linuxgeek: [LINUX_Newbies] Re: Why windows gets more malware than Unix ,Linux and Mac?

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

[LINUX_Newbies] Re: Why windows gets more malware than Unix ,Linux and Mac?

--- In LINUX_Newbies@yahoogroups.com, "dbneeley" <dbneeley@...> wrote:
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> Linux did not "become a UNIX-like system"--it was designed that way from the beginning. The GNU utilities already existed. Linus understood clearly that the missing piece of the GNU project was the lack of a kernel, so he wrote the Linux kernel with full intention of supporting the GNU stuff that already existed. (The GNU people had at that time been working on their kernel for some time--which did not appear for some years after Linux did. That was called the Hurd, by the way).

I like how you refer to HURD in the past tense. It is still around isn't it? Often this bit of history is recounted as Linus stole RMS' thunder by releasing a monolithic kernel as opposed to the ambitious microkernel that the GNU project was fruitlessly toiling away on.

I've talked to a few people who say the thing actually works today. But I haven't heard much beyond that. Theoretically it is a lot more advanced than Linux is. Though if it had realized its true potential I'd think I'd have HURD about that.

Reading this doesn't give me a high level of confidence:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_Hurd

But it is important history to know in order to understand the relationship between Linux and GNU. A lot of people do not realize that if it isn't here it isn't Linux:

ftp://ftp.kernel.org/pub/

Also there is the whole distribution confusion issue that stems in some part from this as well. Being as any Linux user of any distribution can go to the above link download a tarball and build it all Linux distributions are capable of what any other can do. Many do lose sight of this fact often though.

Now as to why Windows gets more malware than any other OS is simply a matter of market share. The largest target is going to draw the most shots. And at around 96% market penetration Windows is a juicy target indeed! We'll have to see how other platforms fare in the mobile world which is somewhat more evenly distributed.

"was HURD" R.I.P. 2011 Even St. IGNUcious says stick a fork in it it's done! Proving the point that it is never a good thing to be ahead of your time.