Re: GPL'ing Solaris won't save SUN

[Rui Miguel Seabra]

On Mon, 2004-08-23 at 13:12 -0700, Mike Cox wrote:
> Then why the hell should a linux advocate even care if SUN is going to
> Open Source Solaris?

Because of driver support for instance. SUN would benefit a lot if they
could leverage their UNIX experience into GNU/Linux, saving enormously
on the development of the Operating System.

Judging by how unfriedly Solaris happens to be when compared to
GNU/Linux (and I'm not even talking about GUI boxes) it seems (although
it isn't really true) something completely from the past.

If SUN allowed Linux to work flawlessly on its hardware, almost any
GNU/Linux would have ports in no time to SUN hardware.

I know I'd recommend SUN hardware if I knew GNU/Linux would run reliably
and supported by SUN.

> Heck, even MS took a bunch of BSD TCP/IP code and used it in Windows. 
> In terms of commercial value, BSD is the best license for commercial
> companies because they can use BSD code in commercial products without
> revealing their source, the GPL is best for goodies because everyone
> is forced to share.  The Solaris Open Source License will have nothing
> going for it apparently.

I strongly disagree.

Point number one, your definition of commercial defies logic. What you
really mean is proprietary software.

GPL is very good for commercial business, but you have to change the way
you do business. Competition must be on the quality of services and
support, while you cooperate (share) with similar companies on reducing
basic development costs.

So yes, GPL is not very useful for doing aggressive business based on
excluding competition through secrets and proprietary differences.

But that just means that instead of obscenely rich you get to be very
rich (if you're any good at your business, that is, if you're
incompetent you'll fail anyway).

Rui

-- 
+ No matter how much you do, you never do enough -- unknown
+ Whatever you do will be insignificant,
| but it is very important that you do it -- Gandhi
+ So let's do it...?

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