  The landscape of string/M theory is surveyed over a large class of type $IIB$
flux compactification vacua. We derive a simple formula for the average size of
the gauge group rank on the landscape under assumptions that we clearly state.
We also compute the rank under the restriction of small cosmological constant,
and find a slight increase. We discuss how this calculation could impact proton
stability by computing the suppression factor for the number of vacua with
additional gauge group rank that could be used to protect the proton. Finally,
we present our views on the utility and limitations of landscape averages,
especially in the context of this analysis.
