[TriLUG] Where is Linux today?

[Tanner Lovelace]

On Mon, Jun 23, 2008 at 8:15 PM, Cristóbal Palmer <cmp at cmpalmer.org> wrote:

[...]

> What you're saying is that being okay with closed, proprietary
> software means you don't have to worry with the pesky consequences of
> a commitment to free and open source software, but you're proud of
> just how much free and open source software is part of the Macs that
> ship from apple and that is available for Macs.

Please don't put words in my mouth.  I never said anything about
"pesky consequences".  Don't project upon me your problems
with proprietary software.

[...]

> I'm asking honestly and sincerely. Where do you draw the line and say
> That's Not Right?
>
> Choosing Free Software in the context of a file server is about a
> rational cost decision. /Refusing/ closed software when no viable Free
> equivalent exists is a socially useful calculation.

Cristóbal,  I spent many, many years with Linux as my only
operating system.  I started using it in 1994 and ran it as my only
operating system for about 10 years.  I still run it on all of my
systems except for 1.  Hell, I even created two linux distributions
(both for Oculan while I worked there).  I ran the TriLUG servers
for 3 full years by myself, packaging a lot of their software
and did most of the stuff for another year or so after that.
I have a LOT of experience with Linux.  And, what that experience
has taught me is that I'm tired of having to work so much to
get my software working the way I want it to be.  So, it has
become much less a question of whether the software is
free or not, and much more of a "how much time will this
take me".  And, right now, my time for me is much more
precious to me than whether software is free or not.  I would
much rather spend time with my 6 year old son making
model rockets or spend time with my wife than spend it
trying to get samba working.

That is the calculation I'm making.  I did say I applaud
what Fedora is doing (I didn't name them because I
didn't want to call them out, but since you did....). I
even applaud your stance.  But, the calculation you're
making is not the same calculation I'm making, so they
cannot be compared.

My original response was to Jason's assertion that
OS X was [completely] proprietary (he didn't say
completely, but I think that's what the implication was).
I simply pointed out that OS X was not completely
proprietary.  You can get the underlying OS as
open source/free software and there is quite a bit
of free software that runs on it.

Cheers,
Tanner
-- 
Tanner Lovelace
http://wtl.wayfarer.org/
(fieldless) In fess two roundels in pale, a billet fesswise and an
increscent, all sable.