Big Names Back Possible Linux Standards

Sean Feryl writes "Adobe Systems, IBM, Intel, Hewlett-Packard, Novell, RealNetworks and Red Hat are all backing the new Linux standards effort led by the Free Standards Group to form standards for key components of Linux desktop software, including libraries, application runtime and install time. The goal is to encourage the development of more applications for the Linux platform. 'With this complex and costly development and support environment, independent software vendors may choose not to target the Linux desktop, leading to reduced choice for end users and an inability to compete with proprietary operating systems', the group said." Also covered on FoxNews.

Comments

Photoshop?

[Geeky]

Adobe? Does this mean Photoshop could be on the cards?

(and yes, I've used the Gimp, and no, it doesn't do what Photoshop can do)

Re:Photoshop?

[jferris]

I am sure that Adobe sees Linux is gaining acceptance in the CGI industry, and are smart enough to know that there is a good amount of money to be thrown around in there. The one thing that is certain is that one or more people in a position of power at Adobe believe in Linux enough to say that it requires standardization. Who knows? It might be this lack of standardization that is the reason we haven't seen Photoshop on Linux yet, as opposed to them deciding to bring it on when standards are agreed upon and adhered to. Possibly, Adobe has been the ones patiently waiting.

Re:Photoshop?

[Geeky]

Maybe. Adobe might be under some pressure for a fully native Photoshop from the likes of Disney, who have put work into WINE in order to get PS under Linux. I'm sure they'd prefer a native release. OTOH, perhaps the success of PS under WINE makes a full Linux release less necessary.

By taking part in this initiative, Adobe may well end up with the ammunition to turn around and say there's no way they can even contemplate a Linux PS until proper standards exist. Even more ammo if the initiative descends into petty wrangling or is poorly supported.

Either way, a big problem for PS under Linux is going to be around things like colour management. Serious photographers won't touch it unless their hardware calibration tools work.

The Next Question Is:

[geomon]

How many of the distros will follow the standard? I know that it is commercially important for the major distros to follow the standard, but newer and more innovative distibutions may forgo them. If you spend much time running Red Hat or SuSE, you can get frustrated sitting down and attempting to edit scripts on Debian, or at least that had been a problem in the past. Gentoo seems to follow its own path, and I haven't spent more than a few hours working with Slackware in five years. These are just a few of the different approaches to linux file management (especially the rc scripting). Then there are the various package management systems, updaters, and user scripts. I haven't had time to play with Ubantu, but it would take me time to work through the directory tree to see how things are arranged as well.

Linux standards are a great idea, but I don't know how many of the dozens of distros will follow it.

Re:good intentions, but really a trojan horse

[pekoe]

From an LSB whitepaper: "without a widely supported binary standard for linux, a single vendor, de facto standard will emerge, effectively removing choice and locking end users in". I feel that as long as linux competes with itself it won't effectively compete with other commercial OS (at least for mass adoption on the desktop). Also, I'd be more interested in learing compiling stuff if the differences between distros didn't create such a moving target for the student. I'm keen to learn, but make it too hard and I'll go off and learn something different.