linux-kernel - Re: [PATCH] Security: Rename SELinux to NSALinux

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Date:	Fri, 1 Apr 2016 18:19:52 +0200
From:	Pali Rohár <pali.rohar@...il.com>
To:	Casey Schaufler <casey@...aufler-ca.com>
Cc:	linux-kernel@...r.kernel.org
Subject: Re: [PATCH] Security: Rename SELinux to NSALinux

On Friday 01 April 2016 08:47:53 Casey Schaufler wrote:
> On 4/1/2016 1:47 AM, Pali Rohár wrote:
> > This patch helps NSA agents, so they will know easily which part of Linux
> > kernel code and also which config options must be enabled for their
> > "customer" kernel builds.
> >
> > Patch also protects people aware of NSA activities, so they will know which
> > part of kernel code comes from NSA and which should they disable or drop.
> >
> > Signed-off-by: Pali Rohár <pali.rohar@...il.com>
> 
> This patch should have been sent to the subsystem maintainer
> (Paul Moore), and the LSM and SELinux mail lists as an RFC
> before taking it to the LKML.

Oh, sorry. I will this problem for v2 in next year.

> The proposed name change fails in its stated purpose in that it
> does not identify which nation the "N" refers to. To do that you
> would need to use USANSA instead of NSA. Remember that your
> understanding of an acronym is context dependent and that others
> will not map "NSA" to the United States National Security Agency.

Your are right, including US or USA in name should be done. We need to
make sure that abbreviation is unambiguous. Maybe on the world can be
another organization with letters N, S and A.

But abbreviation for "United States National Security Agency" is not
USANSA, just USNSA.

Maybe we should use underscore to separate country and organization. Or
other separator. If if future there is plan for code from other
organizations from different countries, we should need to distinguish
and make people easily build kernels for their needs.

Looks like there is currently security code only from NSA, so Linux
kernel discriminate others national agencies...

> I am generally in favor of naming things more descriptively than
> "Security Enhanced". In this case, the name has been in use for
> long enough that it is really hard to accept the notion that
> someone who is working in the code wouldn't know its history.

Full history is in git, so if somebody needs it then it is there...

> Or, have I just replied to an especially well done April 1st prank?

Yes. Hm.. or maybe not? :-) (see also time in Date header of first email)

-- 
Pali Rohár
pali.rohar@...il.com