Re: encrypting swap (was Re: TEST)

[Rik van Riel <riel@conectiva.com.br>]

On Mon, 7 Aug 2000, Mr. Shannon Aldinger wrote:
> On Mon, 7 Aug 2000, Rik van Riel wrote:
> > On Mon, 7 Aug 2000, Mr. Shannon Aldinger wrote:
> > >
> > > They also aren't getting included due to the US's munitions export
> > > laws. Yes, cryptography falls under the same rules as 50mm shells, and
> > > nukes. So don't expect the kerneli.org patches to get merged until after
> > > those rules go away. Since Linus is in the US, his code and the whole
> > > kernel falls under US export law, if he adds encryption.
> > 
> > Which doesn't really matter.
>
> It does matter since the official kernel source patches come
> from the US. Importing to US isn't a problem, exporting from is.
> That is why kerneli.org is hosted outside the US.

90% of the users seem to use the kernel image supplied by
the distribution, not the official kernel source. That is
why I don't think it matters a lot that crypto export from
the US is so limited.

> > Linux distributors from outside of the US (SuSE, Conectiva, TurboLinux
> > (the asian branch), etc...) are very much allowed to add strong
> > encryption to their distribution and "even" sell those CDs to the
> > US...
>
> Importing to US is not a problem.

Exactly. Users who care about security should nag some non-US
Linux distributor about security and simply get their distribution
from a non-US company.

(this could also be a nice action to influence the US govt.)

> > <shameless plug>
> > Conectiva already ships with Free/SWAN and some other (network)
> > security things. No encrypted storage drivers that I know off,
> > but if there's enough interest I may be able to persuade the
> > people here to include that too...
> > </shameless plug>
>
> If exporting from US isn't a problem as you implied above,

Where did I say that?

> If all distributions and kernel source were imported to the US,
> then you would have a point. As it stands the US still has
> stupid restrictions on computer software and hardware that can
> be exported, cryptography is the most restricted.

Who cares? You don't have to use a US-based distribution...

regards,

Rik
--
"What you're running that piece of shit Gnome?!?!"
       -- Miguel de Icaza, UKUUG 2000

http://www.conectiva.com/		http://www.surriel.com/


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