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Re: essential? firewalling?



Craig Dickson <crdic@pacbell.net> wrote:

> Look at it another way. If the GNU/HURD distribution does not include
> firewalling capabilities, then you can't use a HURD system as a
> dedicated firewall machine (at least not without adding such
> capabilities separately). Why should that be the case? Why shouldn't a
> HURD distribution be capable, out-of-the-box, of being used as a
> dedicated firewall? Are we to infer that the HURD is somehow inherently
> unsuitable for such a role?

OK, I'll apply the same reasoning with:
   Linux       <-> Hurd
   USB support <-> Firewalling capabilities

                          If the GNU/Linux distribution does not include
  USB support, then you can't use a [GNU/]Linux system as a
  Joe User's desktop machine (at least not without adding such
  capabilities separately). Why should that be the case? Why shouldn't a
  [GNU/]Linux distribution be capable, out-of-the-box, of being used as a
  "desktop, multimedia & Co" computer? Are we to infer that Linux is
  somehow inherently unsuitable for such a role?

So you would suggest that no Debian GNU/Linux distribution should have
happened before Linux USB support was implemented -- that is,
approximately, beginning 2001 if you consider 2.4.0 reasonable for Joe
User's desktop system. Hmmm. Would you? Actually, as Debian doesn't
consider the 2.4 kernels ready for "stable", your reasoning would lead
to: "no Debian GNU/Linux realease should ever have happened." Yay!

Please, stop bugging the Hurd people about every feature found on
GNU/Linux for no valuable reason *at this time*. Firewalling
capabilities are not necessary at all for the Hurd to be useful, just as
USB support is not necessary at all for Linux to be useful.

People who nowadays install the Hurd to build a corporate network
firewall *must* be taking drugs, IMHO. Therefore, sane people installing
the Hurd don't need such capabilities. So, "firewall capabilities are
necessary for a port to release" just looks as a stupid requirement to
me (and a boring thread, BTW).

There seem to be way more important issues in the Hurd to address than
this one and nearly-cosmetic problems like /hurd... Please let this
system become mature in proper order (i.e., first make sure you have a
solid "kernel", then implement a solid TCP/IP stack on top of/around it,
and then expect your firewall capabilities).

-- 
Florent


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