Re: The GPL, the kernel, and everything else.

[John Alvord]

On Thu, 16 Jan 2003 11:28:42 -0500 (EST), "Mark H. Wood"
<[e-mail]> wrote:

>On Sat, 11 Jan 2003, Rob Wilkens wrote:
>> On Sat, 2003-01-11 at 20:06, Ryan Anderson wrote:
>> > Because, to a large extent, for the core kernel developers, the existing
>> > system is fine.
>>
>> If you're designing a system for kernel developers use, then that's
>> fine.  But if you want to see linux proliferate to the average desktop
>> (and I do), then you've got to look at the bigger picture.  There
>> _should_ be a way for a company like nvidia to build a binary driver,
>> adn ship it in binary form, maybe even digitally signed the way
>> microsoft allows digital signing of drivers so you know the driver is
>> legit and OK.
>
>Right there you've put your finger on a problem.  Many core developers are
>working hard to make sure that this never happens.  See arguments in favor
>of open source.
>
>It looks to me as though an underlying, larger problem is that there are
>several distinct communities which are all interested in Linux, but which
>have divergent values.  Developers, for example, want something that's fun
>to develop or is personally useful, and take steps to prevent commercial
>interests' spoiling their experience.  Others want a Windows-killer and
>obsess about the desktop, or installation, or other ease-of-use-by-those-
>who'd-rather-not-think-about-computers issues.  Still others *are*
>commercial interests, and want to figure out how to make money in this
>space (some worrying about how to avoid killing the goose which lays the
>golden eggs, others intent on short-term profit and caring nothing for the
>goose's long-term welfare).
>
>Me, I could care less whether Linux achieves world domination.  The
>business desktop is to me an utterly uninteresting problem.  The only
>reason I worry about things like market penetration is that competing
>products' companies keep interfering with my decision to use Linux when
>addressing problems for which it is a good fit.  Like it or not, I need a
>certain amount of "bandwagon effect" for Linux in order to impress those
>who are impressed by such things, since some of them can preempt the
>decision as to which platform I use for any given assignment.  I wouldn't
>care if I were the only Linux user on earth, if I didn't have to defend my
>professional prerogatives.
>
>So, you need to look at the *really* big picture.  There are people who
>think the way you do, and people who don't, and it would be a worthy
>challenge to find a way to somewhat satisfy both groups.

Given the inertia of existing applications and documents in business
[read Microsoft Office] you also need to get Microsoft on board as an
application provider. There are many business applications written in
COBOL running on zSeries machines because of similiar inertia,
regardless of how much hardware costs could be saved...

john alvord