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What strikes me about this investigation is that it clearly demonstrates the value of having access to the source code for your full stack, and also openness in

by mhw 11y ago

What strikes me about this investigation is that it clearly demonstrates the value of having access to the source code for your full stack, and also openness in the specification of how the protocols work and how everything fits together. Count the number of different software components from separate organisations that this investigation required information from: * Apache ZooKeeper * The Apache Curator ZooKeeper client library, originally from Netflix * The Linux kernel * Arguably the authors of RFC 3948, which specifies the protocol and expected behaviour of the networking components * The Xen hypervisor Now imagine that each of these components was closed, proprietary code from a separate organisation and you had to rely on support from each supplier to get to the bottom of the issue. It's unlikely that the customer would be able to successfully identify the issues without access to the source code. But at the same time it is unlikely that any individual supplier would be able to identify the problem as none of them can see the full picture either.

masklinn 11y ago
> What strikes me about this investigation is that it clearly demonstrates the value of having access to the source code for your full stack […] Now imagine that each of these components was closed, proprietary code from a separate organisation Please note that "proprietary" and "access to source code" are not exclusive. You can get source code access licenses to windows (specifically for that kind of situations) for instance (and that's been possible for decades).
- click170 11y ago
  I am interested in learning more about such arrangements, but the fact remains that for Foss software the license and freedom to read and change the source code is there for all from the start, no license negotiations or purchasing required.
  - masklinn 11y ago
    > I am interested in learning more about such arrangements http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sharedsource/default.aspx http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sharedsource/default.aspx Basically: * be a big/huge company (10k seats under Enterprise Agreement or Select + Software Assurance) * be a big OEM ("Top Volume", 5k internal seats) * be an MVP in good standing * be a governmental entity In all cases there's an NDA to sign and you must be in an "eligible geographic market". > the fact remains that for Foss software the license and freedom to read and change the source code is there for all from the start, no license negotiations or purchasing required. Sure, but that's not really my point.
- adekok 11y ago
  Does access to the Windows source come without tainting your soul? Open Source licenses say what you can do with the source. From what I've seen, the Windows license also says what you can do with the knowledge. It's difficult to find the exact terminology online, though. i.e. everything you do after looking at the Windows source is tainted with the knowledge of the windows source, and the IP embodied therein.

by mhw 11y ago

masklinn 11y ago

> What strikes me about this investigation is that it clearly demonstrates the value of having access to the source code for your full stack […] Now imagine that each of these components was closed, proprietary code from a separate organisation Please note that "proprietary" and "access to source code" are not exclusive. You can get source code access licenses to windows (specifically for that kind of situations) for instance (and that's been possible for decades).

click170 11y ago
I am interested in learning more about such arrangements, but the fact remains that for Foss software the license and freedom to read and change the source code is there for all from the start, no license negotiations or purchasing required.
- masklinn 11y ago
  > I am interested in learning more about such arrangements http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sharedsource/default.aspx http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sharedsource/default.aspx Basically: * be a big/huge company (10k seats under Enterprise Agreement or Select + Software Assurance) * be a big OEM ("Top Volume", 5k internal seats) * be an MVP in good standing * be a governmental entity In all cases there's an NDA to sign and you must be in an "eligible geographic market". > the fact remains that for Foss software the license and freedom to read and change the source code is there for all from the start, no license negotiations or purchasing required. Sure, but that's not really my point.
adekok 11y ago
Does access to the Windows source come without tainting your soul? Open Source licenses say what you can do with the source. From what I've seen, the Windows license also says what you can do with the knowledge. It's difficult to find the exact terminology online, though. i.e. everything you do after looking at the Windows source is tainted with the knowledge of the windows source, and the IP embodied therein.