Re: Wanting opinions...

["L. V. Lammert" <lvl@omnitec.net>]

At 10:47 AM 6/17/2005 -0500, you wrote:
>I have grown into a very avid linux user and a mild-mannered developer.
>That being said, I don't have a wide enough perspective to form a
>reasonable opinion about this article:
>
>http://www.forbes.com/2005/06/16/linux-bsd-unix-cz_dl_0616theo.html
>
>I'm curious as to what other people think. I'm especially interested in
>what people who have been using linux a lot longer than myself (going on
>4 years soon...) think of it. So, as long as this isn't going to start a
>flame war, what is your perspective on what this guy has to say?

Ken,

Unfortunetely for the business 'public', comments such as Theo is prone to 
making do a great disservice to us all.

He is like the most fantical evgalist I have ever encountered, a fairly 
young chap with a small house and a lots of computers in the basement 
(where the core OpenBSD machines live). Someone that enjoys getting toasted 
on a variety of beers over life's 'other' pleasures (such as Shakespear 
theatre - anybody want to go tonight?? Last weekend!). Get the picture? A 
fanatic that is usually right, but totally lacking in social graces.

His comments are spot on, but with little regard for the BILLIONS of 
dollars spent by large companies and their legacy applications. Novell is a 
prime example - they're doing fantastic work updating their Netware (with 
all it's services and features) for SuSE. IBM is another (e.g. starting the 
Eclipse project).

There are a TON of worthwhile applications that run on Linux, and some 
REALLY GREAT applications that run on or were created on OpenBSD (OpenSSH, 
OpenNTP, OpenBGP, PF, et al). Whose marketplace is the best? If you want 
revenue, you go Linux; if you want 'philosophical greatness', go OpenBSD 
(or, perhaps one of the other BSDs).

Does that help with perspective? Theo's sort of like the Man of La Mancha, 
.. sounds like a raving lunatic but, once you understand what he's saying, 
there is TRUTH behind the words. Just be sure to have your fireproof suit 
handy if you say something that invokes his dissatisfaction.

No complaints about the s/w, however, .. if you want the best, you have to 
put up with:

1) Lack of h/w compatibiilty (OpenBSD does not support non-open h/w - many 
h/w vendors refuse to share documentation)
2) Problems with 'mainstream' s/w, like OpenOffice, which has compatibility 
problems (i.e. having to run in Linux Emulation)

         Lee


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