AppArmor: it's baaaaaaack [LWN.net]

The AppArmor security module has had a difficult life - even considering that security modules tend to have a hard path into the mainline in general. Its pathname-based approach concerned numerous developers, and its implementation caused the net to echo with NACKs. Eventually, its core developers lost their jobs and moved on to other pursuits, some distributors lost interest, and AppArmor disappeared from view. Meanwhile, the pathname-based TOMOYO Linux module managed to overcome the hurdles and get into the mainline.

Speaking at LinuxCon, your editor stated that he did not know if AppArmor would come back or not. The next day, a new set of AppArmor patches was posted by John Johansen. Interestingly, John works at Canonical, so AppArmor, should it get into the mainline, could well become one of that company's largest contributions to the kernel. Its chances of merger should be better now; TOMOYO Linux has broken down the barriers to pathname-based mandatory access control, and AppArmor uses the new security module hooks which were added to support TOMOYO. As of this writing, though, there have been no reviews posted, so anything could still happen.

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