Criticizing Sun's Java Desktop System

An anonymous reader writes "Uh-oh. PJ is not a happy camper. 'Sun has made its choice and opted for The Way Things Used To Be,' she declares in a Linux Viewpoint at LinuxWorld. 'It's a new world, and Sun is not in it,' she declares. Her gripe is with the Java Desktop System, which she argues is grossly cavalier with the GPL and doesn't properly acknowledge its roots. Her main objection: 'You really could get the CD and run it without every knowing it had anything GNU/Linuxy in it or that the GPL provides you with guaranteed freedoms that Sun would like you not to know you have.' Feisty read, as ever, from Groklaw's founder and editor. That Jonesian coinage 'GNU/Linuxy' is worth the read alone!"

Comments

Quick summary of article:

[Anonymous Coward]

Blah blah blah, bitch bitch bitch, blah blah blah

Wow, a little of everything

[doombob]

This article should make a lot of complainers happy: Microsoft is good competition, DRM is great, open source is bad, Sun thinks they're helping the open source world, RedHat sucked. I can't believe how many things that ./ers are mad about are included in just one article. Go to town everyone... Go... to... town.

FUD

[argonaut]

The is pure FUD being spread by Pamela Jones. Anyone who cares about the GPL knows it is nothing more than SUSE with Gnome on top of it using Sun branding.

Re:And? This is Sun as usual.

[sparkz]

IBM ... are providing ... Linux kernel code .... because it helps stretch the kernel into doing the things they need it to do for their interests.

Well said. Nobody cares whether Linux run on a Z-series other than IBM, who are stuck with a pile of ancient mainframes their customers are threatening to throw out of the window.
Really, who here needs mainframe Linux? Enough to bother to port it? Anybody who's still got your hand up, put it down if you have an @ibm.com email address.

IBM contribute to Linux because it's better than AIX; Sun contribute to GNOME because it's better than CDE.

Neither have much choice - create your own, or join a GPL'd project under the terms of the GPL. Both seem perfectly willing to accept this.

Next time, I supppose we'll be hearing PJ having a go at IBM for not open-sourcing Lotus Notes, or because their mainframe technology is proprietary?

Re:Please Tell Me..

[AstroDrabb]

This is comlete FUD. Look at MySQL or QT. You can use them both free of charge. If you want to make proprietary software with QT, you buy a license and Troll Tech seems to be doing fine. If want to use MySQL in proprietary software, you can buy a license and you can also buy support. The GPL allows you to make as much money as your talents will allow.

There are a bunch of Open Source licenses, each one has its pros and cons. The BSD doesn't guarantee you any chance at selling software either. If I write some application and release it under the BSD, you can come along and make it proprietary and add feature FOO and sell it. I can turn around and add feature FOO to the BSD version. So why would someone pay you for your additions when they are available in the BSD version?

Now say I make an application and release it under the GPL. I start to sell this application and also sell support. You come along and try to sell it for half the price. Do you think people would buy a non-official version from you? Maybe a few, but I doubt many. Also, where do you think all new version will be released first? My version. Look at MySQL as an example. If I want to buy support or purchase a license for proprietary use, I go to MySQl. I wouldn't go and buy your version of MySQL or buy support from you.

Your argument just doesn't hold water. You also came up with a very simple solution, get a trademark. I can try to sell MySQL, though I would have to call it LSQL or some other name. And guess what, no one would have heard of it, and it would not have the same reputation as MySQL. There are a bunch of Red Hat Enterprise Linux knock-offs. Guess what, they don't take any significant share of Red Hat's business. Why? Because when an enterprise wants RHEL, they go and buy RHEL, they don't go and use White Hat Linux or some of the other ones.