Any software whose code is available for users to look at and modify freely. Linux is the best-known example; others include Apache, the dominant software for servers that dish out corporate Web pages. [Google: Define:OpenSource]
Open source promotes software reliability and quality by supporting independent peer review and rapid evolution of source code. To be OSI certified, the software must be distributed under a license that guarantees the right to read, redistribute, modify, and use the software freely. [Open Source Initiative, Advocacy]
The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).
The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom
The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits (freedom 3). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
My SQL, TCP/IP, the World Wide Web, the Apache web server, Mozilla, Linux, OpenOffice, Perl, PHP, and JBOSS are all well-known open source projects.
The General Public License (GPL) is an open source license which covers over 70% of all Free and Open Source Software (FOSS).
GNU ("GNU's Not Unix"): In 1984, Richard Stallman launched the GNU Project for the purpose of developing a complete UNIX-like operating system that would allow for free software use. What he developed was the GNU operating system. (GNU is a recursive acronym for "GNU's Not UNIX,'' and it is pronounced guh-NEW. Linux is a variant of the GNU operating system [Free as in Freedom, Richard Stallman]
Open Source on Source code obfuscation
The program must include source code, and must allow distribution in source code as well as compiled form. Where some form of a product is not distributed with source code, there must be a well-publicized means of obtaining the source code for no more than a reasonable reproduction cost-preferably, downloading via the Internet without charge. The source code must be the preferred form in which a programmer would modify the program. Deliberately obfuscated source code is not allowed. Intermediate forms such as the output of a preprocessor or translator are not allowed.
Are you guys opposed to intellectual property rights?
The Open Source Initiative does not have a position on whether ideas can be owned, whether patents are good or bad, or any of the related controversies. We think the economic self-interest arguments for open source are strong enough that nobody needs to go on any moral crusades about it. [Open Source Initiative OSI]
This discussion can't be concluded without discussing a java obfuscation tool. Preemptive, the same company behind Dotfuscator, has DashO, and another famous utility for code obfuscation is the NMI Java Code Viewer.
NMI Java Code Viewer - Code Obfuscation for Java
This is a simple demonstration of how I've opened a class (which contains java byte code) in the NMI java code viewer. This is code from classifier4J, a famous open source project for Bayesian classification. The revealed code can be seen below.
After this, I compared the decompiled code with the original and voila, it's almost the same, it's logically equivalent, minus comments and formatting.
Built around the Microsoft CryptoAPI, AspEncrypt helps you harness all major encryption and hashing algorithms such as DES, Triple-DES, RC2, RC4, RSA, MD5 and SHA1 in just a few lines of code. The component can be used in tandem with AspEmail to send encrypted and signed mail in the industry-standard S/MIME format, or with AspUpload to encrypt files as they are being uploaded. AspEncrypt can also be used to issue and manage X.509 digital certificates.
AspPDF is an ASP/ASP.NET component which enables generation and management of documents in PDF format. Features include advanced text formatting, font embedding, form fill-in, images, tables, content and page extraction, document stitching, encryption, digital signatures, and more.
In many web applications it is desirable for both intranet users and external parties to be able to seamlessly log onto the system. The problem this raises is that it is not easy to allow intranet users to log in via Windows integrated authentication while also allowing external parties to log in to the same application using standard forms authentication. This article will show you one way to achieve the best of both worlds when it comes to authentication. [Read This Article][Top]
In this article, Michele Leroux Bustamante discusses authentication, authorization and role-based security in .NET. Along the way, he provides some best practices for implementing role-based security in some typical .NET application scenarios including rich clients, Web applications, and Web services. [Read This Article][Top]
When implementing custom components that require access to restricted resources, implicit impersonation must be used. Jay Nathan shows how to create a class that makes using .NET Impersonation a snap. [Read This Article][Top]
Learn about the execution process of CLR-based programs and how to protect your applications from being easily disassembled back into source code. [Read This Article][Top]
Businesses that utilize encrypted e-mail may find Secure Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (S/MIME) to be somewhat restrictive. This article shows how to use security features in PDF as an alternative to S/MIME. [Read This Article][Top]
Bill Gates, in a recent interview, predicted the end of spam by 2006. One of the methods he mentioned involved a challenge only a real live person could handle. Adnan Masood shows how to use AI and .NET to create a user verification scheme that incorporates similar concepts Gates alluded to. [Read This Article][Top]
Code Access Security (CAS) is the .NET Framework security model that grants
code permission to resources based on "evidence" pertaining to the
encapsulating assembly. In this article, David Myers examines CAS
and explains different configuration methods. [Read This Article][Top]
Zhenlei Cai combines an open source C++ encryption library with SQL Server
extended stored procedures to create a platform neutral, transparent
encryption solution that resides at the database layer. [Read This Article][Top]
Christopher Spann offers a .NET configuration tip that should help ease system administrators' fears of security compromise and thus assuage growing developer demand for a .NET environment. [Read This Article][Top]
You don't have to be a cryptography expert or spend lots of money on third-party components to secure sensitive data in .NET. In this article, Wayne Plourde shows just how easy it is to encrypt cookie data using encryption classes in the .NET System.Security.Cryptography namespace. [Read This Article][Top]
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