Rethinking the Linux Distribution?

eldavojohn writes "ONLamp.com is running an interesting article about rethinking how the community distributes Linux and the open source applications that often come with Linux. The author isn't arguing that Linux needs to become a full blown web OS over night but instead, asking if the community should be considering 'Software as a Service' and what he means by that is perhaps many of the open source applications that run on Linux should be available through a browser. The reasons for this are obvious, the code is open so anyone could host it, it would be platform independent so anyone could use it and it might attract more users to the Linux environment. The obvious note here is that many of the enterprise software makers are switching to Software as a Service, shouldn't the open source community investigate the possibility of a Web OS?"

Comments

Think before posting

[Tony]

Why would we ever want to run our word processor in a web browser?

Certain applications make sense on the web. Web search engines, for instance. Even maps, and seeking directions from place to place. Basically, anything that takes large amounts of information and makes it readily accessible. I can understand those being on the web.

But... word processing? Image manipulation? *Why* would I want to do that? What does it gain me?

Nothing.

What do I lose?

Control. If I choose to change applications, or try a new application, I am at the mercy of the host. If the host decides to upgrade, and I hate the new version, I am at the mercy of the host.

The whole idea smacks of, "Let's do it, because we can!"

Corporations like Microsoft and Google want us to go that route, because then *they* get to control even more of our lives. But why would *we* want that?

Collaboration can happen without application hosting. It'd be better if we focussed instead on creating a great P2P collaboration framework, and build that into many applications, such as OOo, or the Gimp, or any other system you might want to use for multi-authored documents.

But the web?

Seriously.

Re:Wait

[mikiN]

The database? Well you'd need a proper global filesystem, but that's no biggie either. What global filesystem? I'll have my data on my personal USB drive, thank you. And while you're at it, make sure that no trace of what I did remains on whatever server whatsoever. I don't want <insert your favorite government organization / hacker clique / whoever> poking around in my personal stuff.