Stock Market...

epsas at inflicted.net epsas at inflicted.net
Sat Sep 8 21:19:40 PDT 2001


> 
> But the Linux big three: Red Hat, VA Linux, and Caldear, are changing their 
> business modes to move Linux into the next stage.  Whether they can succeed 
> (I believe they will, as they all have a very good cash position), has a 
> critical bearing to whether Linux can become a main stream OS.
> 
"Moving it into the next stage"?  - Sorry, could not parse.  Who's next stage?  Hackers and the software problems they run into at the office are what ultimately move Free Software.   The big three are only useful insofar as the payroll they provide for the coders. 

Linux is already a mainstream OS - and has been for a while.  A mainstream desktop OS?  Maybe not, Linux is not particularly suited for desktop use.  As a server platform, it is already quite popular and accepted in the enterprise.  IBM (and HP very soon) will help ensure the use of Linux in the business world.

Whatever they do will not affect the engineering of the Linux kernel or GNU software in any significant way.  The development model of Free Software is decentralized; resistant to bankruptcy, death, and tactical nuclear strikes.

Linux and it's associated applications will continue to flourish, despite the economic condition of the big-name Open Source houses.  The only thing that worries me is that, very soon, a ton of developers will be getting laid off...  and that is always a shame.


ciao,
Charles



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