--- Andrew Baudouin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> I don't think that's necessarily "cool" at all.
Well, you are entitled to your opinion.
> As
> I have said
> previously, as a hardcore GNU/Linux user, hacker,
> and full time
> Windows user/hacker, I'm not of the opinion that
> Linux is ready for
> the desktop.
Apparently, they have a different opinion than you.
> Some think otherwise... but I can
> assure you that the
> government of Peru (if this passes at all) is not
> going to deploy
> downloaded ISO's of Gentoo on systems and compile
> from source like you
> or I might.
I'd have to agree with you; they won't do that. ;)
I can't imagine any large organization doing their own
compilation of kernels for desktop deployments. No
need to do so.
> They are going to get RHEL or something
> with support, and
> they will sign support contracts.
Of course they would. I think they would go with IBM,
which knows a thing or two about supporting IT. They
would have to do the same anyway with Microsoft or
some other large service provider.
> IMHO, all that the government of Peru cares about is
> money.
What's wrong with that? I wish our government cared
more about money, especially the money they take in
taxes (ref: deficit, proposed $$$ budget, etc.) from
us.
And, if Peru builds new software using GPL licensed
libraries, they would be able to easily share that
software source with others. Which makes a hell of a
lot of sense for tax-payer subsized software
development. Note that possibility does not exist with
closed source software.
> They
> don't have kernel hackers or large amounts of
> programmers on staff to
> really need or use the complete source to GNU/Linux.
They don't need them. Plenty of distros out there that
run just fine on desktops. And I'll bet there are
existing hardware configuration standards for Peru's
machines, so even if custom configuration were needed,
their support contractor could provide that. Just as
Microsoft does now for its customers.
> This is a
> strongarm tactic to get MS to lower their prices,
> IMHO.
Again, what is wrong with that? As Ray has pointed
out, Microsoft has strong-armed _plenty_ of OEMs to
put nothing but Microsoft on the machines it sells, or
pay more. What's good for the goose is good for the
gander.
John
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