--- A G <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> If a company pours say 50 lakhs in some development
> only to know that they need to open source their
> work,
> then God help them! If I am the MD/CIO of any
> company,
> I will stick to windows/opensolaris etc OSs. At
> least
> my work belongs to me and only ME! Cos the cost of
> complete workable windows system is say Rs 20,000
> for
> PC + Rs 3000 for XP. So what I see? OS is 1/7th the
> cost. But I have peace of mind + I save money not
> doing 'rnd' or having lawyers by my side. which is
> far
> lesser than 20,000 (PC) + 0 (linux) + legal
> headaches.
>
Hmm.... you are deadly mistaken about GPl, please
update your information and read teh documents
carefully.
Yout TOC calcultaion is absolutely wrong. Do you
think that you only need windows shrink wrapped CD to
start development, what about other tools like IDE,
webserver, database, antivirus etc? If you go into
detailed TOC calculation you will realize that cost
perseat is more than 50K.
What makes you think that using windows is headache
free. What about regular virus problems and
reinstalling of windows due to frequent crashes. If
you do not count the man hours that are wasted in the
reinstalling and battling windows problems, your TOC
is half cooked. And yes add to it teh regular renewal
cost for licences.
So if you evaluate carefully cost per PC will far
exceed what you are actually thinking.
I cant understand that you need to hire lawyers if
you are using open source software. Maybe some
marketing guy from some properiotary solution company
is misguiding you, to sell his product. These guys can
sell only through generating FUD (fear unceratinity
and doubt) because deep down inside they know that
open source solutions are far better than there
properiatory solution. They are like our priests
threatening about non existing things, fooling ou and
making you buy the product. I myself provide solutions
around open source technology and i never had any need
to hire a lawyer.
Fundamental of GPL is really simple if you are using
someones code, you open your code. Its based on
sharing. If you reuse someones code you have saved
lot of effort. Imagaine writing a library and going
through long testing and debugging life cycle. But if
you use an open source alterantive you save this much
time and effort.
A product can belong to you and only you if you
develop everything from scratch and if developing
evrything from scratch was this much easy Open source
would ahve never come into existence. But the fact is
8 out of 10 startps who try to write code from scratch
fail. Yes you can tally this figure by refering to any
source (google, printmedia etc.). If you have problem
in opening up your code you can pump in millions of $
into developing a product which will not do its job
and will crash here and there (winblows is an example
of this). If you have enough of something why are you
afraid in sharing. Only poor people have problem in
sharing. I can understand if you have asted millions
od dollars in to a product which doesnot work, you are
certainly poor ;-).
Dear you seriously need to get your facts correct.
Your understanding is naive and corrupt.Realize GPl is
about sharing (do a goole search on GPl is not public
domain). Please dont take my words as insult i am only
pointing your mistakes.
> According to me the linux kernel + the DE should be
> gpled. But for any people/companies who built
> programmes on TOP of the basic OS (consisting of
> kernel + GUI + Networking etc etc) should be allowed
> to use these combo as if they (kernel + GUI) were
> lgpled. (Are my assumptions correct?)
>
No, kernel is seprate, and gui toolkits are seprate.
If you are linking against someone code directly you
have to open up the code. Also, some toolkits like QT
come with a dual licence. You can buy a licence for
using it in closed source product. But i cant
understand where linux kernel comes into picture if
you are developing user level application.
If your product is really great then why are you
worried about closed or open source. You can develop
the product, release it under GPl and provide service
around it. Supporting open source products is the
major source of revenue for several big companies.
Alternatively you can also go for dual licencing like
mysql and trolltech.
regards
VK
Engineers normally have problem with every solution. If not they have a
solution in search of a problem.
Disclaimer
The facts expressed here belong to everybody, the opinions to me. The
distinction is yours to draw...
__________________________________
Yahoo! Mail - PC Magazine Editors' Choice 2005
http://mail.yahoo.com
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