Linux is certainly not the end. Someday, something newer, better, and more sophisticated will replace it.
What we can hope for, though -- what we should strive for, in fact -- is that the shift from proprietary software to open source software is a permanent one. At least for the mass-market, horizontal stuff like operating systems, web browsers, and office suites. It is a worthwhile goal to pursue the permanence of open standards and open systems. This will not only prevent another monopolist from taking over, but it will allow the shift from paradigm to paradigm to take place as smoothly as possible. --
Remember years ago when we said 'oh, someday we'll have some really fast Intel 986 chip with tons of memory and stuff...'... well, that day is about to happen. If Intel had continued its old naming (numbering) convention, this would have been the 986. --
Seriously though, this can only be a good thing. MySQL is uniquely positioned to become a "category killer" in the world of free databases, as long as some of the features people have been requesting are added (such as transactions). The placement of MySQL in the GPL world means that open source programmers will not hesitate to put lots of contributions into it.
I'm aware that they were previously dual-licensing it, with the new version as not-quite-free and an older version as GPL, but that tends to ruffle some feathers in the free software community. This is much better. I hope Aladdin Systems is paying attention and does the same thing with GhostScript. --
The article doesn't seem to reveal the identity of the "major software house" but it's probably good to have a test case. If the GPL is to be given teeth via being held up in court, it is best to do so during a low-profile case. That way, a few years from now when Microsoft Linux is released, the FSF won't be pioneering testing the legality of the GPL at the same time it is battling its biggest foe. --
The fight against.doc can be accomplished without mentioning Unix, Linux, proprietary vs. open formats, etc. at all. When someone sends me a Word document, I simply reply "Please re-send this in text/HTML/RTF, I don't have or use Microsoft Word."
Word (and most other Office apps) have a "Send as mail" option hanging off the File menu. If Microsoft were not evil greedy bastards, that option would pop up a warning telling the user that the receiver of the message might not be able to read it, and then give the user a choice of 'Convert to HTML' or 'Attach in Word format'. --
The answer to "what will they do next?" is fairly obvious: they'll patent the human genome. Never mind the fact that it's laughably unpatentable; we all know that the USPTO is so screwed up that the patent will be granted, effectively freezing progress in this sector, potentially for decades. --
What would be nice, is if in additioning to opening up the client/server protocol, they'd implement and open a server-to-server protocol. This would instantly create an open, universal instant messaging network. If they want to guarantee their position as the instant messaging leader forever, this is the way to go. If they don't, it's only a matter of time before Microsoft figures out a way to eclipse them (as is evident in the fact that Exchange 2000 will include an IM server as part of the install).
Now is the time to do this right. --
How about a nice ROM Monitor instead?
on
Linux BIOS
·
· Score: 5
Seriously, this BIOS stuff has got to go. Nobody uses 16-bit operating systems anymore; why are we still booting 32-bit (and soon 64-bit) operating systems using a 16-bit BIOS?
Non-PC platforms all have nice, simple ROM Monitors with simple, straightforward methods of loading the operating system kernel and then getting out of the way. On the PC, we have this gargantuan pseudo-OS that carries all sorts of legacy crud with it to support MS-DOS... but in reality, nobody uses any of it anymore, except the little bit required to chain-load into a 32-bit OS.
This is one of those things that make the PC a 'fundamentally broken' architecture. Until things like this get changed, there will always be a delineation between PC's and 'real computers'. --
I've never quite understood the need for the QPL. TrollTech could easily achieve the same effect by offering Qt under both GPL and proprietary licenses. Anyone who accepted the free license would be forced (by the GPL) to use it only in free projects, while anyone who developed non-free software would have to pay TrollTech for the privilege. This would be a perfect application of the viral effect of the GPL.
All that notwithstanding, I don't quite understand why the $3000-guy is so bitter. This all sounds like a lot of sour grapes to me. Why is he so hell-bent on getting KDE into Debian? KDE is a valuable asset to the Linux desktop, but if the Debian people don't want to include it then that's their perogative, and their problem. There are plenty of Linux systems (most of them, actually) that happily include it. --
All of this talk about X, Berlin, KDE, Eazel, etc. isn't much more than mental masturbation. The thing that will make Linux more usable on the desktop is APPLICATIONS. Lots and lots of applications. Maybe if you're a graphic artist you need sub-pixel rendering and high-bandwidth BLT stuff and whatever, but 95% of the users out there simply want their application windows to display. That's all. The file managers in KDE and Gnome are 'good enough' for most users. Windows was 'good enough' to take desktop market share away from the Macintosh, despite the Mac's superiority wrt anything on-screen.
Bottom line: more and better apps will drive adoption of Linux on the desktop. --
The more I see the antics of the Debian folks, the more it seems that they're pretty much just a shill for the prohibitively uncompromising antics of the Free Software Foundation. If Debian wants to simply be a distribution of 'The GNU System' then they should simply do so and get it over with.
The HURD kernel kinda-sorta works at this point. Debian should remove Linux from their distribution and replace it with HURD. Then they should only include software that has been specifically blessed by St. iGNUcius.
It's either that, or it's time to get off the high horse and include things that make Linux a useful operating system. They can start by putting KDE on the disc (the fact that they currently refuse to do so is the primary reason why many people choose other distributions). As it stands now they're kind of middle-of-the-road about this stuff... and we know what happens to people who stand in the middle of a road. --
If you recall, Pennsylvania cut a deal with Microsoft a year or two ago, to use Windows products exclusively in the Pennsylvania state government. That, combined with the Love Bug and other such niceties, has probably made computer life very difficult in the PA state government offices lately. That considered, it's not surprising that they're the first to adopt legislation like this. The states which are still running on mainframes and Unix boxen like they should, can sit back and laugh at PA. --
Actually I was just trolling for the fun of it. Thanks for making it worthwhile.
By the way, not that it matters, but I am an open source developer, but being more of a server hacker I don't work on either of the big DE projects. As a user, I go with KDE though.
The only reason GNOME still exists is because it's shipping as the default environment in RedHat and Debian. The rest of the Linux industry has standardized on KDE. And rightly so; KDE doesn't require extensive training and hair-pulling like GNOME does. The one advantage Windows has over Linux is consistency: once you know how to use Windows, you can sit down in front of any Windows machine and already know how to use it. Ditto for KDE, which is why the smart distribution vendors have standardized on it. As long as GNOME continues the "window manager agnostic" approach, it'll always be a "weird" environment.
I know this will get moderated down and/or start a flame war, but I don't care. This is Slashdot, the home of KDE/GNOME flamewars. Deal with it.
What happens when an employee needs to call the office from work? He/she picks up the telephone. Do employers give out free telephones? No. Everyone already has a telephone, and probably a television. Most have VCR's and cable or satellite feeds too.
The economies of scale are moving in the right direction without any assistance. With the convergence of telephone, television, and Internet that is ALREADY happening, it won't be long before employers can reasonably expect that their employees will already have Internet access at home.
And just like many employers currently offer discounted long distance as an employee perk, they can offer discounted Internet access. Hell, they could even give it to them for free by putting a bunch of terminal servers just outside the corporate firewall.
There's no need to implement Hillary Katz's latest socialist plan. Sorry.
Here's my suggestion: any comment containing the word "GNOME" in a story whose topic is "KDE" -- and vice versa -- automatically gets moderated down to -500.
Kudos to the KDE team for yet another job well done. KDE will be a crucial set of packages for the rise of Linux on the desktop, for two important reasons:
It is easy to use
It offers a consistent user experience. I can't stress this enough. One thing Microsoft has over us is that a user can sit down in front of any Windows machine and know where to expect to find the usual set of tools and buttons. KDE places emphasis on a consistent user experience as well, and I think this is very important if we want Linux to start showing up on more desktops.
I, for one, always deploy KDE when setting up Linux systems for my customers, be they desktop systems or server systems. KDE 2.0 looks to be a very nice upgrade, one worthy of bumping the major version number. Viva la revolucion!
All this talk about Microsoft vs. Free Speech is important, but there's something else that needs to be considered here.
The fact that Microsoft is trying to suppress these articles indicates that they fully intend to 'protect' their proprietary Kerberos extensions. This isn't a replay of earlier extensions, such as the way they transmit DNS and WINS server addresses over a PPP connection, an extension which grudglingly became more-or-less a standard, even though it was placed in the wrong layer). This time they're embracing, extending, and pointing an assault rifle at anyone who wants to try to turn it into a de jure standard rather than simply pay megabucks for Windows 2000.
If Microsoft is successful in protecting its Kerberos extensions as a trade secret, look for this to become their standard mode of operation for every standard they butcher in the future.
And since I know Microsoft is reading this: you people should be ashamed of yourselves. You are a bunch of soul-less monsters. I hope a meteor lands on Redmond and wipes out the whole lot of you.
Not gonna happen. MP3 is already too firmly entrenched to be replaced. If it wasn't, dont you think the RIAA would have already replaced it with something even more encumbered?
The most important reason of all to assign copyright to the FSF is this: with no additional effort on your part, you will have a guarantee that the RMS-led army of free software (not open source) advocates will make sure that the characters GNU/ will be prepended to your program name, and that they will loudly chastise anyone who does not. MyProgram becomes GNU/MyProgram forevermore, and the Free Software Vision is thereby promoted!
With such a significant value add, how can you not assign copyright to the FSF?
Correction: not all Libertarians are corporate 'greed is good' types. What you're describing is Objectivism, a 'me me me me me' school of thought pioneered by Ayn Rand. Objectivism could be considered a subset of Libertarianism. There are many, many Libertarians, myself included, who believe that Microsoft has defintely acted in an unacceptable way and needs to be reined in.
This has happened before (Melissa, etc.) and it will happen again. Anyone still using such obviously problematic software (MS Outlook) deserves what they get.
I object to this submission. Not because of the subject at hand, but because of the following comment:
"Who doesn't remember converting all their files to.zip format back in the BBS days?"
FYI, the BBS days are still here. The Web didn't replace BBS's. All it did was give the lamers someplace to go. The quality online users are still frequenting the smaller, hard-to-find sites, such as hobbyist BBS's... most of which are now on the Internet. For example, visit this one to experience true online community.
As more people become frustrated with AOL/TW shoving watered down mass-media crap down their throats, even online, and as DSL circuits make running servers more affordable for hobbyists, look for the online landscape to become heavily dotted with BBS's again.
It's funny how even the ads keep scaling down. I remember seeing a magazine ad in the 1980's that showed a big raised-floor computer room, empty except for a single PC with a big bundle of serial cables coming out the back. The caption: INSTANT MAINFRAME. JUST ADD SCO.
Slashdot Mirror
Linux is certainly not the end. Someday, something newer, better, and more sophisticated will replace it.
What we can hope for, though -- what we should strive for, in fact -- is that the shift from proprietary software to open source software is a permanent one. At least for the mass-market, horizontal stuff like operating systems, web browsers, and office suites. It is a worthwhile goal to pursue the permanence of open standards and open systems. This will not only prevent another monopolist from taking over, but it will allow the shift from paradigm to paradigm to take place as smoothly as possible.
--
Remember years ago when we said 'oh, someday we'll have some really fast Intel 986 chip with tons of memory and stuff...' ... well, that day is about to happen. If Intel had continued its old naming (numbering) convention, this would have been the 986.
--
...that we now have to call it GNU/MySQL?
<grin>
Seriously though, this can only be a good thing. MySQL is uniquely positioned to become a "category killer" in the world of free databases, as long as some of the features people have been requesting are added (such as transactions). The placement of MySQL in the GPL world means that open source programmers will not hesitate to put lots of contributions into it.
I'm aware that they were previously dual-licensing it, with the new version as not-quite-free and an older version as GPL, but that tends to ruffle some feathers in the free software community. This is much better. I hope Aladdin Systems is paying attention and does the same thing with GhostScript.
--
The article doesn't seem to reveal the identity of the "major software house" but it's probably good to have a test case. If the GPL is to be given teeth via being held up in court, it is best to do so during a low-profile case. That way, a few years from now when Microsoft Linux is released, the FSF won't be pioneering testing the legality of the GPL at the same time it is battling its biggest foe.
--
The fight against .doc can be accomplished without mentioning Unix, Linux, proprietary vs. open formats, etc. at all. When someone sends me a Word document, I simply reply "Please re-send this in text/HTML/RTF, I don't have or use Microsoft Word."
Word (and most other Office apps) have a "Send as mail" option hanging off the File menu. If Microsoft were not evil greedy bastards, that option would pop up a warning telling the user that the receiver of the message might not be able to read it, and then give the user a choice of 'Convert to HTML' or 'Attach in Word format'.
--
The answer to "what will they do next?" is fairly obvious: they'll patent the human genome. Never mind the fact that it's laughably unpatentable; we all know that the USPTO is so screwed up that the patent will be granted, effectively freezing progress in this sector, potentially for decades.
--
What would be nice, is if in additioning to opening up the client/server protocol, they'd implement and open a server-to-server protocol. This would instantly create an open, universal instant messaging network. If they want to guarantee their position as the instant messaging leader forever, this is the way to go. If they don't, it's only a matter of time before Microsoft figures out a way to eclipse them (as is evident in the fact that Exchange 2000 will include an IM server as part of the install).
Now is the time to do this right.
--
Seriously, this BIOS stuff has got to go. Nobody uses 16-bit operating systems anymore; why are we still booting 32-bit (and soon 64-bit) operating systems using a 16-bit BIOS?
... but in reality, nobody uses any of it anymore, except the little bit required to chain-load into a 32-bit OS.
Non-PC platforms all have nice, simple ROM Monitors with simple, straightforward methods of loading the operating system kernel and then getting out of the way. On the PC, we have this gargantuan pseudo-OS that carries all sorts of legacy crud with it to support MS-DOS
This is one of those things that make the PC a 'fundamentally broken' architecture. Until things like this get changed, there will always be a delineation between PC's and 'real computers'.
--
I've never quite understood the need for the QPL. TrollTech could easily achieve the same effect by offering Qt under both GPL and proprietary licenses. Anyone who accepted the free license would be forced (by the GPL) to use it only in free projects, while anyone who developed non-free software would have to pay TrollTech for the privilege. This would be a perfect application of the viral effect of the GPL.
All that notwithstanding, I don't quite understand why the $3000-guy is so bitter. This all sounds like a lot of sour grapes to me. Why is he so hell-bent on getting KDE into Debian? KDE is a valuable asset to the Linux desktop, but if the Debian people don't want to include it then that's their perogative, and their problem. There are plenty of Linux systems (most of them, actually) that happily include it.
--
All of this talk about X, Berlin, KDE, Eazel, etc. isn't much more than mental masturbation. The thing that will make Linux more usable on the desktop is APPLICATIONS. Lots and lots of applications. Maybe if you're a graphic artist you need sub-pixel rendering and high-bandwidth BLT stuff and whatever, but 95% of the users out there simply want their application windows to display. That's all. The file managers in KDE and Gnome are 'good enough' for most users. Windows was 'good enough' to take desktop market share away from the Macintosh, despite the Mac's superiority wrt anything on-screen.
Bottom line: more and better apps will drive adoption of Linux on the desktop.
--
The more I see the antics of the Debian folks, the more it seems that they're pretty much just a shill for the prohibitively uncompromising antics of the Free Software Foundation. If Debian wants to simply be a distribution of 'The GNU System' then they should simply do so and get it over with.
... and we know what happens to people who stand in the middle of a road.
The HURD kernel kinda-sorta works at this point. Debian should remove Linux from their distribution and replace it with HURD. Then they should only include software that has been specifically blessed by St. iGNUcius.
It's either that, or it's time to get off the high horse and include things that make Linux a useful operating system. They can start by putting KDE on the disc (the fact that they currently refuse to do so is the primary reason why many people choose other distributions). As it stands now they're kind of middle-of-the-road about this stuff
--
If you recall, Pennsylvania cut a deal with Microsoft a year or two ago, to use Windows products exclusively in the Pennsylvania state government. That, combined with the Love Bug and other such niceties, has probably made computer life very difficult in the PA state government offices lately. That considered, it's not surprising that they're the first to adopt legislation like this. The states which are still running on mainframes and Unix boxen like they should, can sit back and laugh at PA.
--
Actually I was just trolling for the fun of it. Thanks for making it worthwhile.
By the way, not that it matters, but I am an open source developer, but being more of a server hacker I don't work on either of the big DE projects. As a user, I go with KDE though.
--
The only reason GNOME still exists is because it's shipping as the default environment in RedHat and Debian. The rest of the Linux industry has standardized on KDE. And rightly so; KDE doesn't require extensive training and hair-pulling like GNOME does. The one advantage Windows has over Linux is consistency: once you know how to use Windows, you can sit down in front of any Windows machine and already know how to use it. Ditto for KDE, which is why the smart distribution vendors have standardized on it. As long as GNOME continues the "window manager agnostic" approach, it'll always be a "weird" environment.
I know this will get moderated down and/or start a flame war, but I don't care. This is Slashdot, the home of KDE/GNOME flamewars. Deal with it.
--
This isn't necessary, and here's why.
What happens when an employee needs to call the office from work? He/she picks up the telephone. Do employers give out free telephones? No. Everyone already has a telephone, and probably a television. Most have VCR's and cable or satellite feeds too.
The economies of scale are moving in the right direction without any assistance. With the convergence of telephone, television, and Internet that is ALREADY happening, it won't be long before employers can reasonably expect that their employees will already have Internet access at home.
And just like many employers currently offer discounted long distance as an employee perk, they can offer discounted Internet access. Hell, they could even give it to them for free by putting a bunch of terminal servers just outside the corporate firewall.
There's no need to implement Hillary Katz's latest socialist plan. Sorry.
--
Here's my suggestion: any comment containing the word "GNOME" in a story whose topic is "KDE" -- and vice versa -- automatically gets moderated down to -500.
--
- It is easy to use
- It offers a consistent user experience. I can't stress this enough. One thing Microsoft has over us is that a user can sit down in front of any Windows machine and know where to expect to find the usual set of tools and buttons. KDE places emphasis on a consistent user experience as well, and I think this is very important if we want Linux to start showing up on more desktops.
I, for one, always deploy KDE when setting up Linux systems for my customers, be they desktop systems or server systems. KDE 2.0 looks to be a very nice upgrade, one worthy of bumping the major version number. Viva la revolucion!--
All this talk about Microsoft vs. Free Speech is important, but there's something else that needs to be considered here.
The fact that Microsoft is trying to suppress these articles indicates that they fully intend to 'protect' their proprietary Kerberos extensions. This isn't a replay of earlier extensions, such as the way they transmit DNS and WINS server addresses over a PPP connection, an extension which grudglingly became more-or-less a standard, even though it was placed in the wrong layer). This time they're embracing, extending, and pointing an assault rifle at anyone who wants to try to turn it into a de jure standard rather than simply pay megabucks for Windows 2000.
If Microsoft is successful in protecting its Kerberos extensions as a trade secret, look for this to become their standard mode of operation for every standard they butcher in the future.
And since I know Microsoft is reading this: you people should be ashamed of yourselves. You are a bunch of soul-less monsters. I hope a meteor lands on Redmond and wipes out the whole lot of you.
--
Not gonna happen. MP3 is already too firmly entrenched to be replaced. If it wasn't, dont you think the RIAA would have already replaced it with something even more encumbered?
--
The most important reason of all to assign copyright to the FSF is this: with no additional effort on your part, you will have a guarantee that the RMS-led army of free software (not open source) advocates will make sure that the characters GNU/ will be prepended to your program name, and that they will loudly chastise anyone who does not. MyProgram becomes GNU/MyProgram forevermore, and the Free Software Vision is thereby promoted!
With such a significant value add, how can you not assign copyright to the FSF?
--
Correction: not all Libertarians are corporate 'greed is good' types. What you're describing is Objectivism, a 'me me me me me' school of thought pioneered by Ayn Rand. Objectivism could be considered a subset of Libertarianism. There are many, many Libertarians, myself included, who believe that Microsoft has defintely acted in an unacceptable way and needs to be reined in.
And if you still have any doubt, you can read this article by Eric Raymond about Why Libertarians Should Not Love Bill Gates.
--
Do you think it might be possible to sprinkle some magic pixie dust on JWZ and magically turn him into something other than a self-righteous ass?
--
This has happened before (Melissa, etc.) and it will happen again. Anyone still using such obviously problematic software (MS Outlook) deserves what they get.
--
As more people become frustrated with AOL/TW shoving watered down mass-media crap down their throats, even online, and as DSL circuits make running servers more affordable for hobbyists, look for the online landscape to become heavily dotted with BBS's again.
--
It's funny how even the ads keep scaling down. I remember seeing a magazine ad in the 1980's that showed a big raised-floor computer room, empty except for a single PC with a big bundle of serial cables coming out the back. The caption: INSTANT MAINFRAME. JUST ADD SCO.
The more things change...
--