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Open Source on Windows - Boon or Bane for Linux?

Posted by Cliff on from the tough-questions dept.

A not-so anonymous Anonymous Coward puts this tough issue up for discussion: "There seem some more determined efforts underway currently in some corners of the KDE project to port substantial parts of the software stack to the MS Windows platform. These efforts are now met by fierce resistance on the part of some of their core developers. Aaron J. Seigo summarizes his reasoning in his blog: 'If the applications people want are available on Windows, they will tend to stick with Windows...by porting software to Windows, we eliminate the majority of the competitive advantage of Free Software desktops in the eyes of the overwhelming majority of consumers while Microsoft has all the rope they need to shut the door once again on us ... Free Software desktop applications on Windows represent a no-win situation for Open Source, but Open Source desktops on Free Software operating systems do.'" (Read more below.) "Does it hurt the 'Linux to the Desktops!' battle fanfare, if Linux apps and other OSS are ported on a large-scale to MS Windows, or will it rather have a 'pave the way' effect? Does it help to migrate enterprises and public sector units if users to Linux if users are already familiar with Firefox and OpenOffice.org from Windows, or does it take away the motivation to migrate at all? Is porting Unix desktop software counterproductive? Does it even help Microsoft and damage Windows users?"

4 of 896 comments (clear)

  1. Familiarity by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Redundant

    OSS stuff on Windows can help people become familiar with certain applications they would also be likely to use on Linux (Firefox, OpenOffice etc.). Thus surely many people can eliminate the need for Windows, as they're happy with the programmes they can us in Linux.

  2. You rFail It by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Redundant

    ASSOCIATION OF impaired its of an admittedly for aal practical If you have of business and Something that you

  3. Re:I completely disagree. by spin2cool · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Mod parent up. This is exactly the philosophy that OSS advocates should be using.

  4. colinux by Comsn · · Score: 1, Redundant
    When PCs start coming standard with multiple cores in the CPU and a gig or two of RAM, someone will develop Linux for Windows and a nice development environment. When you run the application on Windows, it will simply load Linux (or Linux will be loaded at startup) and run on top of this additional layer.


    running linux under windows (2k/XP) is already here and its called colinux, runs at near full speed (NOT EMULATED!)... can get sound and networking working, use your current distro or a new blank one from image. you can also use your windowing system with xcygwin or a VNC session.

    http://colinux.sf.net