free software

[5468696A6D656E]

On Fri, Oct 18, 2002 at 01:46:10PM +0200, Werner Koch wrote:
> We have a build system and GnuPG can be build on hundreds of different
> platforms.  If you want something else, just do it - this is the core
> of Free Software.
I did. But simple adjustments in the code like i asked for in my previous
mail regarding the unistd,h which wouldn't affect linux/unix developers
will get a reply which you sent. Which get's me to think you want a 
closed system for a limited crowd only.

> The other side of the story is that we only maintain GnuPG in the way
> we like it.  And for sure I never use an proprietary stuff.
You don't have to. Just take mails from other developers seriously, I
for instance have a sourceforge project which can compile and work on
all posix systems, mac (including osX with it's prerelease gcc), windows
etc. So i share a bit of experience which would help making things portable.
That simple change would help allready. Doesn't affect you. Typing your
your reply took probably longer than a search and replace.

> > If you really want to spread strong crypto to everyone,
> > make it truely free. Add more windows and mac support, add project
> > files for all major compilers on those platforms. I don't care which platform
> 
> 99.9 % of all Windows user won't be able to build it even with these
> project files, thus we provide binaries for them.  So what?
True. But most users do not think it very userfriendly i think, and 
as a developer i can help that way. Thus providing a broader audiance.
It comes back to the original question: Should Crypto be available for
everyone or just a limited group? I know for sure my grandmother will
not use gnupg the way it is. (forced example, but i neither think 
mister avarage will use it this way)

> And why do you want to build it with a *closed* toolchain and a
> *closed* OS.  They can build anything out of the Free source and you
> won't be able to even check what they did.  This is the reason why I
> build it on a Free OS using a Free toolchain which hopefully has no
> backdoors.  The tools are all available, everyone can build it.  If a
> user does not know how to work with Makefiles and such I have severe
> doubts that he has a chance to change anything in the GnuPG code base
> without introducing security problems.  If you want to be 100% sure,
> audit the OS and the toolchain in addition to GnuPG.
I didn't say anything about your choice of tools, nor do i expect any
question regarding mine. As for the OS, i agree with you that i would
love to have the code of windows public, but that is not something i can
change, yet my audiance will use windows.

> See Thompson's "Reflection on Trusting Trust".  IIRC, it is freely
> available at the ACM's website under "Classics" or so
You don't have to convince me in that. I am just talking about making 
crypto available to people like my grandmother, that is my goal. And
please take mails seriously which are trying to help making the 
project more portable, allthough you don't have to agree with the 
intended audiance. 


Th.

-- 
__Thijmen Klok________