> : > since they mention Linux specifically as one of the incentives behind
> : > their "free Solaris source" marketing announcement?
> :
> : Sorry I didn't address that one :) I don't think that announcement came
> : from Sun; I think it is bogus. I don't think Sun would EVER say
> : something like "This competes against the Linux blah blah"; it just does
> : not sound like them!
>
> A Sun VP says you are wrong.
I want to warn the reader that my post is off of the topic of linux kernel
programming. Then again, so is this whole thread. Anyway, this is a
personal message to Larry McVoy, but then I couldn't help but cc: it to
linux-kernel because I think what I have to say about the unix community
is important for others to hear. If you think what I have to say is crap,
then delete the message and you have my sincere apologies. If you feel
strongly enough about it, flame me at solitude@johnf.reshall.ksu.edu
This is the only non-programming related message I ever intend to send to
linux-kernel so I hope no one blacklists me in their procmail servers :)
In my defense, this is my first off-topic post. Anyway...
Oh yes...
**** PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE ON LINUX-KERNEL! **** Make any
replys to me personally. I absolutley do not want to encourage off-topic
threads. Do as I say, not as I do, I guess...
My message to Larry McVoy begins here.
--------
This solaris source thread has gotten my full attention ever since I first
saw it two or three days ago. I read your message that you have some
legimatate info on your web page, but you failed to state the address of
your page. I've looked all over www.sgi.com for an employee web server,
but have been unable to find one. (I know that there is one because I
used to know an sgi employee who put some cool stuff on his page, but I
can't remember the url) Anyway, when I first saw the message about Linus
going to work for sun a few months ago I almost jumped out of my skin! For
the next two days I looked and looked for official confirmation, but could
not find any until I later found out that the whole thing was just an
april fools joke from Linus himself. I am sorry to tell you that right
now that is what this whole sun vs. linux thing seems like right now. Note
-- I am not saying you are lying, I am just saying that I am a little wary
of messages without any form of authentacation. If I saw this on
www.sun.com or if it had an md5 sig from sun, pgp sig, or whatever I
wouldn't question it. Right now I am giving you the benifit of the doubt,
espically since no one has come up with proof that your claim is false,
but I would like to know where I could confirm this. I'd also like to
read the fine print for myself :) Well, hoax or not, I honestly
appriceate your informing me and the linux community of this turn of
events. It is definatley important to keep abreast of such events, as
they are the things that shape the technological future of the computing
community in general.
My ranting begins here. Larry - if you like you can quit reading now.
Everyone else, either delete the message now, or strap yourself in for my
half an hour worth of ranting.
---------------------------------
As a side note, if this info really is correct then I feel it is a very
very damaging and poor decision on sun's part. I am almost certain I am
correct when I say that microsoft has publicly stated their goal is to
directly compete with the unix market with their NT product. While on the
other hand no one in the linux community has tried to compete with anyone
else. The only thing it seems the linux community wants to do is take
their product and constantly and consistiently improve it; this is an
effort which I wholeheartedly support. Besides, how can a commercial
product compete with linux? Linux dosen't rely on funding from a customer
base so it is not possible for sun to run the linux hackers out of
business! Maybe sun could hurt caldera, red-hat, or whoever, but I don't
think either of those businesses intend to seriouslly hurt sun sales, and
besides, although those companies have made signifigant contributions to
the linux comunity, we don't rely on them. Microsoft on the other hand
does represent a serious threat to commercial vendors like sun. And
microsoft is a hell of a lot bigger and more dangerous then the linux
community. (My emphasis here is on the word dangerous, not bigger. Linux
is growing very rapidly) Before linux came along I was very intimidated
by large systems such as suns, and a good part of that intimidation was
because of my unconsciously being brianwashed by microsoft. Because of
Linux I have now entirley abondoned microsoft products and I support
companies like sgi, sun, and others who produce good products which the
non-unix communities are totally unaware of. I overheard a friend of mine
who uses winblows telling someone else that linux is a bad idea because it
is exactly like ms-dos, except more buggy! Arghhh... If someone like sun
or whoever would start advertising their products to those types of people
then I think microsoft would have some serious competition. Unfortunatley,
the unix community seems to be turning on itself, just helping microsoft
continue with their plans to conquer the planet. I know quite a few
nintendo 64 gamers, and so far no one I have talked to even heard of sgi,
much less that the graphics processor and the main processor in the n64
are actually a mips chips, and were designed for sgi unix workstations.
And, going even farther, the chips in the n64 are relatevley slow and
outdated compared with what is shipping in, say, an octane system; hell
even an old indigo^2 has better graphics power then the n64. That's
pretty respectable, and it *certanitley* kills anything winblows NT or 95
can do. Anyway, sorry to rant so much, but I've been unable to hold my
opinions any longer. I hope no one blocks my mail from their systems,
because this is the first and the last off-topic post I ever hope to have.
- John
<solitude@johnf.reshall.ksu.edu>
<jsf8471@ksu.edu>
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NO SOLICITING!
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