Full Disclosure mailing list archives

Re: [inbox] Re: RE: Linux (in)security


From: "Bruce Ediger" <eballen1 () qwest net>
Date: Sun, 26 Oct 2003 21:56:38 -0700 (MST)

On Sun, 26 Oct 2003, Bill Royds wrote:

You are saying that a language that requires every programmer to check for
security problems on every statement of every program is just as secure as
one that enforces proper security as an inherent part of its syntax?
    And I suppose that you also believe in the tooth fairy.

Well, no, but I don't believe your theory either.  VMS usually gets
held up as an example of an OS without significant security problems.

Sorry to tell you, but DEC wrote VMS mainly in VAX-11 assembler.
The Alpha-CPU port of VMS involved writing a VAX-11 assember compiler,
and compiling the VAX assembly code to Alpha object code.

VAX-11 assembler, although nifty in a macro sort of way, and orthogonal
to the point of distraction, had exactly none of the features you claim
help secure an OS.

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