[ILUG] Re: Is Linux Dying?

[david jamison]

Im not sure if Ive missed the point here entirely.  I have to say that Im talking from the standpoint of trying to look at how things are in software development/sales/usage TODAY and then trying to look forward in other words trying to do something like developing the article written in last Sundays Business Post.


Maybe this should read Is Linux becomming a victim of its own success? 
> Or perhaps how is Linux maturing?


Forgive me, but are you new to Linux?  We in the Linux community did to
death the whole open-source business models thing, about a decade ago.
You might want to read back-post archives of the FSB (free software
business) mailing list.

Hmmm.....A decade ago?  Isnt that an awful long time in computing terms?  I have to admit not going THAT far back with Linux but my memory of hearing about linux talked about ten years ago is that it was some kind of recearchy type project and not something that would be considered "mainstream". Having said that back in 1994 if my memory serves me Windows 3.1 and Novell was still considered hi-tech in many organisations for LAN's.  {PLEASE remember Im talking in terms of general business applications}

>> When the Open source movement was concieved like so many other things 
>> did anyone expect software development to proceed down a route where 
>> software would be essentially FREE?
>  
>

Miconception.  Software is never completely gratis:  There are always
costs.  Otherwise, most certainly the founders were entirely aware of
the concept of a software ecology without specific monetary charges for
acquisition and use.  For one thing, it wasn't a new concept:  It had
been done all the way back to mainframe days.  To the contrary, the
notion of software as product was the newcomer notion.  

Fair point.  But in the now software is most certainly product thanks I suppose largely to the efforts of Microsoft?  I suppose my question would then be if there are costs who pays these costs and how is that revenue generated? As things currently stand isnt that MOSTLY the traditional sale of product model?

>> Invent a world beating product - the next big thing - AND GIVE IT
>> AWAY?
>  
>

The notion of open source being "giving away" the copyrighted materials
is a time-honoured basic error.  If you want to find out for yourself,
try grabbing a copy of GNU emacs, use it in fashion contrary to its
licence, and lob an e-mail boasting about that fact to FSF.  You'll find
out very quickly -- through contact with their legal staff -- that they
still very much own the rights to it.The mere fact that most journalists can never seem to get this point right
doesn't mean you shouldn't.

Well, I was being slightly flippant or rhetorical with this comment.  I do feel the point stands though.  How about if I rephrase it to if the terms of the licence are adhered to the product including all documentation and source code is freely available.  For the layman, journalist and many that extol the virtues of open source the "product" is free.  Again contrast to the "microsoft" model where both software and documentation costs and there is no access to the souce code.


>> The delemma for Sun et al is that if the company invests resources in 
>> development that it then has to give away essentially to the opposition 
>> where does the leverage, and thus profit, come from.
>  
>

Traditional basic answers:

o  selective copylefting (which reserves many proprietary rights to the
   copyright owner, uniquely)
o  trademark-based branding, optionally tied to support
o  inclusion of some key components under proprietary licences

There are others.  See the FSB archives.

Are these issues then just comming into sharper focus now?  

>> An entirely new business model I think.
>  
>

No.  Worked out in considerable detail many years ago

ok but see my comment re focus above! 

Isnt there a lot of debate around the COST of software Total Cost of Ownership and so on?  The ETHICS and PHILOSOPHY surround the FSF GNU etc may not be around profit and loss but in terms of business profit and loss is king.  

The questions From the Beancounters are Can linux preform or out preform our current IT infrastructure at an at least a compedatitive cost? What are the implications re training and recruitment/retention of staff?  Is new or more sophistaced hardware required?  In a nutshell can it do the job?  The question of how the software is developed  or for that matter why it is developed is irrelevant - I think the quote here is I want to drive the car not have to build it first - let the software developers get on with thier buisness and let me get on with developing mine

All a question of stand point?

D