Linux really rox, but its no surprise.
Apple,M$ and virus-writers HIDE their code.
It is that distrust to its own users that makes cracking that easy.
True that OSx is BSD-based, still they decided to close the source and thus they made the fatal move. Fatal for the OS, not for $$$ payed for antivirus software.
Nobody running proprietary closed-source stuff can dare to claim he's protected and secure. Nobody.
Nobody can claim his hardware is used 100%(especially quads or duos), unless he uses recompiled binary for his architecture. And you can't recompile if you dont have the source. Under *nix its as easy as "./config && make && sudo make install"
Again the trick to "sit home,don't talk to foreigners" doesn't work.
- We have botnet that is visiting your IP personally and try to sneak past to the core and "zombitize" remaining totally stealth.
- The vulnerability of closed-source software remains and always be legendary.
- The modern anti-malware software is NOT capable of detecting threats.
Let me explain:
1. MISTRUST IS THE REASON. OS and programs are closed source to prevent you from looking at(and stealing as they think) their "intellectual property"(theres no such term actually,but anyway). Note that professionally paid crackers(and those who are assigned to crack are specialists) use highly advanced methods. They get source anyway, unlike you - the target.
2. LEGAL=ILLEGAL. Software developers start using technologies similar to those used by virus and malware writers, again because of 1. This may protect THEM 'en masse for certain period. But not the special case on that target machine. It gets cracked.
3. SLOW. The protection mechanisms always have high impact on performance. In short it means drastically lowering efficiency compared to non-encoded,non-protected program running on the same hardware.
4. BETRAYING FRIENDS. Software developers, aware that you will never ever be able to see the source, will and do misuse their position to spy and collect data of your activities.
5. DISEASE MANAGEMENT. Antimalware fight has gone into professional status long ago. People are paid for fighting the malware. They have families and wishes, supported by that payments. No malware - no payment. This is the reason why all proprietary commercial systems will always be and keep "high malware compatibility".
6. MYTH OF SECURITY. The vulnerability of single piece of software may be detected and patched in the next version. Same applies to malware. As a result, antimalware software must store the database with all that vulnerabilities and check all your software against this list. This is NOT POSSIBLE now, as the process will take years and the database itself stretch over several DOZENS of GIGABYTES of compressed data, each byte of it must be tested with every single byte of running, actual to-protect system. Im not counting the impossibility to gather all vulnerabilities of all versions of all software in one place.
7. MYTH OF KNOWLEGDE AND TRUST. The technology of many viruses AND COPY-PROTECTION SYSTEMS, that gets applied on the software you use (see p2.), utilizes polymorphism and stealthiness. Same actions are implemented differently on-the-fly. This renders the protection mechanisms, described in p6 useless. To handle this, modern anti-malware uses semi-"intelligent" analysis(heuristics) and sandboxing, to detect the bad behaviour. Unfortunately, due to p.2, NO METHOD can guarantee that tested subject is 100% clean. Only showing program source can, but its not possible thanks to p1. You got false positives and undetected infection. ALWAYS. Antimalware companies start doing whitelists, for companies they BLIND-TRUST. This is the same as trusting a gigolo or prostitute. They even have a marketing dept for that. I will never understand how can anyone claim he is protected (??!) whilst his hardware is running closed-source program or even worse - operating system ?!
Linux has:
- zero cost.
- total openess and freedom. In every single aspect.
- total flexibility.
- high modularity.
- extreme development rate.
- highest protection/invention ratio among operating systems.
- extreme wide hardware and platform support, including lastest OpenGL(3.0) with shading support.
- huge goverment,military and company support. They contribute to upstream.
- huge fan base. Same, a lot of contribution.
I've been a MS user since '92 and their DOS 5.0. Yet I migrated to linux recent year and using it for all my tasks.
You get all free, open and secure. You can and should pay the developers. Your money will go straight to them. Its not that 4% contract salary. A lot of unneeded "managers", "directors" and "consultants" will be excluded from the list.
I was not a fan of Linux, or FOSS in general, until I did a deep analysis of what's going on with intention to save my time for productive work.
If you want to give it a try, ask distrowatch.com. And note, Linux doesn't and will never advertise itself. People are telling about their experiences, not fanatic marketing agents. Try it out, see if it works out.