The Hurd

[Eneko Lacunza]

Hi,

El mié, 20-03-2002 a las 14:31, Jeroen Dekkers escribió:
> > 	Marcus, I really think that you undertake the importance that Linux has
> > had in the spread of Free Software ideas. 
> AFAIK Linux only spread open source ideas.

	I don't think so. Most Linux users talk about and understand what Free
Software is and means.

> > I can see it with myself: I
> > first looked at Linux because it was free and it was unix. Then I
> > realized about the Importance of Free Software. 
> And that's the exact problem. If you would have looked at GNU, you
> would have realized it directly. I don't see what the importance of
> Linux is.

	Yes: Linux led me to GNU. That's a good thing!

	I had used DJGPP (GCC and other tools port to DOS) previously, but I
didn't get as concerned as with Linux. Linux also did help me to go away
of propietary software, along with other tons of Free Software. A now
makes me much happier than I was 8)

> > Even here, in Spain, the
> > group that most is doing to support Free Software is a Linux users
> > association (Hispalinux, with more than 1,500 associates), 
> 'Linux' users?

	XFree/GNOME/KDE/GNU/etc/Linux. Yes 8)

> > while FSFs
> > local chapter does almost nothing but publish some texts to internet.
> Why? Maybe all people are in HispaLinux because GNU/Linux never used
> to refer to GNU and thereby the FSFs.

	Marcus, I don't know. I was very surprised when I noticed it. But
actually, I happened to end joining Hispalinux as well. I think that
there's some personal and "radicalism" problem in GNU Spain (just why
thought, I haven't researched about it).

> > 	And please, I hope you're not trying to say that the attacks that is
> > receiving Free Software, are due to Linux.
> Microsoft is saying that Linux isn't innovative and they are
> right. The Hurd is however. ;-)

	We'll I think that Linux is innovative in the way it's development goes
on. Surely, there are others that do the same. But it's an improvement
over Windows. Windows hasn't been innovative anyway, but Microsoft
doesn't tell anyone ;)

> > 	Of course all things can be done better, the same way that Hurd could
> > have done better in its beginings. Anyway, I think you should try to see
> > that some of the trade-off done in Linux has helped greatly to it's
> > popularity, and consequently, to get more developers and users.
> I don't see how it helped by not talking about freedom and by not
> talking about GNU. Linux was only popularized and the Hurd not, that's
> the only thing. BSD and GNU could have got as much or maybe even more
> users as Linux did. Linux only came at the right moment, but did do
> most of the other things wrong.

	The fact is that Linux focused more on usability than on Free Software
advocacy. If it helped it, I think it was/is a good thing.
 
> > 	It's difficult to see whether these trade-offs will alienate the Free
> > Software concept or not; time to see what happens.
> Do you want my personal view? Linux will be gone in about 5 years. But
> that's just my view on the world.

	It's very possible. I think that the Hurd can have a mayor role here.
We'll see. 8)
 

> > 	Of course, you didn't bother me, don't worry. I think it is good we can
> > have such discussions here, because we can learn a lot from each other's
> > experiences. I think it is important that some hard-GNU people can
> > understand much people is now in the Free Software side thanks to some
> > pragmatic and not-so-pure things, like Linux.
> And how much is NOT in free software, thanks to Linux.

	Much of software not free, wouldn't be either free in the Hurd,
actually (probably except propietary drivers). Again, this is because
Linux focused more in usability than in advocacy.

Regards.


-- 
Eneko Lacunza

  # Por un mundo con conocimiento libre #
Apoya el Software Libre - No a las patentes de software

http://www.hispalinux.es - http://www.es.gnome.org
http://www.fsfeurope.org - http://sincanon.hispalinux.es