Linux, Inc.

BusinessWeek online ^ | 21 January 2005 | Steve Hamm

[ShadowAce]

Linus Torvalds once led a ragtag band of software geeks. Not anymore. Here's an inside look at how the unusual Linux business model increasingly threatens Microsoft

Five years ago, Linus Torvalds faced a mutiny. The reclusive Finn had taken the lead in creating the Linux computer operating system, with help from thousands of volunteer programmers, and the open-source software had become wildly popular for running Web sites during the dot-com boom. But just as Linux was taking off, some programmers rebelled. Torvalds' insistence on manually reviewing everything that went into the software was creating a logjam, they warned. Unless he changed his ways, they might concoct a rival software package -- a threat that could have crippled Linux. "Everybody knew things were falling apart," recalls Larry McVoy, a programmer who played peacemaker. "Something had to be done."

[E. Pluribus Unum]

...don't see any reason to switch to something that isn't better enough than the 'standard' to take over the market.

I was only talking to people who were interested in trying Linux.

Since you aren't interested, my post was not directed at you.

[shellshocked]

It's not much of a business model if it is designed to harm another company instead of making money.

That's the problem with anti-capitalist liberals: They want to "get even" or take an emotional approach instead of make money.

[Golden Eagle]

you'd only need a Knoppix CD to get you back online.

Well obviously not everyone has one, especially those limited to dial up, as already mentioned in this very thread. The smart thing to do is stick with what works well for 90% of us, and not go off on some obscure fairy tale being pushed on us by liberals. But if you do want to involve yourself with obscure liberals, at least stick to Apple, being a decent enough wholly-owned US product.

[ShadowAce]

Don't believe the hype.

What hype? I'm relating my actual experiences. Sorry if that offends your pre-conceived ideas.

[Golden Eagle]

It's not much of a business model if it is designed to harm another company instead of making money. That's the problem with anti-capitalist liberals: They want to "get even" or take an emotional approach instead of make money.

Bingo. They also want to share America's wealth with the rest of the world for free, and when it comes to US intellectual property, open source (GPL) software like linux is the perfect vehicle for doing so.

[Cyber Liberty]

Hey, hey! I have broadband, and I'm d/l'ing the Knoppix now. It's wayyyyyyyy slow anyway (I assume from their end. Probably 5,000 FReepers trying to get it at the same time), from the Perdue mirror. It's going at a blazing 7.79 KB/Sec.

It's just as slow, so the broadband-vs-dialup war is moot here...I'll be test driving it after 2:30 PM MST.

;^)

[ShadowAce]

It's not much of a business model if it is designed to harm another company...

It wasn't. It was designed as a university project, and then just posted on the web for any interested party.

... instead of making money.

It's aimed at producing a better product. In the markets they've targeted, it's become a much better product than most everything out there--that includes Windows. They haven't aimed all their interest at the Desktop yet, but it's coming.

That's the problem with anti-capitalist liberalschoice ostriches: They want to "get even" destroy everyone else to protect their market rather than compete.

[ShadowAce]

I'm willing to send anyone a copy for the cost of the media.

[Golden Eagle]

You want competition for Microsoft, fine, buy one of these already existing US products. But selling out to the Chicoms and other foreign governments is all you're doing when you attack our already existing and superior products in favor of these foreigners and their freeware like linux.

http://www.apple.com/imac/

http://www.apple.com/macmini/

http://www.apple.com/powermac/

http://www.apple.com/xserve/

http://www.apple.com/software/

http://www.sun.com/desktop/workstation/sunblade2500/index.xml

http://www.sun.com/servers/entry/v100/

http://www.sun.com/servers/entry/v880/

http://www.sun.com/servers/midrange/sunfire_e2900/index.xml

http://www.sun.com/servers/highend/sunfire_e25k/index.xml

http://www.hp.com/workstations/risc/c8000/

http://www.hp.com/products1/servers/rackoptimized/rp8420/index.html

http://h18002.www1.hp.com/alphaserver/gs1280/

http://www.cray.com/products/x1/index.html

http://www.cray.com/products/sx6/index.html

http://www-1.ibm.com/servers/aix/

http://www-1.ibm.com/servers/eserver/zseries/zos/

That's right, I even support IBM, when they're not giving their technology away to foreign governments with nothing in return. Obviously, I support ANY American company when they protect their i.e. US intellectual property. You and your buddies would rather them just give it all away, for nothing. Or you'd rather steal it or trespass their patents, then deny, all in the name of trashing Microsoft and the other products above.

[Codename - Ron Benjamin]

I'm making an attempt to understand your posture, thing I find hard to do, so please don't take my argument as an attack.

You said, with a bit of edition for clarity and conciseness, "Want to share's America's wealth (referring to intellectual property) for free"

As I've seen on your posts lately, your argument is "America should keep some information as a secret from the rest of the world, because given information represents a competitive edge".

If the exact same information (the "how to do" as in "how to schedule through eight processors", without the full implementation) contained in Linux were published as a book, would your argument still be the same?

[Cyber Liberty]

I'd just be happy to get a machine set up here that works remotely like the UNIX workstations I use during the day....

[Cyber Liberty]

....Well, that and get some use out of an old 486 laptop that has Windoze 95 on it. The thing is worthless and unsupported, and my UNIX experience tells me I'll get much better performance out of it.

[ShadowAce]

How many of those products will work on my already-purchased and usable Intel laptop?

Not Apple

Not Cray

Not Sun

Not IBM's AIX

HP-UX? Possibly. What can I run on it that would be useful to me as an end-user? Is it affordable as an individual consumer?

[Cyber Liberty]

HP-UX affordable? No.

[Golden Eagle]

I'd just be happy to get a machine set up here that works remotely like the UNIX workstations I use during the day....

You can use Apple's OSX for that, it's actually based on a Unix core. Or there's also Sun "x86" Solaris, a version of Unix for Intel processors. Version 10 should be out in march, and lots of commercial software will be available for it shortly after.

Sun Solaris Operating System for x86 Platforms

Although the new version will expose some of it's code, it will adhere to a new more protective license, and is incompatible with Linux's "GPL" which gives anyone in the world the right to copy, rename, modify and even resell without any return revenue to the proprietors.

[Golden Eagle]

Yes Sun. Where you have been? Pushing Finland's freeware on everyone the last few years?

[ShadowAce]

an old 486 laptop that has Windoze 95 on it.

Hmm. I believe that there are a few distros that are optimized for the older architectures.

Go here and look around for some.

[ShadowAce]

OK, so you would rather I run Solaris on my laptop. What fantasy world do you live in? Solaris is probably the worst *nix out there.

[killjoy]

Obviously, I support ANY American company when they protect their i.e. US intellectual property. You and your buddies would rather them just give it all away, for nothing.

Then you should cross Sun off your list. They give away Solaris free. You can even get the source code for it.

[N3WBI3]

And ted kennedy and planned parenthood use Windows..