If the package would include the necessary libraries to install and run, rather than being dependentant on what the distro may already come with, should resolve this issue. For the most part just about every package I have come across I could compile and execute on Mandrake, SuSE, Red Hat, Debian, and *BSD. There is only the matter of porting the libraries. Jonathan

-----Original Message----- From: wayne king [mailto:king.812@osu.edu] Sent: Tuesday, June 10, 2003 12:55 PM To: bmarsh@bmarsh.com Cc: suse-linux-e@suse.com Subject: Re: [SLE] Microsoft Vs. Linux Desktop Battle Heats Up

I would just add that one thing that worries me is the divergence between the various linux distros. I'll just put in my personal example, I'm a professor who uses linux almost exclusively for research. One thing that I have noticed though is that while I can certainly get linux distros of all the scientific software I need (Matlab, S-Plus), they don't run on all the linux distros. There are big differences in java implementations for example, it may be something as simple as the libncurses being different on one distro as opposed to another. I think this is a potential problem because as a vendor I can't possibly write software to run on all the different linux distros, with windows it's easy, there's just one. Especially when the market is not as large. Anything that makes it more difficult to package a linux distro of some professional software, the less likely they will support especially when there isn't a great financial incentive. I'm not talking about issues like well you need at least such and such kernel or at least version whatever of glibc, I think it's reasonable to require a certain kernel number or later, or a certain glibc version or later as windows does. But the differences and divergences are bigger than that and I see it as a problem particularly for people like me, who like linux and would like to continue using it, but aren't as sophisticated as probably most of the people reading this list. wayne

Bruce Marshall wrote:

...

On Tuesday 10 June 2003 15:13, Curtis Rey wrote:

<snip of good thoughts>

...

Much of what Linux has gained in the OS is on the side of getting things to just work. And now it's time to put all the pieces together. Getting the stuff to just work, to just install, to just upgrade, to not need Joe/Jane user to have to go CLI because it scares them to death.

I believe we're see a very important time in OSS and Linux. It's a make or break time. I know that those, such as the devs at SuSE, are up to the task. It's more a matter of knowing, resources and timing. These guys are most likely busting their humps putting out new products. Considering they just slammed out 8.2 and shortly after have pumped out this next Corporate version. I just hope that they have time to catch their breath and don't get over extended. This is my fear. That Linux will strain it resources and find it difficult to maintain the push. M$ has billions and a large pool of devs to throw at something. Even with this their complacency is showing. Now is the time for Linux and OSS to really step up to the plate and take a swing.

I think the big push on linux will arrive when hardware mgfs start realizing that they had better support Linux or lose a lot of business... and then they start writing drivers for their products. (and hopefully open source them so that they can be integrated into a distro... they almost have to to make it workable). And then software vendors start porting their products to Linux... some are already.

And then there won't be any stopping of Linux......

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