[opensuse] OpenSUSE's New Tech Evangelist
http://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue=20080211#news
Still on the subject of openSUSE, the project has announced the appointment of a new community leader, Joe "Zonker" Brockmeier. Those of you who have been following Linux for a while will almost certainly have heard of Zonker - he has written countless articles and reviews for such reputable publications as Linux Magazine, Sys Admin, IBM developerWorks, Linux Weekly News, Unix Review, NewsForge.com, Linux.com and many others. But switching from a position of a well-known Linux journalist to a community manager of a major Linux distribution is a big step, so what exactly is the attraction? "A few things. First, I've been covering Linux and open source as a journalist since 1999, and I'm very interested in seeing Linux and free/open source software succeed, so the opportunity to be directly involved with a project like openSUSE is extremely exciting for me. Second, I think although openSUSE is an excellent distribution, it hasn't been quite as well-promoted as it could be, so I want to have a hand in getting the word out about openSUSE."
Interview: OpenSUSE's New Tech Evangelist http://cio.com/article/179204/Interview_OpenSUSE_s_New_Tech_Evangelist_
Linux advocate Joe "Zonker" Brockmeier signs on as Novell's community manager and new voice of openSUSE users and developers. Hear his thoughts on Linux love, the challenges he expects from his new role, and why techies choose one distribution over another. I am impressed by your replies, Joe :-) You have courage.
Kind regards Philippe -- http://cio.com/article/print/179204 Interview: OpenSUSE's New Tech Evangelist by Diann Daniel, CIO, February 04, 2008 As a journalist, Joe "Zonker" Brockmeier had a job he loved. Since 1999 he brought passion to his coverage of Linux and open source. Now, he's taking his advocacy to a whole new level. His new role as community manager at Novell http://news.opensuse.org/2008/02/04/welcome-zonker/ will enable him to further the cause of openSUSE, the Novell-sponsored community project to develop and maintain a general purpose Linux distribution. CIO.com's Associate Online Editor Diann Daniel caught up with Brockmeier via e-mail to hear his thoughts on strengthening the openSUSE movement, what challenges he foresees and why one distro gets chosen over another. CIO.com: Tell us about your new role. What do you see as the purpose of a "community manager"? Brockmeier: First and foremost, I plan to advocate the community's needs to Novell. I'll consult with users, openSUSE contributors and the upstream developers who work on projects that are rolled into openSUSE to discover pain points and what's working well. Novell can use that information to create tools the community can use to solve problems and improve openSUSE. We'd also like to provide a roadmap into the community for potential contributors, and I know that existing community members will be able to help with that. Particularly for non-developers, figuring out how to get started with a project can be a bit difficult, and even intimidating. I want to remove barriers that inhibit people from using and contributing to openSUSE. At the same time, I want to make sure people know about openSUSE, what's going on with the distribution, where improvements are being made, and why they should try openSUSE if they're not using it already. What attracted you to the position? A few things. First, I've been covering Linux and open source as a journalist since 1999, and I'm very interested in seeing Linux and free/open source software succeed, so the opportunity to be directly involved with a project like openSUSE is extremely exciting for me. It's a chance to have a direct impact on accelerating the adoption of Linux and open source. I'd like to do all I can to make that happen. Second, I think although openSUSE is an excellent distribution, it hasn't been quite as well-promoted as it could be, so I want to have a hand in getting the word out about openSUSE (and Novell's other contributions to open source) and seeing that the distro has its due. Third, Novell seems genuinely interested in strengthening the openSUSE community by giving people the tools they need to grow and build an even better distro, and Novell also seems interested in giving non-Novell community members a more prominent voice in openSUSE development. The long-term success of Linux and open source rests on a happy balance between the community and the companies that use open source software as part of their product offerings. Novell is actively trying to find that balance, to both its benefit and the community's. I'm also excited about learning from and working with the openSUSE team. Finally, I've been a big fan of the work that Max Spevack, the outgoing Fedora project leader, has done with Fedora. He's done a great job (not alone, of course) of improving Fedora as a distro and of improving Red Hat's relationship with the community outside of Red Hat. I want to have the same kind of impact on openSUSE and Novell. What do you expect to be the hardest task you'll have to tackle? Obviously, there are some lingering bad feelings about the Microsoft agreement [Brockmeier is referring to SUSE community backlash against the agreement made on November 2, 2006 by Microsoft and Novell to improve interoperability between Microsoft Windows and SUSE Linux Enterprise]. I'm concerned that it's going to be an obstacle when working with some members of the open source community. Novell definitely could have better explained the deal and addressed concerns. I know I was skeptical about it initially as well. I mean, Microsoft hasn't been full of warm fuzzies for the community, right? However, Novell needed this deal to help drive adoption of Linux with customers worried about Linux's perceived legal risks. We live in a heterogeneous world, and both sides are going to have to find a way to work together to satisfy the users' needs. Novell and the openSUSE community have made, and continue to make, valuable contributions to the open source community. There are a lot of strong community contributors, like Miguel de Icaza, Greg Kroah-Hartman, Nat Friedman, on our team. I think it'd be a shame for people to focus exclusively on the Microsoft deal and ignore what we have and how we can improve Linux and open source, and how we can drive Linux adoption. Each Linux distro has a different community feel. What makes SuSE's unique? For good or ill? If I had to sum up the "community feel" of SUSE and openSUSE, I'd say it's "professional"—we're dedicated to putting together the best Linux distro possible for people to use to get their stuff done, whether their "stuff" is using a desktop system or running a server. I think that's a good thing, by the way. Technology-wise...what are the biggest issues the computing industry has to cope with in operating systems (generally) and Linux (in particular)? Different shops have different problems, but I think one of the biggest problems across the board is management—how to manage multiple systems effectively. That's an issue no matter what OS you're dealing with. How do you think SuSE is perceived in the business community compared to other distributions...both in technology and in business terms? I think SUSE is perceived as an excellent OS—very solid, very reliable, with great support. What do you think makes developers and techies (such as network admins) choose one distribution over another? I think a number of factors figure in to that choice—the management tools that ship with, or are available for, the distribution; how long the distro will be supported for security patches and new hardware drivers (service packs); the cost of vendor support; the distribution that the admin is already familiar with; and most importantly, whether the target applications run on the distribution or not. It doesn't matter if distro X is the best distribution in the world if your mission critical application isn't going to run on it. © 2007 CXO Media Inc. (They are clairvoyant :-) More on cio.com Windows vs. Linux vs. OS X: CIO John Halamka Tests SUSE http://cio.com/article/120452 SUSE Linux Enterprise: The Leading OS for Business http://cio.com/article/155751 Survey: Two Thirds of Enterprises Entertain Open-Source Solutions http://cio.com/article/166056 -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On 2008-02-11 18:03, Philippe Landau wrote:
Interview: OpenSUSE's New Tech Evangelist http://cio.com/article/179204/Interview_OpenSUSE_s_New_Tech_Evangelist_
The interview is good, as are the answers. However, what drew my attention most was the comments. Every single one of them is about the Novell/Microsoft deal, and not in the flattering way. I am surprised to see that this is still a 'hot topic', since I mostly felt the hot air had already left that balloon. Best regards Sylvester Lykkehus -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Feb 11, 2008 1:10 PM, Sylvester Lykkehus <zly@solidonline.dk> wrote:
On 2008-02-11 18:03, Philippe Landau wrote:
Interview: OpenSUSE's New Tech Evangelist http://cio.com/article/179204/Interview_OpenSUSE_s_New_Tech_Evangelist_
The interview is good, as are the answers. However, what drew my attention most was the comments. Every single one of them is about the Novell/Microsoft deal, and not in the flattering way.
I am surprised to see that this is still a 'hot topic', since I mostly felt the hot air had already left that balloon.
The Novell/Microsoft deal is still very much disliked at the Atlanta LUG. Lots of SUSE users, but lots of people adament that they won't touch Suse because of it. I suspect setting the record straight will be a major issue for Zonker. And if he succeeds, he will have earned his pay. Greg -- Greg Freemyer Litigation Triage Solutions Specialist http://www.linkedin.com/in/gregfreemyer First 99 Days Litigation White Paper - http://www.norcrossgroup.com/forms/whitepapers/99%20Days%20whitepaper.pdf The Norcross Group The Intersection of Evidence & Technology http://www.norcrossgroup.com -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
Greg Freemyer wrote:
On Feb 11, 2008 1:10 PM, Sylvester Lykkehus <zly@solidonline.dk> wrote:
On 2008-02-11 18:03, Philippe Landau wrote:
Interview: OpenSUSE's New Tech Evangelist http://cio.com/article/179204/Interview_OpenSUSE_s_New_Tech_Evangelist_
The interview is good, as are the answers. However, what drew my attention most was the comments. Every single one of them is about the Novell/Microsoft deal, and not in the flattering way.
I am surprised to see that this is still a 'hot topic', since I mostly felt the hot air had already left that balloon.
The Novell/Microsoft deal is still very much disliked at the Atlanta LUG. Lots of SUSE users, but lots of people adament that they won't touch Suse because of it.
Up in the Metro Detroit LUG, the initial concern has died away as no ill-effects have come forth yet.
I suspect setting the record straight will be a major issue for Zonker. And if he succeeds, he will have earned his pay.
Greg
-- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
Sylvester Lykkehus wrote:
Interview: OpenSUSE's New Tech Evangelist http://cio.com/article/179204/Interview_OpenSUSE_s_New_Tech_Evangelist_ The interview is good, as are the answers. However, what drew my attention most was the comments. Every single one of them is about the Novell/Microsoft deal, and not in
On 2008-02-11 18:03, Philippe Landau wrote: the flattering way.
I am surprised to see that this is still a 'hot topic', since I mostly felt the hot air had already left that balloon. You are right the comments are lively and heartfelt.
Novell never dealt with it in an open way. They are trying to deal with the backlash with conventional PR: coverup and whitewash, which is not working in a community built on open information exchange. As long as it looks like there was corruption involved, Novell needs to investigate if it wants to gain trust. Also of course the deal needs to be revised: Petition Protest the Microsoft-Novell Patent Agreement http://techp.org/p/1 The quality of Novell's software deserves better. Kind regards Philippe -- READER FEEDBACK http://comments.cio.com/?q=node/179204 Anonymous Wed, 2008-02-06 04:44 The community need Novell to get out of bed with Microsoft and to fire that Microsoft shill Miguel. Come back when you can arrange that. Kim 'The_Pirate' Christensen Wed, 2008-02-06 05:43 Either Novell/SuSE comes clean on the Microsoft deal, or there is a issue that will not go away. The amount of lost trust is immense. Our LUG has officially stopped all support of SuSE due to the Microsoft issue. And, until we get a very clear and credible explanation, it stays that way. And we won't deal with Miguel anymore. Period. Anonymous Wed, 2008-02-06 07:19 I was considering trying openSUSE at home, since I'm already running Kubuntu, but the Novell deal with Microsoft killed that idea for me. As for Miguel's 'contributions', naming Mono after an unwanted disease is an appropriate name for technology the FLOSS community didn't really need. Miguel has shown many times over the last two to three years that he's not the friend to the community that many people seem to think. When Novell stops encumbering their software with agreements with Microsoft, I might consider looking at their Linux distros. Until then, it doesn't matter how good they are, my distro of choice will be something else. Yes, I realize Kubuntu isn't totally free software, but at least they're open and up front about it, which I can respect. simfox Wed, 2008-02-06 08:36 Sorry, Joe: I used to value your articles and insightful analysis. What in the world has come over you? Shilling for Microsoft, defending Miguel and Nat in the face of their anti-community actions. I am very disappointed in you -- just another sell-your-soul-to-the-highest-bidder it seems. Enjoy those 30 pieces of silver while you can. --Simfox mother Wed, 2008-02-06 08:51 Get that stupid microsoft crap out of your software now you morons. Until that happens you are not going to get any community respect you cretins. now go away forever you stupid bunch of novell idiots. Anonymous Wed, 2008-02-06 09:24 The Novell-Microsoft deal has cost Novell far more, I think, then they realize. Linus started -- and continues -- as a "grass roots" effort. This includes those developers that may be paid by companies to contribute. Their companies are smart enough not to pressure the developers strongly to have an agenda contrary to the community. That deal will continue to cost Novell community support. Yes, it may make some enterprise deals, but then, FLOSS isn't about selling software. In the end, Novell will have lost more than it gains. Microsoft has consistently (over many years) demonstrated their willingness to cross moral and legal lines to accomplish their objectives, usually capturing a market (which usually involves the "unfortunate" demise of one or more competitors). They view FLOSS as a competitor and want to do "the usual". No matter what they say, they have not changed. Remember that your mother used to tell you to be careful what friends you hung out with? Guess what -- Microsoft is the wrong kind of "friend". Joe, I have valued your articles in the past. By aligning yourself with Novell -- who has aligned themselves with Microsoft -- you have already damaged your reputation. lordshipmayhem Wed, 2008-02-06 10:04 Until Novell/SuSE gets out of bed with Microsoft, I won't know what kind of potential legal liabilities I would be inheriting by installing SuSE - so I don't recommend it's install by any of my clients. I find Miguel de Icaza to be more a shill for proprietary software than an advocate of Open Source, making him monumentally unfit to play a senior role in any Linux distribution or Open Source software project. Dump the Microsoft deal and any resulting code. Dump the Microsoft shills. Then we'll talk about rebuilding bridges to the Linux movement. Anonymous Wed, 2008-02-06 10:19 i have been loyal to novell since netware 3.11. i am a cne and when novell bought suse i converted the novell servers to suse and continued with our groupwise applications, however, since the microsoft deal: i have removed groupwise. i have removed all the novell netware. i have removed all the suse servers. i have replaced the suse servers with centos. i admired novell during the SCO fiasco but apparently somewhere along the line novell has lost its' soul. sorry, JonP Wed, 2008-02-06 10:55 Unfortunately, OpenSuSE is associated with Novell. Novell is partnering with Microsoft which has used Intellectual Property as one of its weapons. I cannot take the chance that some Microsoft code may find its way into OpenSUSE, leaving me vulnerable. The Microsoft lion may be laying down with the Novell lamb, but I hope that the lamb keeps in mind what the lion eats. erehwon Wed, 2008-02-06 11:02 I wrangle a very small network. One, (count 'em) Windows2K machine, and six to eight Linux machines. Those machines ran several different distros, Open SUSE among them. None of them ran GNOME, because I have had issues concerning Miguel D'Icaza for quite some time. The day the Micro$oft agreement with Novell was announced, I removed SUSE from the two machines running it, and replaced it with CentOS. Along with the two machines already set up with CentOS, they act as the four main work stations in my system. The other machines are testing machines, destined to be given away to folks who could not otherwise afford a decent computer. I have one machine running the newest Open Mandriva, but the other machines are running Debian based distros -- Mepis, or Kubuntu, and one with an XFCE distro. I certainly tend to agree with other posters, above, that until Novell renounces their agreement with Micro$oft, and removes Miguel from any position of influence, higher than, say, file clerk, or warehouse labor, SUSE, and GNOME will never be part of my systems, nor will they ever be installed on any machine that goes through my shop. Needless to say, I feel strongly about the issues, and have no moral problem with evangelizing my views, and expounding on the reasons I hold them. Further, I concur with the poster above who wished you luck with those thirty pieces of silver. Bigchris Wed, 2008-02-06 11:34 I cut my Linux teeth on Suse and have always admired the fine engineering that went into its creation. I used to buy each new release as soon as it became available. But I have left Suse for Red Hat and will not return while Novell continues to cooperate with Microsoft or continues to employ Miguel. I hate seeing Suse suffer because of Novell management's stupidity, but Linux is based on trust and Novell management has forfeited that. Mark C. Mason Wed, 2008-02-06 11:46 I am split on Novell. On the one hand, they did the FLOSS community a great, and expensive, service by helping put SCO in their place. On the other hand, the Microsoft deal overshadows and complicates everything that comes from Novell going forward. I wish you good luck, Novell; you're going to need it. Please consider rejoining the ranks of the FLOSS community. Weeble Wed, 2008-02-06 15:01 "...Microsoft hasn't been full of warm fuzzies for the community...customers worried about Linux's perceived legal risks." Joe, you have just shot yourself in both feet. 1) You can't soften the fact that Microsoft is out to destroy Linux in any way they can by using expressions like "Microsoft hasn't been full of warm fuzzies". MS has never been a fair player in the market and never will be until a radical change takes place in the ethos of the management team. I mean radical change on the order of Saul the Pharisee's conversion that led to his becoming the Apostle Paul. "Windows interoperability" has always ultimately meant a one-way interoperability from anything else to Microsoft. I see no changes to that ethos on the horizon. 2) There would BE no "perceived legal risks" pertaining to Linux except for the FUD created by Microsoft. (I agree with those who believe that The SCO Group has been a Microsoft sock puppet, even though direct evidence linking them is sketchy at best.) Take the Microsoft (including SCO) factors out of the legal risk FUD about Linux and you have no perceived legal risks. I don't know whether you are a shill, a sock puppet, a fifth columnist, a dupe or what. But until Novell gets out of its present bed with Microsoft and either establishes a FUD-free PUBLIC agreement with them or ends it altogether, the "Microvell" agreement is GOING to be a continuing factor (a negative one) in Novell's relationship with the FLOSS community. That's just a fact of life. -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
Philippe Landau wrote:
Sylvester Lykkehus wrote:
Interview: OpenSUSE's New Tech Evangelist http://cio.com/article/179204/Interview_OpenSUSE_s_New_Tech_Evangelist_ The interview is good, as are the answers. However, what drew my attention most was the comments. Every single one of them is about the Novell/Microsoft deal, and not in
On 2008-02-11 18:03, Philippe Landau wrote: the flattering way.
I am surprised to see that this is still a 'hot topic', since I mostly felt the hot air had already left that balloon. You are right the comments are lively and heartfelt.
Novell never dealt with it in an open way. They are trying to deal with the backlash with conventional PR: coverup and whitewash, which is not working in a community built on open information exchange.
As long as it looks like there was corruption involved, Novell needs to investigate if it wants to gain trust. Also of course the deal needs to be revised: Petition Protest the Microsoft-Novell Patent Agreement http://techp.org/p/1
Philippe, why are, of all people, posting scary URL's??? :-D -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Monday 11 February 2008 12:30, Aaron Kulkis wrote:
Philippe Landau wrote:
... Petition Protest the Microsoft-Novell Patent Agreement http://techp.org/p/1
Philippe, why are you, of all people, posting scary URL's???
He made a copy of the Internet on a disconnected computer that he could wipe after testing and then accessed that URL there first.
:-D
RRS -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
* Philippe Landau <lists@user-land.org> [02-11-08 14:59]:
Sylvester Lykkehus wrote:
Interview: OpenSUSE's New Tech Evangelist http://cio.com/article/179204/Interview_OpenSUSE_s_New_Tech_Evangelist_ The interview is good, as are the answers. However, what drew my attention most was the comments. Every single one of them is about the Novell/Microsoft deal, and not in
On 2008-02-11 18:03, Philippe Landau wrote: the flattering way.
I am surprised to see that this is still a 'hot topic', since I mostly felt the hot air had already left that balloon. You are right the comments are lively and heartfelt.
Novell never dealt with it in an open way. They are trying to deal with the backlash with conventional PR: coverup and whitewash, which is not working in a community built on open information exchange.
As long as it looks like there was corruption involved, Novell needs to investigate if it wants to gain trust. Also of course the deal needs to be revised: Petition Protest the Microsoft-Novell Patent Agreement http://techp.org/p/1
The quality of Novell's software deserves better.
Kind regards Philippe
--
READER FEEDBACK http://comments.cio.com/?q=node/179204
Anonymous Wed, 2008-02-06 04:44
The community need Novell to get out of bed with Microsoft and to fire that Microsoft shill Miguel.
Come back when you can arrange that.
Kim 'The_Pirate' Christensen Wed, 2008-02-06 05:43
Either Novell/SuSE comes clean on the Microsoft deal, or there is a issue that will not go away.
The amount of lost trust is immense. Our LUG has officially stopped all support of SuSE due to the Microsoft issue. And, until we get a very clear and credible explanation, it stays that way.
And we won't deal with Miguel anymore. Period.
Anonymous Wed, 2008-02-06 07:19
I was considering trying openSUSE at home, since I'm already running Kubuntu, but the Novell deal with Microsoft killed that idea for me. As for Miguel's 'contributions', naming Mono after an unwanted disease is an appropriate name for technology the FLOSS community didn't really need. Miguel has shown many times over the last two to three years that he's not the friend to the community that many people seem to think. When Novell stops encumbering their software with agreements with Microsoft, I might consider looking at their Linux distros. Until then, it doesn't matter how good they are, my distro of choice will be something else. Yes, I realize Kubuntu isn't totally free software, but at least they're open and up front about it, which I can respect.
simfox Wed, 2008-02-06 08:36
Sorry, Joe: I used to value your articles and insightful analysis. What in the world has come over you? Shilling for Microsoft, defending Miguel and Nat in the face of their anti-community actions. I am very disappointed in you -- just another sell-your-soul-to-the-highest-bidder it seems. Enjoy those 30 pieces of silver while you can. --Simfox
mother Wed, 2008-02-06 08:51
Get that stupid microsoft crap out of your software now you morons. Until that happens you are not going to get any community respect you cretins. now go away forever you stupid bunch of novell idiots.
Anonymous Wed, 2008-02-06 09:24
The Novell-Microsoft deal has cost Novell far more, I think, then they realize. Linus started -- and continues -- as a "grass roots" effort. This includes those developers that may be paid by companies to contribute. Their companies are smart enough not to pressure the developers strongly to have an agenda contrary to the community.
That deal will continue to cost Novell community support. Yes, it may make some enterprise deals, but then, FLOSS isn't about selling software. In the end, Novell will have lost more than it gains.
Microsoft has consistently (over many years) demonstrated their willingness to cross moral and legal lines to accomplish their objectives, usually capturing a market (which usually involves the "unfortunate" demise of one or more competitors). They view FLOSS as a competitor and want to do "the usual". No matter what they say, they have not changed.
Remember that your mother used to tell you to be careful what friends you hung out with? Guess what -- Microsoft is the wrong kind of "friend".
Joe, I have valued your articles in the past. By aligning yourself with Novell -- who has aligned themselves with Microsoft -- you have already damaged your reputation.
lordshipmayhem Wed, 2008-02-06 10:04
Until Novell/SuSE gets out of bed with Microsoft, I won't know what kind of potential legal liabilities I would be inheriting by installing SuSE - so I don't recommend it's install by any of my clients.
I find Miguel de Icaza to be more a shill for proprietary software than an advocate of Open Source, making him monumentally unfit to play a senior role in any Linux distribution or Open Source software project.
Dump the Microsoft deal and any resulting code. Dump the Microsoft shills. Then we'll talk about rebuilding bridges to the Linux movement.
Anonymous Wed, 2008-02-06 10:19
i have been loyal to novell since netware 3.11. i am a cne and when novell bought suse i converted the novell servers to suse and continued with our groupwise applications, however, since the microsoft deal:
i have removed groupwise. i have removed all the novell netware. i have removed all the suse servers. i have replaced the suse servers with centos.
i admired novell during the SCO fiasco but apparently somewhere along the line novell has lost its' soul.
sorry,
JonP Wed, 2008-02-06 10:55
Unfortunately, OpenSuSE is associated with Novell. Novell is partnering with Microsoft which has used Intellectual Property as one of its weapons. I cannot take the chance that some Microsoft code may find its way into OpenSUSE, leaving me vulnerable. The Microsoft lion may be laying down with the Novell lamb, but I hope that the lamb keeps in mind what the lion eats.
erehwon Wed, 2008-02-06 11:02
I wrangle a very small network. One, (count 'em) Windows2K machine, and six to eight Linux machines. Those machines ran several different distros, Open SUSE among them. None of them ran GNOME, because I have had issues concerning Miguel D'Icaza for quite some time. The day the Micro$oft agreement with Novell was announced, I removed SUSE from the two machines running it, and replaced it with CentOS. Along with the two machines already set up with CentOS, they act as the four main work stations in my system. The other machines are testing machines, destined to be given away to folks who could not otherwise afford a decent computer. I have one machine running the newest Open Mandriva, but the other machines are running Debian based distros -- Mepis, or Kubuntu, and one with an XFCE distro.
I certainly tend to agree with other posters, above, that until Novell renounces their agreement with Micro$oft, and removes Miguel from any position of influence, higher than, say, file clerk, or warehouse labor, SUSE, and GNOME will never be part of my systems, nor will they ever be installed on any machine that goes through my shop.
Needless to say, I feel strongly about the issues, and have no moral problem with evangelizing my views, and expounding on the reasons I hold them.
Further, I concur with the poster above who wished you luck with those thirty pieces of silver.
Bigchris Wed, 2008-02-06 11:34
I cut my Linux teeth on Suse and have always admired the fine engineering that went into its creation. I used to buy each new release as soon as it became available. But I have left Suse for Red Hat and will not return while Novell continues to cooperate with Microsoft or continues to employ Miguel. I hate seeing Suse suffer because of Novell management's stupidity, but Linux is based on trust and Novell management has forfeited that.
Mark C. Mason Wed, 2008-02-06 11:46
I am split on Novell. On the one hand, they did the FLOSS community a great, and expensive, service by helping put SCO in their place.
On the other hand, the Microsoft deal overshadows and complicates everything that comes from Novell going forward.
I wish you good luck, Novell; you're going to need it. Please consider rejoining the ranks of the FLOSS community.
Weeble Wed, 2008-02-06 15:01
"...Microsoft hasn't been full of warm fuzzies for the community...customers worried about Linux's perceived legal risks."
Joe, you have just shot yourself in both feet.
1) You can't soften the fact that Microsoft is out to destroy Linux in any way they can by using expressions like "Microsoft hasn't been full of warm fuzzies". MS has never been a fair player in the market and never will be until a radical change takes place in the ethos of the management team. I mean radical change on the order of Saul the Pharisee's conversion that led to his becoming the Apostle Paul. "Windows interoperability" has always ultimately meant a one-way interoperability from anything else to Microsoft. I see no changes to that ethos on the horizon.
2) There would BE no "perceived legal risks" pertaining to Linux except for the FUD created by Microsoft. (I agree with those who believe that The SCO Group has been a Microsoft sock puppet, even though direct evidence linking them is sketchy at best.) Take the Microsoft (including SCO) factors out of the legal risk FUD about Linux and you have no perceived legal risks.
I don't know whether you are a shill, a sock puppet, a fifth columnist, a dupe or what. But until Novell gets out of its present bed with Microsoft and either establishes a FUD-free PUBLIC agreement with them or ends it altogether, the "Microvell" agreement is GOING to be a continuing factor (a negative one) in Novell's relationship with the FLOSS community. That's just a fact of life.
-- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
And *is* there a *real* reason you are here beside to badmouth and know Novell and/or openSUSE? ps. the text I *didn't* cut was posted by you. -- Patrick Shanahan Plainfield, Indiana, USA HOG # US1244711 http://wahoo.no-ip.org Photo Album: http://wahoo.no-ip.org/gallery2 Registered Linux User #207535 @ http://counter.li.org -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Monday 11 February 2008 02:00:03 pm Philippe Landau wrote:
I am surprised to see that this is still a 'hot topic', since I mostly felt the hot air had already left that balloon.
You are right the comments are lively and heartfelt. [...]
Phillipe, Is there any particular reason not to move this to off topic? -- Regards, Rajko. See http://en.opensuse.org/Portal -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
On Mon, Feb 11, 2008 at 1:10 PM, Sylvester Lykkehus <zly@solidonline.dk> wrote:
I am surprised to see that this is still a 'hot topic', since I mostly felt the hot air had already left that balloon.
It will be a "hot topic" for some people for a very, very long time. When you couple that with online comments, you'll hear about some topics (not just this deal -- any situation where a group of people have a strong opinion about something) for a long time after you might think that the issue has died away. If it's any consolation, I attended SCALE this past weekend and talked with a lot of people. I didn't really hear a lot about this. A few people brought it up, but mostly people wanted to talk about what's going on in openSUSE 10.3 and coming up in openSUSE 11. Best, Zonker -- Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier openSUSE Community Manager jzb@zonker.net http://zonker.opensuse.org/ http://www.dissociatedpress.net/ -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org
participants (8)
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Aaron Kulkis -
Greg Freemyer -
Joe 'Zonker' Brockmeier -
Patrick Shanahan -
Philippe Landau -
Rajko M. -
Randall R Schulz -
Sylvester Lykkehus