Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2000 19:15:06 -0600 (CST) From: Jay Nelson <noslenj@swbell.net> To: Paul Robinson <wigstah@akitanet.co.uk> Cc: Brad Knowles <blk@skynet.be>, Eric Wayte <ewayte@pegasus.cc.ucf.edu>, freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: What result would *you* like from the merger? Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.4.05.10003141822310.653-100000@acp.swbell.net> In-Reply-To: <Pine.BSF.4.21.0003141156080.53999-100000@jake.akitanet.co.uk>
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On Tue, 14 Mar 2000, Paul Robinson wrote: >On Mon, 13 Mar 2000, Jay Nelson wrote: > >> Since you asked (which you didn't, but offered us the chance), I would [snip] >> I expect BSD, Inc. to be the first credible alternative to proprietary >> versions of Unix and the first viable alternative for manufacturers to > >'expect'? I thought it already was. There is a lot of movement behind >Linux because it is easy to pull off your own distribution (take Redhat, >do a sed 's/Redhat Linux/Super Linux/g' across the source, stick it on a >few FTP servers, and hey! Instant IPO! Because of this, there are >commercial pressures pushing Linux along nicely. I'm glad BSD isn't like >that. I am glad BSD isn't like that, too. But the truth is, up until now, there has been no incentive -- or reliable source for hardware vendors to support an alternate OS or off-load development. SCO couldn't cut it and Linux never will. However, there are some who focus on the Linux hysteria and desktop market and lose sight of the real world. If you count the number of boxed sets sold to post-pubescent IRC and Warez kiddies along with desperate M$ users looking for a magic bullet, I suppose Linux has sold more boxed sets, and will probably continue to do so. That's not the market acceptance I'm talking about, but I wish Linux all the success in the world when it comes to that market. When you have IS shops willing to put an alternate OS on $100,000+ hardware, you have _real_ acceptance. Until the announcement, the only credible independent OS vendor has been SCO which seems to have attracted little more than yawns and scorn -- and couldn't run on enterprise class hardware. That's why they're behind the Monterey project. BSD is, and has for years, been able to run on that class of hardware (ok, so a Vax is a little passe now, but you see the point.) With the merger, we have a credible organization with the combined experience, staff and support to be a player on big iron. Consider IBM, who is now making a lot of noise about Linux. They are only admittedly only "supporting" Linux. They are actually selling BSD and incorporating it in their own products. They have recently introduced the B series of machines pointed directly at the ISPs, many of whom have been using BSD for years. (The same people who were pissed at Solaris and horrified with AIX.) Do you seriously doubt IBM or Sun's interest. Sun lost a _large_ number of supporters when they abandoned SunOS for Solaris, thanks, I believe, to the law suit. I'm one of them and I still hear the older people bitch about the change. We are ones now in a position to make buying decisions on enterprise class hardware and both IBM and Sun know it. Both Sun and IBM make their money selling iron and support. They don't give a damn about the desktop. If supporting BSD means they will sell more RS/6Ks or Ultras, and they believe there is a _reliable_ business partner to whom they can offload the development, I believe they will do it (and who better than the people who made it all happen?) The manufacturers aren't making any money of their respective Unices, anyway. I think BSD, Inc., offers that stability and credibility -- far more than a wizbang new IPO with yet another Linux Distro. The Linux people are still in diapers when it comes to enterprise operating systems. BSD isn't. So far, what I've read and heard tells me that those involved in this merger have their wits about them and are behaving with enterprise level class. I like that. I think it will be interesting. (Sorry -- I'll end my rant, now;) -- Jay To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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