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Re: GNU/Linux distributions and commerce (was: Re: [ox-en] Fwd from Martin Hardie)



Hi Stefan,

On Sun, Mar 26, 2006 at 11:19:36PM [PHONE NUMBER REMOVED], Stefan Merten wrote:
Actually I found the move of RedHat rather interesting and if you
listened to people from RedHat then years ago they told you that the
consumer distribution doesn't return much money - if at all. So for a
capitalist corporation it was just a normal and logical move and I do
not really understand why someone rants about this.

Neither do I, as Fedora ist developed and maintained almost solely by 
RedHat employees. It is also the basis for the RedHat-EnterpriseLinux
distribution (RHEL): Thats how RedHat created an open process for Fedora
and a closed one for RHEL basing on the open one. IMHO an elegant 
solution.

What I find more interesting here is that capitalist corporations
helped GNU/Linux to flourish but they were

* not able to make useful profit from it at least for a good part of
the market share

* the supply with distributions didn't stop even when capitalist
corporations withdrew from the market

2 * NACK: 
- RedHat is profitable for years now
- None of the 3 major commercial distributors has withdrawn (RedHat/Fedora, 
SuSE Novell, Mandriva/Ex-Mandrake). There have been consolidation processes 
taking place (e.g. Mandriva merging/buying Connectiva), but no withdrawals.
 
To me this proves Oekonux theory that for software the Free mode is
simply better and more useful than capitalist mode. The development
of
Debian during the past years is another, and even bigger proof for
this. 

To me the state of the Debian project proves the opposite, unfortunately.
Ubuntu being that successful with loads of Mark Shuttleworths money being 
pumped into it, even more.
Possibly Debian will slide into insignificance and Ubuntu taking its place, 
due to the Debians refusing any commercial links, e.g. Debian project 
members being employed by some Debian adopter.

Actually some years ago I said somewhere that when Oekonux
theory is right we will see such a development. Sounds like a litmus
test to me :-) .

... which is about to show "failed"! :-(

But hey, were still living in a capitalist world and the fascination of 
FOSS being that successful in it, is that it creates "Free Spaces" 
(with capital "F") within capitalism, if one understands both worlds.


Florian
_________________________________
Web-Site: http://www.oekonux.org/
Organization: http://www.oekonux.de/projekt/
Contact: projekt oekonux.de



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