Re: Is Linux Unix?
On Saturday 24 July 2004 04:47 am, Steve Lamb wrote:
> > develop for Linux because of the diversity. I had to sit by and watch my
> > father build a network of Windows NT boxes because I couldn't write and
> > THOROUGHLY test the software he needed for the cash registers at his
> > workplace.
>
> So, what you're saying is, that he standardized on one distribution and
> not on another. That's all WinNT is, really. Custome software as you
> describe, can be tailored for a particular flavor of Linux (or any other
> 'nix) just as easily as for a particular flavor of Windows.
Well, that's a fair enough point. Why not write for Flummy Linux 1.2.3, and
then leave it frozen at that forever? This kind of thing is almost an
imbedded application anyway, and what he does have is frozen at winNT 4.0ish
(was there a 4.0? I'm not up on Windows so much these days.)
But I suppose my own point is that nobody did it, and the people in question,
when approached with the idea of porting for Linux (for some flavor of some
distro), ran away verrrry fast. Many things are possible, but it's not so
easy getting people to consider them. So the point that our diversity is an
obstacle to the availability of this kind of software, as a practical, rather
than theoretical matter, still stands.
While it's true that win95 is a distro and win98 is a distro and win98SE is a
distro, etc., there are still far fewer of them. It doesn't present the same
daunting aura of complexity, and sometimes perception is more important than
reality. So I still think it's fair to say that Linux is not a very
attractive target for the kind of people who are developing astronomically
expensive, highly specialized commercial software of this nature.
Let me state for the record that I'm prepared to force people with such needs
to look elsewhere if that's what it takes to keep Linuxdom just the way it
is. I do not object to our diversity, and I have no use for proprietary,
closed-source commercial software anyway. If it's not free, I don't want it.
Luckily, I have no compelling, practical need to force me to move away from
that position. Unfortunately, many do, and Linux isn't much good to them.
It's very difficult to change the way people think.
--
Michael McIntyre ---- Silvan <dmmcintyr@users.sourceforge.net>
Linux fanatic, and certified Geek; registered Linux user #243621
http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/5407/
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