Re: [cobalt-users] RaQ3 128-bit Secure Server Upgrade... WHEN..??

[Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

At 09:16 AM 2/15/00 -0600, you wrote:

> And your name is not Cobalt, which is what the question asked about.

Easy now, he only made you aware that there is a solution available.  Of 
course you can wait for Cobalt.

> I
> don't want to pay a lot of money for something that should be either
> free or very low cost (because it should just be a recompilation of the
> existing software).

Red Hat Linux is free.  Red hat's secure server costs us$150.  The price 
looks pretty reasonable.  And they can sell it outside the US because it 
comes from outside the US.

Now you probably want to know what it's "not for use in the U.S." so I'll 
tell you.

It includes software algorithms for which there's a U.S. patent.  The U.S. 
patent expires this year.

Here's how I get around the problem:  I own a copy of Red Hat's secure 
server.  That covers the patent.  Even though I can't use the server on my 
system.

No, I don't use the Brosoft software on my RaQ2, I use manually patched 
software.  BUT... I still need to buy the license to cover the patent.

> The RaQ3 already has SSL built in and integrated
> with the Cobalt interface; I don't want to mess that up (and probably
> void the warrenty as far as Cobalt support is concerned) by installing
> someone else's software.

Gee, maybe this "someone" else just happens to be an authorized Cobalt var?

> With the change in US encryption law, I think Cobalt could even export
> full strength SSL now, so they could just have an upgrade package that
> adds 128 bit SSL.

Not without going through a lot of hoops AND paying patent royalty fees.

Jeff

--
Jeff Lasman <jblists@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>