[ubuntu-uk] Imagine if Linux become massively popular?

[Liam Proven]

On 13 June 2013 14:56, Byte Soup <bytesoup at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 13 June 2013 14:11, Liam Proven <lproven at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
> Hey don't tar me with that brush, im no windows advocate! I just thought if
> I were a crim (and im not) I'd look at the most popular platform.

This *is* the red herring. It's what I attempted to logically
demonstrate as false with the reasoning that followed.

>> * Apple's OS X is hugely popular.
>
> Are you a Mac fan by any chance ;-)

[Shrug] I like Macs, sure. I have loads of them - 68000, 68020, 68030,
PowerPC 604, G3, G4 & G4.

No Intel Macs. They're too expensive for me.

I like OS X but not enough to run a Hackintosh, not just yet.

>> * OS X is a Unix.
>
> BSD if im correct no?

No. It contains lots of BSD code but it isn't a BSD. Windows allegedly
contains BSD code but it's not a BSD either.

Mac OS X has its own microkernel based on Mach 3.0 from
Carnegie-Mellon University. It does not have a BSD kernel, nor even a
BSD-/like/ kernel.

There is an in-kernel Unix server (you'll need to read up on what
microkernels are, what a Mach server is and does to really understand
that) which is based on BSD code, but it's not a BSD kernel.

Much of its userland is based on BSD code, but lots of it isn't and is
Apple code.

Apple upgraded these elements from 4.4 BSD Lite to FreeBSD code when
they bought NeXT.

So, it contains BSD elements, it is in some ways BSD like, but it is
not BSD, not /a/ BSD, not even all that BSD-like.

>> * OS X has not been compromised. There are no OS X viruses in the
>> wild. (Yes, there are Trojans, but that's different - they don't
>> spread unaided.)
>
> You sure about that? I had a quick google and found this for example
>
> http://www.sophos.com/en-us/threat-center/threat-analyses/viruses-and-spyware/OSX~Sabpab-A/detailed-analysis.aspx

#1 It's a Trojan, not a virus. Trojans do not & cannot infect on their
own; they need to be installed.

#2 It's based on a flaw that's now fixed & it no longer works.

>> * Apple owners are richer than PC owners because Apple kit is more
>> expensive than PCs.
>
> I think that's a bit of a sweeping statement there?

Falsify it, then?

I'd say it's a valid general observation.

>> * Why? Because OS X is secure by design. Windows is not.
>
> I dont disagree there, unix and linux have way better security.

They /can/ have. It can be turned off or not configured, as in Puppy Linux.

That's a /way/ more sweeping statement than "Mac owners are richer
than PC owners". It's not valid in a number of important, high-profile
cases.


-- 
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