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I work at a DoD hospital. Trying to do some research. I have been told 1) Python is not allowed 2) Open source software is insecure 3 Perl is allowed 4) the

I work at a DoD hospital. Trying to do some research. I have been told 1) Python is not allowed 2) Open source software is insecure 3 Perl is allowed 4) there is a list of approved software. 5) I can't see it 6) Enthought is on at least one version of the list 7) I can verify there are several python projects on forge.mil

jessaustin 13y ago
Are these rules in force on any host connected to the network? Do they have different networks with differing rules? How are the rules enforced? (That is, I can imagine switches and firewalls enforcing network rules, but "don't install python"?)
- kreitje 13y ago
  They do have different networks with different rules. When I was on the Michigan DOD network, we had the Microsoft Document Image Viewer. When I was deployed, the DOD network there did not have the Microsoft Document Image Viewer on the "approved" list and therefore could not be installed. It was such a pain working with TIFFs without it.
staunch 13y ago
#3 solves all your problems then :-)
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
- niels_olson 13y ago
  Are you serious? Is there a perl implementation of python? Did I mention I am having to formally present to the executive steering committee to get permission to run perl?
  - staunch 13y ago
    Hah. Sounds terribly bureaucratic. But yes, I'm serious. It may not be trendy, but there's nothing Python can do that Perl can not. The differences are fairly cosmetic. The key is to write good quality Perl, so it's fun: • http://modernperlbooks.com/books/modern_perl/chapter_00.html http://modernperlbooks.com/books/modern_perl/chapter_00.html • http://my.safaribooksonline.com/book/programming/perl/0596001738 http://my.safaribooksonline.com/book/programming/perl/059600...
frozenport 13y ago
@2 1. Maybe they know of vulnerabilities that you don't. Remember the bug in Debian where cryptography was being seeded by the process id? 2. They might have put a lot of time into ensuring that one particular product was 100% secure and trust only that one. This is often the case for hardware, where vetting for security compliance can be difficult.

jessaustin 13y ago

Are these rules in force on any host connected to the network? Do they have different networks with differing rules? How are the rules enforced? (That is, I can imagine switches and firewalls enforcing network rules, but "don't install python"?)

kreitje 13y ago
They do have different networks with different rules. When I was on the Michigan DOD network, we had the Microsoft Document Image Viewer. When I was deployed, the DOD network there did not have the Microsoft Document Image Viewer on the "approved" list and therefore could not be installed. It was such a pain working with TIFFs without it.

staunch 13y ago

#3 solves all your problems then :-)

deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
niels_olson 13y ago
Are you serious? Is there a perl implementation of python? Did I mention I am having to formally present to the executive steering committee to get permission to run perl?
- staunch 13y ago
  Hah. Sounds terribly bureaucratic. But yes, I'm serious. It may not be trendy, but there's nothing Python can do that Perl can not. The differences are fairly cosmetic. The key is to write good quality Perl, so it's fun: • http://modernperlbooks.com/books/modern_perl/chapter_00.html http://modernperlbooks.com/books/modern_perl/chapter_00.html • http://my.safaribooksonline.com/book/programming/perl/0596001738 http://my.safaribooksonline.com/book/programming/perl/059600...

frozenport 13y ago

@2 1. Maybe they know of vulnerabilities that you don't. Remember the bug in Debian where cryptography was being seeded by the process id? 2. They might have put a lot of time into ensuring that one particular product was 100% secure and trust only that one. This is often the case for hardware, where vetting for security compliance can be difficult.