Zackly. The free|oss community seems to cooperate best when the enemy is right at the gates. An M$ GUI for Linux would cause a lot of good things to happen in XFree. I've been reading various newsgroups, etc., on XFree, and there are a number of developers stating that XFree could be much better if the system (X) was redesigned/rewritten. Since XFree is supposed to be compliant with X, XFree is actually dragged down by X's lack of features, compared to what is available with commonly available graphics technology.
For comparison's sake, take a look at Berlin: http://www.berlin-consortium.org/screenshots.html John Hebert --- Mat Branyon <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > i agree with you on that one... i do believe that > microsoft has brought > on many technological advances, and without it, > linux probably wouldnt > be as it is now.... its like the yin and the yang, > you need the evil to > have the good... competition is good, but it wont > happen with out the > 3000 pound gorilla stomping around on our "sacred" > grounds.... or > something like that > > --mat > > On Wed, 2002-07-31 at 14:54, Dustin Puryear wrote: > > At 12:43 PM 7/31/2002 -0500, you wrote: > > >what? i think x11 guis kick the pants off of > explorer... have any of > > >you used kde3??? you might notice that i used to > rave about blackbox (on > > >a minimal computer of course) but if you have any > sort of mhz, try > > >kde3... its a wonderful desktop. i havent had any > problems with it.. > > >using it at work. i cringe when i have to use > explorer... there is > > >soooo little real estate (multiple desktops). > but then, maybe im weird > > > > Yes, many people like X11, but then again, many > others don't. But to be > > honest that isn't really the issue. The real issue > is whether it would be > > good or bad for Linux and open source if Microsoft > marketed a GUI and the > > associated tie-ins for Linux systems. Would you > like it if Apple marketed a > > GUI for Linux? I would. It's all about > competition. > > > > Regards, Dustin > > > > > > > > >--mat > > > > > >On Wed, 2002-07-31 at 12:32, Dustin Puryear > wrote: > > > > At 11:50 AM 7/31/2002 -0500, you wrote: > > > > >I think I saw an article the other day that > stated something to the > > > > >effect of "if someone writes software that > links against any GPLd shared > > > > >objects, then that software must be GPLd > also." Any one more > > > > >knowledgeable than me on the GPL that can > answer this? Would this mean > > > > >that M$ would have to build a GUI without > using any existing compiled > > > > >shared objects in the Linux system? If so, > isn't this a tough task? > > > > > > > > I believe that is incorrect since there are a > lot of commercial products > > > > available for Linux that work in the same > fashion. In fact, wasn't there a > > > > big debate about this at some time? I think > you need to GPL your software > > > > if it could not function without another GPL'd > component. So, since libc > > > > and related libraries are basically compatible > across flavors, then you > > > > don't need to GPL the software. Now, if > Microsoft built their GUI around > > > > XFree86 then they have a substantial reliance > on GPL software, so their > > > > software would be GPL'd. > > > > > > > > Of course, I could be totally wrong here, but > I think have the basics > > > right. > > > > > > > > Regards, Dustin > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >Shannon > > > > > > > > > >On Wed, 2002-07-31 at 11:21, Dustin Puryear > wrote: > > > > > > That is an interesting article. In general > however I do not share Joe's > > > > > > concern. In my mind competition is good, > even if the competition is > > > from > > > > > > Microsoft. Certainly, Microsoft has shown > a knack for dominating most > > > > > > markets that it enters. But, in my mind, > any competition in the > > > > > Linux-space > > > > > > is a good idea and will only help the > technology grow and mature. > > > Now, if > > > > > > and when Microsoft enters the Linux market > with a GUI to replace the X > > > > > > Window System and then tries to dominate > the market through illegal or > > > > > > unethical means, then there is a problem. > But until that time, the more > > > > > > competition the better. And on the flip > side, it is entirely > > > possible that > > > > > > once Microsoft works with Linux and open > source technology to build a > > > > > > product that they will see the light. > > > > > > > > > > > > Regards, Dustin > > > > > > > > > > > > At 06:49 AM 7/31/2002 -0700, John Hebert > wrote: > > > > > > >Interesting article, with a twist of > paranoia. > > > > > > > > > > > > > >http://www.idg.net/go.cgi?id=718992 > > > > > > > > > > > > > >"... > > > > > > > But unlike Apple, I am not talking > about Microsoft > > > > > > >using the Linux kernel for Windows. I am > talking about > > > > > > >Microsoft making a drop-in GUI > replacement for X > > > > > > >Window System. A proprietary GUI. A > closed GUI. A GUI > > > > > > >with clout. An extend and embrace GUI. > Get the > > > > > > >picture? > > > > > > >..." > > > > > > > > > > > > > >John Hebert > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >__________________________________________________ > > > > > > >Do You Yahoo!? > > > > > > >Yahoo! Health - Feel better, live better > > > > > > >http://health.yahoo.com > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >_______________________________________________ > > > > > > >General mailing list > > > > > > >[email protected] > > > > > > > >http://brlug.net/mailman/listinfo/general_brlug.net > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- > > > > > > Dustin Puryear <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > > > Puryear Information Technology > > > > > > Windows, UNIX, and IT Consulting > > > > > > http://www.puryear-it.com > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > > General mailing list > > > > > > [email protected] > > > > > > > http://brlug.net/mailman/listinfo/general_brlug.net > > > > >-- > > > > >Shannon Roddy > > > > > >__________________________________________________________________ > > > > >Systems Administrator California > Institute of Technology > > > > >[EMAIL PROTECTED] LIGO > Livingston Observatory > > > > >ph: (225)686-3106 19100 LIGO > Lane > > > > >fx: (225)686-7189 Livingston, > LA 70754 > > > > >Web Page > http://www.ligo-la.caltech.edu/~sroddy > > > > >Calendar/Schedule See Home Page > > > > >Wireless Email (255 Chars) > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > > > >_______________________________________________ > > > > >General mailing list > > > > >[email protected] > > > > > >http://brlug.net/mailman/listinfo/general_brlug.net > > > > > > > > > > > > --- > > > > Dustin Puryear <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > > Puryear Information Technology > > > > Windows, UNIX, and IT Consulting > > > > http://www.puryear-it.com > > > > > === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? 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