The FBI Paid OpenBSD Developers For Backdoors?

[Wyatt]

You are right, $100x3 ($200x3 including the offer from the pfsense team) is not serious money to audit that code. However, given how quickly some people are assuming the supposed backdoors to be real, I imagine some hundred bucks will be a good incentive for them to reveal their own sources and audits, based on which they arrived at their informed conclusions. After all, so far they're doing it for free.

If you look through the thread, there are a bunch more offers. It ends up being $1400*3 last I saw. That's a nontrivial sum.

[smitty3268]

I can sell water out of a facet, it doesn't matter if the water is free for anyone to drink, i can still sell it to you. The same concept applies to Red Hat.

[KDesk]

I can sell water out of a facet, it doesn't matter if the water is free for anyone to drink, i can still sell it to you. The same concept applies to Red Hat.

It is not so. The companies don't buy Red Hat's software, they can get the sources and compile, or what many do, install CentOS. The companies buy Red Hat's support. Or seen by another side, the buy a pack of software+support.

[smitty3268]

It is not so. The companies don't buy Red Hat's software, they can get the sources and compile, or what many do, install CentOS. The companies buy Red Hat's support. Or seen by another side, the buy a pack of software+support.

If they get a Red Hat DVD, or links to software on a Red Hat server, then they are buying code. Whether you want to admit it or not.

Obviously they're buying the support as well, as it's the more difficult thing to obtain.