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Intel and Red Hat team for Linux security
Torvalds likes the sound of NX

By Stephen Shankland

Published: Monday 07 June 2004

Linux seller Red Hat and chipmaker Intel have released prototype Linux software to support a security technology designed to curtail the spread of viruses.

The security technology, called NX for 'no execute', is built into several x86 processors from AMD, Intel and Transmeta. The technology is designed to block vulnerabilities that viruses and worms use to spread but operating system support is required for NX to work

On Wednesday, Red Hat programmer Ingo Molnar announced a Linux patch for NX support based on a prototype from Intel.

Microsoft's Windows will support the NX technology when Service Pack 2 arrives, expected in the third quarter.

In a discussion on the Linux kernel mailing list after Molnar posted the patch, Linux founder and leader Linus Torvalds asked how many programs wouldn't work using with NX enabled. On hearing the number was low, he then said: "It sounds like we should just have NX on by default."

NX support is important enough that it's worth risking problems with some applications, Torvalds said. "I think most people have seen the security disaster that causes most of the emails on the net to be spam. So this should be trivial to explain to people when they complain about default behaviour breaking their strange legacy app," Torvalds argued.

Although the vast majority of Intel's processors run Windows, the company has been supporting Linux as well. In addition to the NX work, Intel this year released prototype wireless network support - albeit nearly a year after full-fledged support was available in Windows.

Programmers working for the chipmaker have contributed to several other Linux projects, including support for Itanium processors and Universal Serial Bus (USB) hardware.

Stephen Shankland writes for CNET News.com.