From owner-freebsd-chat Fri Apr 18 11:02:09 1997 Return-Path: Received: (from root@localhost) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.8.5/8.8.5) id LAA22336 for chat-outgoing; Fri, 18 Apr 1997 11:02:09 -0700 (PDT) Received: from thelab.hub.org (hal-ns3-18.netcom.ca [207.181.94.146]) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id LAA22327 for ; Fri, 18 Apr 1997 11:02:02 -0700 (PDT) Received: from thelab.hub.org (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by thelab.hub.org (8.8.5/8.8.2) with SMTP id PAA12002; Fri, 18 Apr 1997 15:01:47 -0300 (ADT) Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 15:01:47 -0300 (ADT) From: The Hermit Hacker To: mike allison cc: chat@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Commercial, Non-Hacker CD Distribution - A thought In-Reply-To: <3358E6C2.5C763CA1@konnections.com> Message-ID: MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Sender: owner-chat@freebsd.org X-Loop: FreeBSD.org Precedence: bulk On Sat, 19 Apr 1997, mike allison wrote: > Marc: > > This is VERY similar to the RedHat?ApplixWare bundle. They send out the > suite bundled with the optimum RH Linux version to run it. I think RH > has a division that maintains the ApplixWare port. This sounds like a > GOOD commercial project for someone willing and able to put it together > and SUPPORT it. > > *BSD is a far better platform than Linux (For this) because the Linux > world cannot always insure that any particular distro was > compiled/configured the same as any other. RH ApplixWare may not run > under Slackware. > > *BSD doesn't have this problem since the releases are centralised for > the platform. > > Wish we had the resources to do this.... The office suite IS the killer > app which allows one to move away from MS.... We sort of already do have the resources...if ppl were a little more willing to put their "money where there mouth is", so to say... The Office Suite is a Linux product...but its Free for non-commercial use...you hear every once in a while on the lists about how X company has this really nice commercial product, but for Unix, it would cost a major fortune to buy compared to a MSWindows version...which makes sense, considering the market share. So, as a community, why not approach StarDivision concerning filling the void that currently exists...a *good*, office quality, FreeBSD ported Office Suite (its already there, just as Linux binaries). How much would an MS-equivalent product cost, if you were in an MS environment? MSOffice goes for how much...$400? StarDivision is giving it away for free for non-commercial use...so go to StarDivision, ask them for a FreeBSD port to include as part of a "commercial CD package" and offer to pay them per CD. Current cost of CD: $39.95...commercial CD package w/ StarOffice: $65...now StarDivision is making $25/copy off a product that they aren't making any money off of now... at least not off of 'non-commercial' users... (NOTE: Simplistic view...I know) What other products are out there that could go into a commercial quality (business-quality?) CD? Xaccel? McAfee(sp?) Virus scan? CDE? Make it a brain-dead install...we have, IMHO, a rock-solid platform to build from, but its pretty much a 'hackers-world' distribution right now, not meant for the generic user that wants point-click and little-to-no-headaches Then again, so far, there are only two of that even consider this to be a reasonable idea *shrug* > > -Mike > > The Hermit Hacker wrote: > > > > > > Hi... > > > > With all the talk about large corporations and whatnot that has > > been going on, why not build a "Commercial FreeBSD" CD-rom? > > > > Mainly, something that results in as brain dead of a Unix OS as > > possible for end-users, something that I could give to my mother and tell > > her to insert this into drive A and boot your computer...it will ask you > > a few questions and then do the rest on its own. > > > > Think of it this way...how much does MicroSloth charge for Windows95 > > nowadays? NT? What do you get with it? An OS, that's it, right? (I actually > > don't know, haven't installed a MicroSloth system in several years) > > > > What I'm thinking is that, for starters, we have a Unix based > > Office product (StarOffice) that kinda works under our Linux Emulation. Why > > not make a deal with them to come up with a FreeBSD port and offer to resell > > it as part of a commercial FreeBSD CD. I don't know how much they charge > > for their Commercial version, but considering they are just giving it away > > for non-commercial use, you could probably work out a deal...hell, I'd even > > buy a copy of StarOffice if they had a FreeBSD port... > > > > So, wrap FreeBSD/StarOffice for FreeBSD into a CD as a start. > > > > What else would be required? Wrap Netscape in with that, again, so > > that its *already* intalled without having to go to the ports section and > > dealing with that (we're talking *end-users* here!) > > > > Isn't there a realaudio port for FreeBSD? what other commercial > > quality products are out there that we could effectively make a *end-user* > > CD distribution that is as plug-n-play as possible? > > > > Hell, even kernel optimizations from GENERIC could be done in such > > a way that its just a system tuning chore that happens in the background > > and when complete, informs the user that a reboot is required to make the > > new kernel active. > > > > then we'd have the FreeBSD that we all know and love (source code) > > and a FreeBSD that I could give to my mother and be relatively confident she'd > > be able to actually make use of it. (ie. she doesn't need source or a ports > > section) > > > > *shrug* Just a thought...there is enough talent around here that > > building up a User-Friendly GUI interface wouldn't/shouldn't be that > > difficult...no? > > > > Marc G. Fournier > > Systems Administrator @ hub.org > > primary: scrappy@hub.org secondary: scrappy@{freebsd|postgresql}.org > Marc G. Fournier Systems Administrator @ hub.org primary: scrappy@hub.org secondary: scrappy@{freebsd|postgresql}.org