The Openwall Project is a source for various software, including Openwall GNU/*/Linux (Owl), a security-enhanced
Linux distribution
A Linux distribution, often abbreviated as distro, is an operating system that includes the Linux kernel for its kernel functionality. Although the name does not imply product distribution per se, a distro—if distributed on its own—is oft ...
designed for servers. Openwall
patches and security extensions have been included into many major
Linux distribution
A Linux distribution, often abbreviated as distro, is an operating system that includes the Linux kernel for its kernel functionality. Although the name does not imply product distribution per se, a distro—if distributed on its own—is oft ...
s.
As the name implies, Openwall GNU/*/Linux draws
source code
In computing, source code, or simply code or source, is a plain text computer program written in a programming language. A programmer writes the human readable source code to control the behavior of a computer.
Since a computer, at base, only ...
and design concepts from numerous sources; most importantly to the project is its usage of the
Linux kernel
The Linux kernel is a Free and open-source software, free and open source Unix-like kernel (operating system), kernel that is used in many computer systems worldwide. The kernel was created by Linus Torvalds in 1991 and was soon adopted as the k ...
and parts of the GNU
userland, and others include the
BSD
The Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD), also known as Berkeley Unix or BSD Unix, is a discontinued Unix operating system developed and distributed by the Computer Systems Research Group (CSRG) at the University of California, Berkeley, beginni ...
s, such as
OpenBSD
OpenBSD is a security-focused operating system, security-focused, free software, Unix-like operating system based on the Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD). Theo de Raadt created OpenBSD in 1995 by fork (software development), forking NetBSD ...
for its
OpenSSH suite and the inspiration behind its own
Blowfish-based
crypt
A crypt (from Greek κρύπτη (kryptē) ''wikt:crypta#Latin, crypta'' "Burial vault (tomb), vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, Sarcophagus, sarcophagi, or Relic, religiou ...
for password hashing, compatible with the OpenBSD implementation.
Public domain software
The Openwall project maintains also a list of algorithms and
source code
In computing, source code, or simply code or source, is a plain text computer program written in a programming language. A programmer writes the human readable source code to control the behavior of a computer.
Since a computer, at base, only ...
which is
public domain software
Public-domain software is software that has been placed in the public domain, in other words, software for which there is absolutely no ownership such as copyright, trademark, or patent. Software in the public domain can be modified, distributed, ...
.
Openwall GNU/*/Linux releases
LWN.net reviewed Openwall Linux 3.0. They wrote:
''PoC, , GTFO''
Issues of the ''International Journal of Proof-of-Concept or Get The Fuck Out'' (''PoC, , GTFO'') are mirrored by the Openwall Project under a
samizdat
Samizdat (, , ) was a form of dissident activity across the Eastern Bloc in which individuals reproduced censored and underground makeshift publications, often by hand, and passed the documents from reader to reader. The practice of manual rep ...
licence. The first issue #00 was published in 2013, issue #02 featured the
Chaos Computer Club
The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) is Europe's largest association of Hacker (computer security), hackers with 7,700 registered members. Founded in 1981, the association is incorporated as an ''eingetragener Verein'' in Germany, with local chapters ...
. Issue #07 in 2015 was a homage for ''
Dr. Dobb's Journal
''Dr. Dobb's Journal'' (often shortened to ''Dr. Dobb's'' or DDJ) was a monthly magazine published in the United States by UBM Technology Group, part of UBM. It covered topics aimed at computer programmers. When launched in 1976, DDJ was the fi ...
'', which could be rendered as
.pdf,
.zip,
.bpg, or
.html.
See also
*
Executable space protection
In computer security, executable-space protection marks memory regions as non-executable, such that an attempt to execute machine code in these regions will cause an exception. It relies on hardware features such as the NX bit (no-execute bit), ...
*
Comparison of Linux distributions
Technical variations of Linux distributions include support for different hardware devices and systems or software package configurations. Organizational differences may be motivated by historical reasons. Other criteria include security, includi ...
*
Security-focused operating system
This is a list of operating systems specifically focused on computer security, security. Similar concepts include security-evaluated operating systems that have achieved certification from an code audit, auditing organization, and trusted operati ...
*
John the Ripper
References
External links
*
* {{DistroWatch, openwall, OpenWall
Free software projects
Operating system security
Public-domain software with source code