[Tfug] Quick question about Python...

[Chris Niswander]

Jim March wrote:
> Somebody I know is trying to write an open-source voting system in Python.
> 
> Question is, can Python be compiled?  I know it's meant as an 
> interpreted system but are there true compilers available?

You can compile Python to bytecode.  In fact, you can distribute only
the compiled bytecode file(s) if you want to make it really clear
that your users are not running the source code.  This *does*
increase the difficulty of modifying the software, but doesn't make
modification impossible.  (Kind of analagous to how compiling a C
program to machine code makes it harder to modify, but not impossible.)

> If not, it'll never get past Federal certification...

Interesting idea that a voting system is safe only if
the code isn't provided as easily inspectable source code. :-)

HEAVY SARCASM ON
Because, ya know, no one has ever found a way to change the behavior
of, say, x86 machine language binary executables.  That's why IE
never suffers from any exploits against it.
HEAVY SARCASM OFF?

Also, wasn't the Pima County board of elections claiming that they
shouldn't have to release their database files to the local Democratic
Party because their database fields had code in them that people
could look at?
I wonder how the system they use ever got certified?
Perhaps they include only compiled code that you can see but you can't 
understand? :-)
Perhaps their vendor is better at arguing or lawyering or contributing $?

What I wonder is, how many other open source voting system projects
might already exist, and are any of them already better than your
friend's prospective project?  Or all they all fatally flawed,
or at least not obviously better?

Also, most local U.S. governments could probably save a ****-load of
money and grief if they joined a *good enough* open source voting
system project that genuinely met their needs.  Just saying, IMHO etc.