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Sun Rethinking Linux Strategy Over SCO Lawsuit

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the now-thats-a-pr-move dept.

manyoso writes "Sun is waisting no time taking advantage of the SCO lawsuit against IBM. They are making statements trying to play up Solaris as a safe harbor for worried Linux and IBM users. John Loiacono, VP of Sun's operating platforms group, "For people looking at the issues at hand, we are a safe harbor. We have absolute rights to our technology ... We're changing our strategy around Linux (but) we're pausing because we're trying to figure out what the implications of this are going to be". So, this begs the questions... What are the short term implications for the new Linux based desktop we've been hearing about from our fair weather friends? How will the SCO lawsuit affect Sun's long term strategy with Linux and Open Source?"

2 of 491 comments (clear)

  1. Dennis Ritchie's Thoughts on the SCO/IBM Subject by zoid.com · · Score: 5, Informative

    I found this in the alt.folklore.computers news group.

    --
    Zoid.com
  2. People are showing their cards by fjpereira · · Score: 5, Informative
    At least we are starting to know who are our enemies: SCO and SUN are showing their faces.

    I don't think SCO has a chance:

    1 - First, IBM has too many patents to counter-sue SCO.
    2 - Second, I think most the stuff that IBM has been bringing to Linux, like their journaling file-system and LVM is very recent software, that was develloped by IBM staff and not derived from the ancient Sys-V.
    3 - Even if we have to remove the parts developed by IBM from the current Linux kernels, we would still have sevaral alternative implementations.
    4 - Evern if SCO has patents that cover some parts of the Linux kernel, they (SCO) have also been distributing Linux under the GPL. Consequently, they have offered permition for everybody use it.
    5 - SCO can also be sued for using the Linux trademark: remember Linus owns the Linux trademark.

    Finally, this shouldn't be a major concern to the open source community, becvause even if we couldn't use the Linux kernel, we could allways move to HURD or a BSD kernel.
    For most aplications, users wouldn't see almost any change.
    BSD has already had a batle in court and won.

    In the end, we will be stronger than now.