Article: "Fixing linux" - opinions?

[MJ Ray]

"P.B." <pb at fsfe.org> wrote:
>   Fixing Linux: What's Broken And What To Do About It"
> http://www.informationweek.com/news/software/linux/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212100714
[...]
> It contains a few arguments that are actually true and something
> everyone who's using Linux has thought/complained/or hoped for at
> least once.

Indeed, it contains very few arguments.  All of the complaints seem to
reduce to some combination of:-

1. we offer a choice (distributions, for example);

2. some proprietary providers fail to support choice (kernel ABI);

3. local configuration error or system problem (the author's X11
problems).


We need to address these by:-

1. providing good comparisons and information at the points where they
are most helpful - standardisation is no more likely than Apple and
Microsoft agreeing on a common GUI and packaging system with each
other and/or GNU/Linux distributors;

2. obsoleting proprietary providers;

3. making people aware that bizarre errors or problems like those X11
ones are not expected normal operation.

Regards,
-- 
MJ Ray (slef)
Webmaster for hire, statistician and online shop builder for a small
worker cooperative http://www.ttllp.co.uk/ http://mjr.towers.org.uk/
(Notice http://mjr.towers.org.uk/email.html) tel:+44-844-4437-237