Re: [cobalt-users] procmail and other GPL source...

[SteelHead <brk@xxxxxxxx>]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Sean Slavin" <sslavin@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <cobalt-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2001 11:23 AM
Subject: RE: [cobalt-users] procmail and other GPL source...


> I've seen this a lot and well... it confuses me. How can Cobalt get into
> your machines if they are behind a firewall? Can they get in over port
> 80? I'm assuming none of you have punched a hole just for them...
>
> 8)
> sean
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: baltimoremd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:baltimoremd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2001 9:32 AM
> To: cobalt-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [cobalt-users] procmail and other GPL source...
>
>
> On Wed, 25 Jul 2001, Charlie Summers wrote:
> >
> >    So maybe the next time you try to update a binary and the thing
> blows up
> > for no d*mned good reason other than Cobalt being propriatary, it
> might be
> > interesting to demand from Sun's Cobalt division the original source
> code to
> > the binary in question...and if anyone knows a good intellectual
> property
> > attorney, it might make for a fun afternoon in conference with Sun's
> lawyers.
> > ;)
>
> Gee...while they're discussing the source code, they might have a
> spirited
> debate in reference to the back door code that allows Cobalt to crawl
> into
> your server.
>
> Thom
> baltimoremd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx             Thom LaCosta K3HRN Webmaster
>

It is common for the developers of software to create a "back door" to
access software in case of trouble or for convinent software service.  It
may be scary, but can be a preferred method of accessing a Cobalt device
that has "locked" out eveyone else.  Imangine being locked out of the box
cause you reset the password, and you are 500 miles away from the server,
and the co-lo folks have an absolute "hands-off" policy preventing the tech
(if you can get to her) from using the front panel reset.

Regards, Bill