Mailinglist Archive: opensuse (4570 mails)

[Kevin Donnelly <kevin@xxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thursday 10 November 2005 10:29, Steven T. Hatton wrote:
> I am the OP, and I specifically said "Novell execs", and use the word
> "understanding" not commitment.  I have not been following the OpenSuSE
> development, so I am not sure that YaST was GPLed, but Novell execs GPLing
> YaST does not demonstrate an understanding on their part of what the free
> in free software means.

The "original post" is still not supported by anything concrete.  SFAIK YaST 
is indeed GPLed, and it's difficult to know what "execs" (whoever *they* may 
be) know or don't know about free software, other than that the money markets 
want them to go faster rather than slower along this road.  It is true that 
Novell has a poor trackrecord in acquisitions of this nature, but I think 
that creating FUD about the company's prospects is of no help to anyone, 
least of all us SUSE-users.

> What I didn't mention in this posting from several years ago was the part
> about how I was watching Novell get their lunch eaten by Microsoft.  That
> was really the motivation for my starting the thread.
> http://lists.kde.org/?l=kde&m=90349986314191&w=2

This is interesting, but of dubious value.  The landscape has changed 
significantly since 1998, and while it is impossible to predict how things 
may go in the future, I think most people would agree that FLOSS is a much 
larger factor in the equation than it was then.  I hope Novell will be able 
to capitalise on that, but even if it does not, it does not spell the end of 
FLOSS.

This is going OT now, so email me offlist if you wish to continue to discuss.

-- 

Pob hwyl / Best wishes

Kevin Donnelly

www.kyfieithu.co.uk - Meddalwedd Rhydd yn Gymraeg
www.cymrux.org.uk - Linux Cymraeg ar un CD