Unix software and USSR

[Vadim G. Antonov]

In article <4113 at altos86.Altos.COM> steve at Altos.COM (Steve Scherf) writes:
>A while back you mentioned that you have the source to BSD, etc., over there
>at the Kurchatov Institute of Atomic Energy. Tell me, do I just not understand
>the technology protection rules in the U.S., or isn't Unix source barred from
>the USSR?

	Of course we're not allowed but we have it. These ......
	(I mean COCOM) can not realize that the result of their
	so called "regulations" is quite simple - practically all
	software in SU are pirated or re-constructed. Western software
	& hardware manufacturers could get a big profits selling it
	in SU if such regulations would never exist.

	Hmmm... COCOM is the only reason why Soviet electronics
	industry is still exist :-) Now we can see how Soviet computers
	disappear and replaced with Western ones. Generally speaking
	our (American and Soviet) militarians worked together for
	a long period - they always had contacts and still scare peoples
	and governmetns in order to get more money. A kind of mafia.

	Anyway we have no any deals with militarians - KIAE is quite
	civil institute and runs joint projects with American physicists.
	Now the main directions of KIAE's work is increasing reliability
	of nuclear power stations and fundamental research works.

>I suppose you also have source to the DES encryption algorithm?

	Yes. And a lot of books containing the description of this
	algorithm. (Why they did not forbid exchange of math theories? :-)
	This information is quite widespread here in Soviet Union.
	If you like to make information well-known you should declare
	it as a secret. :-)

>We're not even allowed to ship the C library with the DES algorithm to Europe,
>so I can hardly believe you are allowed to have the source!

	Hmmm... We live in the one world. Let's fight against
	mindless politicans together! (Subject for talks.politics).

	Anyway if you don't believe me try to compile and run the following
	program:

main()
{
	char *crypt();

	printf("%s\n", crypt("Do you believe me?", "XX"));
}

	The result should be:  XXcXimKPpq0M.            :-) :-) :-)


	Vadim Antonov
	DEMOS, Moscow, USSR
	(It is NOT a joke!)