Other open-source tools can make a network even more secure. Serving Notice to Windows Network administrators looking for a file-server solution are no longer tied to the Windows platform. As the client load grew, so did Linux's performance. At 32 clients, SuSE, the weakest Linux, has more than double NT's throughput, and Red Hat, the leader, extends its lead to almost 250 percent of NT's performance. Another appeal of Linux is its near legendary stability.
Anecdotal stories float around the Web of servers that have run years without a crash.
This is often attributed to the open-source model of software development. Since every single user has access to the source code, thousands of programmers have analyzed that code for potential problems and made suggestions for enhancements. Security and performance bugs are squashed quickly and effectively by the open-source community, sometimes within hours of their discovery. But, consumers remain doubtful of products that are not created by a major corporation. That fear is especially common in government, where open-source products are not listed on any schedule of approved products, and IT personnel may not have the clout to implement a free solution.