Linux kernel compatability

Scott Long scottl at samsco.org
Thu Jan 6 00:17:25 UTC 2011


On Jan 5, 2011, at 5:14 PM, Jeff Roberson wrote:

> On Wed, 5 Jan 2011, Andrey Chernov wrote:
> 
>> On Wed, Jan 05, 2011 at 12:40:45PM -0500, Alexander Kabaev wrote:
>>>> I have heard this argument about the linuxulator and what we're
>>>> really talking about is slipping FreeBSD marketshare.  I don't share
>>>> the view that the linuxulator futhered this slip but rather my view
>>>> is that it allows us to stay relevant in areas where companies can
>>>> not justify an independent FreeBSD effort.  Adobe is a good example
>>>> of this.
>>>> 
>>> 
>>> It compounded the Adobe's reluctance to work on portable flash player.
>> 
>> I agree with Alexander even more. We don't need _any_ Linux emulator in
>> the tree and even in the ports. Flash player is a good example of how
>> Linux emulator is harmful: instead of sending tons of complaints to Adobe
>> to force them to make native FreeBSD version, users tends to install Flash
>> via emulator and got all its pain as result.
> 
> There are not enough freebsd desktop users to justify the effort even if everyone of them sent an email in.
> 
> I once offered to port recent vmware to BSD for free and they turned me down because they didn't want to deal with it.
> 
> We have not been marginalized in this space because we have an emulator. We just don't have the marketshare in many areas.  If anything, these emulators improve our marketshare.

I agree entirely.  Companies look at marketshare and ability to turn more revenue than costs (i.e. profit).  Like Jeff, I've had my share of dealing with companies who have made a conscious to support or not support FreeBSD based on those factors.  Petitions and letters sound great on Slashdot, but don't work in the real world.  Emulation increases marketshare.

Scott



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