Re: Linux Advocates Fear Solaris 10.

From: Richard L. Hamilton (Richard.L.Hamilton_at_mindwarp.smart.net)
Date: 12/25/04 

Date: Sat, 25 Dec 2004 05:59:17 -0000

In article <20041224174928.113$Ao@news.newsreader.com>,
        Hamilcar Barca <hamilcar@tld.always.invalid> writes:
> In article <41cc9827$0$6204$e4fe514c@news.xs4all.nl> (Fri, 24 Dec 2004
> 22:28:55 +0000), Casper H. S. *** wrote:
[...]
>>>I see no valid argument to the contrary, and have nine years experience
>>>proving that Linux is free, Free, "open", and "open source".
>>
>> Yet you continue to side step any and all arguments.
>
> You've made no argument worth sidestepping. You claimed, falsely, Linux
> wasn't open, but provided no evidence. You claimed, falsely, GCC featured
> "embrace and extend", but your evidence did not support your claim.
>
>> I did, just now, the fact that gcc forces other compiler vendors
>> to be "compatible"
>
> Please provide evidence of force.

Quibble about the word "force" if you like, but I think some commercial
compilers (including Sun's) have added support for some gcc specific
compatibility to allow code dependent on those features to be ported
more easily to Solaris using Sun's (higher-performance) compiler suite.
By having non-standard behavior as the default, not only has gcc
encouraged the pollution of a lot of code, but the desire to have that
ported to platforms other than just Linux has let's say strongly encouraged
other compiler vendors to support (even if not as default) some of those
peculiarities.

>> just as others have to follow M$ on some of their stuff
>> makes them as bad.
>
> I believe Sun's new agreements with Microsoft, giving them access to
> closed protocols, puts you into this position. Clearly, the FSF has no
> agreements to do similarly.

It may put Sun in a position to be _able_ to do such things; it remains to
be seen what they'll actually do with them. For all I know, Sun (as
another business rather than a social/ideological movement) might be able
(or at least trying) to convince MS that a little more interoperability
open to all would be in everyone's best interests. Of course I don't
expect that will go much further than what both figure out a way to make
$$ off of even when it's opened up, but that doesn't preclude the possibility.
[...] 

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