alt Hacker NewsThis is such a 1996 argument. It really was a big deal back then whether you had compilers on your multiuser SunOS boxes, because attackers would then use them to compile exploit.c.
The whole thread, really bringing me back to comp.security.unix. I'm not complaining! I miss comp.security.unix.
I feel honored to receive some of the much vaunted tptacek disingenuity. It is like a fine wine, only to be appreciated by an experienced palate. I won't deny being a fan, nor smiling at the attention.
Yes, Thomas, I too remember the digital landscape of Unix workstations in 1996. Isn't it interesting that, as the old folks say, "everything old is new again"?
For example, have you noticed that most of the 2.3 metric assloads of virtual machines created and used every day do not bother installing compilers either? Are those sysadmins also pining for a bygone era? Or do they just not need them to run their microservice's static binaries?