this post was submitted on 16 Dec 2021
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Linux
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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I imagine a world beyond proprietary software, and GNU/Linux is the most promising implementation of that.
I don't agree with reducing software-freedom to an issue of mere privacy-friendliness. I'm willing to be realistic about the security shortcomings of Libre software but not if the alternative is locked down silos and walled gardens.
As a copyright abolitionist, I wholeheartedly agree with you and support the freedom of GNU/Linux entirely, and that is why I hold it to such high standards of security. GNU/Linux is private, sure, but not secure by default. Please read Madaidan’s article on Linux’s security model and his guide to Linux hardening. I’m personally holding out for such promising alternatives such as (a potentially ungoogled) Fuchsia. Did you know that the FLOSS kernel SeL4 is proven to be correct with mathematical precision? POSIX compliant innovations will someday leave Linux in the dust.
This may be a nitpick of your comment, but I think very little of claims that a large program is "proven to be correct with mathematical precision". We all know there are bugs in every large program, and if we aren't smart enough to write the code without mistakes, then we aren't smart enough to evaluate a proof of its correctness without mistakes.
Their Github page even has a section on reporting security vulnerabilities, suggesting that they themselves are not so certain of its correctness as you make it sound.
Formal verification is a thorough process.