Is Ubuntu Selling Out or Growing Up?

AlexGr notes an article by Jeff Gould where he says " Sometimes I wonder whether Ubuntu is really an open source software company any more. Yes, yes, I realize Ubuntu is not a company at all but a free Linux distribution, GPL'd and open source by definition. But still, the Ubuntu distro is sponsored by a traditional for-profit company. The answer that has recently emerged to this question is, "yes and no." Yes, of course, because Ubuntu's web site promises that the distro "will always be free of charge, including enterprise releases and security updates." But Ubuntu the enterprise ecosystem — understood as the collection of desktops and servers running Ubuntu in a given organization — is not."

Comments

If everything must be open then I suggest:

[EmbeddedJanitor]

Don't use an Intel or AMD CPU. The schematics of those CPUs are not Open. Nor is the schematic diagram of your motherboard, monitor etc.

But you're right to focus on those Canonical bastards. They don't even post all their bank account and password details!

Re:brick

[Anonymous Coward]

You sir, are an idiot.

Re:Just how is Canonical making money, anyway?

[wild_quinine]

Is this one of those internet boom style companies that only makes money in theory, or do they actually have an income source? They've figured out a way to power light aircraft using only the condensed ire of militant slackware users.

Re:And your point is...?

[Ossifer]

Yes... exactly...

WILL THE PUNDITS OF THE WORLD PLEASE STOP EQUATING "OPEN SOURCE" WITH "COMMUNISM"!!!

(and yes, I am intentionally shouting--I don't even own a "caps lock" key, <adding some filler here to get past the lameness filter...>)

Mod submission down

[rastoboy29]

I wish I could mod the submission down as troll.

Re:Just how is Canonical making money, anyway?

[infonography]

they own the rights to the word 'Canonical', and they draw a revenue from every time it's used on a linux blog. Also they get a stipend from the UN because the word Ubuntu scares ghosts who don't bother the living because they are trying to figure out what Ubuntu means. Also there is a 900 number you can call and for $9.99/minute someone will explain what linux is.

That alone is making them millions.