Sun's Linux Killer Examined

gnaremooz is one of several users to mention Thomas Greene's look at Sun's supposed 'Linux Killer'. From the article: "If Sun gets very serious about Solaris 10 on x86 and the Open Solaris project that it hopes will nourish it, Linux vendors had better get very worried. That's because, in the many areas where Linux is miles ahead of Solaris, Sun stands a good chance of catching up quickly if it has the will, whereas in the many areas where Solaris is miles ahead, the Linux community will be hard pressed to narrow the gap." However, he goes on to describe many more difficulties with an install of Solaris than I seem to remember having with just about any recent Linux install.

Comments

Convert to MS now and get it over with

[wardk]

So lets just say that perhaps linux users switch to "free" solaris.

then sun runs out of money yet again, and goes back to microsoft for more money. and then again. then the buyout.

eventually all those "converts" are running MS Solaris.

let the stampede begin?

Re:Linux is ALREADY DEAD:

[xmorg]

Yea, who wants ONE mouse button... geezze ONE mouse button....ewww....

Re:More Register flamebait

[Bogtha]

The majority of distributions, like Ubuntu and Fedora?

Yes, those two distributions comprise the majority of distributions. Silly me.

The majority of applications with "mindshare", like maybe, Mozilla/Firefox?

Except Mozilla and Firefox are only based upon the GTK+ toolkit, they aren't GNOME applications, are they?

I don't think it's fair to denigrate GNOME by implying that KDE is more popular than it

Who is denigrating GNOME? Stating that one desktop environment is more widely used than another isn't an attack; it's only you that wants to turn this into some sort of battle.

It's not unreasonable to call it a success, but blatant "it is better because I Say So" is unreasonable

It appears you are so insistent upon starting an argument that, because you can't find fault with what I am actually saying, you invent some unreasonable position and attribute it to me, even though I said no such thing. That's known as a straw man argument.

Is KDE better than GNOME because I say so? No. In fact, I explicitly disavowed any judgement on their technical merits. I said that the opinion that KDE is more popular than GNOME is not unreasonable, and I pointed out several objective criteria as to why this is the case.

and singles GNOME out as an 'opponent' when there are other desktop environments

No, it singles GNOME out because that's what ships with Solaris. And if you are trying to take the position that it's unreasonable to compare KDE and GNOME because there are other desktop environments, then quite frankly, you're going to consider any statement about anything to be unreasonable. It's not a tenable position.

a divisive move that Free Software doesn't have the resources to make.

If anybody is being divisive here, it's you. Comparing two desktop environments is not a ridiculous thing to do. The thing you are taking exception to? Let's quote it:

KDE is certainly more popular than Gnome among Linux users, and most would agree that it's by far the better of the two desktops. It has more tools, it has better tools, and it's almost infinitely customizable. Adding a full version of KDE 3.4.x and including it on the boot menu as a desktop option would make the lives of many Linux users easier, and Solaris a good deal more attractive to them.

How utterly reprehensible of them to suggest that KDE is of value to many people! You are right, that's just so unreasonable! The Register is obviously involved in some sort of conspiracy to dare mention KDE as a possible alternative to GNOME. You are right, they are being very divisive to suggest that KDE users be catered to as well as GNOME users.

Or maybe you're just a GNOME user who likes to attack people who say good things about KDE. Yeah, on second thoughts, that seems much more likely. How divisive.