general/average mindset of the C++ community when it comes to updating dependencies. Also the way dependencies are "managed" (or lack of it) in virtually every project. The HN crowd isn't considered "average" in that dimension, probably. So even if you yourself have a culture of keeping things updated with Conan or whatever, it's definitely not the status quo.