OT: reasoning behind open vs. closed SSH

[Darren Cole]

Jake,

	One company I worked for licensed the code from ssh to make 
modifications to the source, so that it supported their flavor of unix 
as they wanted it to.  Eventually they moved to openssh.  Another place 
(large hosting company during the height of the .com boom). Made custom 
modifications, and wouldn't even considered using anything but openssh. 
  Currently I work on a HP-UX 10.26, and the only reasonable option for 
us is to port it ourselves.  That is a whole lot cheaper using openssh, 
and easier.  I'm on rare platform, that hardly anyone uses.  Still the 
people on openssh list have been far more helpfully that any commercial 
support I have delt with.  Besides I can always look at the actually 
mail archive, and figure out what is going on, or look at the code.  It 
is has also generally be easier and faster than anytime I have tried to 
go through tech support.

	Granted in some cases it can be harder, or impossible to get open 
source through audits and certifications.  Though I have only ever seen 
or heard of those problems was with some high assurance applications 
(such as US DoD related work, or similar).

Darren Cole
Software Engineer