Increased Linux Use With SCO's Defeat Predicted 280
twitter writes "The defeat of SCO's infamous copyright attack has Forbes wondering if a GNU/Linux boom is upon us. They discuss how this will benefit Novel, IBM, Chrysler, AutoZone and Red Hat. 'The SCO Group frightened potential business users away from Linux with lawsuits demanding billions in royalties. But the litigious company's claims were shot down in a ruling that will likely boost uptake of the operating system.'"
Joe User's association (Score:2, Interesting)
2. Novell does
3. Microsoft has an agreement with Novell
4. Therefore...
5.
Insert at #5 any meaningful answer that will prevent users from thinking that MS owns, or could claim to own, even the minimal part of Unix.
Not so fast my friend (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:What's the opposite of FUD? (Score:3, Interesting)
Thanks, SCO, for the riposte! (Score:3, Interesting)
To anyone claiming 'this changes nothing', you're overlooking a great opportunity. Practice this phrase with me:
"Yeah because that worked out GREAT for SCO!"
Now, prepare to use this move to any and all of the following objections:
A) Linux is full of stolen code, and using it means you'll get sued.
B) Linux suffers from tons of IP problems, and using it means you'll get sued.
C) Microsoft is going to sue you for using Linux.
The thing that SCO did for us was dismiss the 'forgone conclusion' that the ability to sue is equivilent to the ability to WIN said suit.
Having survived this beast makes for a stronger FOSS community, so long as we don't forget it. Of course with all the noise SCO and Darl made when they thought they were certain to win, that isn't too likely...
Thank you sirs!
Re:Forbes right on top of last week (Score:4, Interesting)
This is one of my big problems with the Linux community: You guys keep waiting for MS to fuck up.
Give me a reason to get rid of them first! Where is the software support, for one?
It actually makes me feel stand-offish about doing anything more with Linux knowing that they (as in the community) are waiting for someone else to fail enough to drive business their way instead of succeeding enough in their own right to give me a reason to look their way. Basing the value of your product on a competitors failures doesn't make me feel too confident. Endless stories of a new Linux revolution while the marketshare hardly creeps up doesn't make me feel too confident. The fact that major apps and games publishers are still taking a wait-and-see attitude towards Linux doesn't make me feel to confident.
For as much trash talk I hear about Vista around here I'm not seeing too much of it on the streets. The handful of Vista adopters I know don't seem to be having such a hard time with it and it seems that the situation is only getting better for Vista. And these guys aren't geeks, mostly. It's the fabled Joe Sixpacks I know who are adopting Vista. The geeks I know are sticking to XP. Even the biggest Linux advocate I know (whom I also respect his opinion) is running XP on his laptop and his main home desktop. As far as Linux goes he's still little more then a hobbyist. After talks with him I don't think he's going to switch to Linux as his main any time soon.
Give us a reason to switch. Don't wait for MS to file for Chapter 11. It's not going to happen anytime soon. As long as the Linux community and software publishers don't step up to the plate I don't think I'm going to see a time where I am forced to switch out of desperation.
So if the big plan in the community is to wait for the old guard to be weak, sick and feeble before they make their attack I'm afraid you guys are going to be hanging out in the bushes for a long long time. And no, talk of another wooden rabbit isn't going to do much to sway me. But I'll keep an eye open because it is mildly amusing.
Re:Grrrr (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Reports of a Linux Boom (Score:4, Interesting)
and what software for K-12 is not supported on Linux?
BTW, Apple did a pretty good job getting school kids familiar with its product. What happened was about a billion dollars in Microsoft marketing of FUD that Apple Mac was dead because Windows 95 made it obsolete. I was there and I had school teachers asking me about Windows PC's "because Apple was going out of business". There were no exploding Macs or anything like it, just millions and millions of Microsofts money going out to the press to spread the FUD. Apple survived by the skin of their teeth and even had to take money from Microsoft and agree to drop Netscape for a Mac version of MS Internet Explorer.
Linux and OSS are a perfect match for K-12. It's inexpensive, completely open for their learning experiences if that is what they want to do, it works. Atleast here in the US, school systems are constantly fighting for their budgets and floundering with expensive support of Microsoft Windows software and their hardware requirements.
LoB
Re:What's the opposite of FUD? (Score:5, Interesting)
The general feeling on Groklaw seemed to be that, while SCO and BSF undoubtedly dragged their feet as long as they could, Judge Kimball (and to a lesser extend IBM) were happy to give them enough rope, simply to stop SCO from finding grounds for an appeal, and kicking the whole sordid mess off afresh again in size months time.
As it is, because SCO were given every possible chance to make their case, they are going to find it very difficult to go running to a higher court wailing "it's not fa-a-air!"
And that, I think, has to be a good thing.
Re:Grrrr (Score:3, Interesting)
Maybe Microsoft knew this was coming and want to lure Novell into an agreement so Novell would not go after Microsoft for it's involvement as SCO crumbled. Sort of like, here we will give you an agreement to make money if you don't come after us. If I was running Novell, I would take a hard look at my Microsoft agreement and it's real value.
SCO was partially owned by Microsoft at one point, is this the fate of companies who embrace MS? Seems to be a pattern here.
IBM will not be bought off so easily. Let the wolves have a good feast of SCO remains. This hasn't ended yet.
I actually do remember when SCO was a good company, when they first released ODT with Ingress it was in it's prime. Too bad they got hooked up with legal extortionists and scared off any real technical talent they might have had. SCO RIP.
Re:Maybe (Score:3, Interesting)
What are some examples of what they offer that Linux does not for your usage pattern?
Re:What's the opposite of FUD? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Linux chain reaction (Score:4, Interesting)
BTW, here is the report on how linux has THREE times as many security holes as Microsoft:
http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/bulletins/SB2005.html [us-cert.gov]
We can take a Linux system, lock it down, and forget about it just like a Windows system. That is... if we want crappy infrastructure. Both systems require care and feeding. Both require more than a vendor is going to admit.
We have Unix / Linux folks who spend a good amount of time writing scripts and figuring out configurations for everyone else to follow. The same goes for the Windows side. I'm biased - I'm much more impressed with the extent of what we do on the Unix / Linux side of the house. But I am also occasionally surprised and impressed with what knowledgeable Windows admins come up with.
Of course, we also have aspects of our IT environment that are Windows-only who would never even dream of looking at anything that didn't come from Microsoft (or at least have Microsoft approval). But that doesn't mean Linux isn't making headway in our environment. And it doesn't mean that just because you're a Windows shop that others aren't.
By the way... I'd look a little closer at that report you're quoting. It's a much more complex story than those numbers would make it seem. There's the issue of how severe a flaw is. But even more basic is numbers that don't add up and flaws that are double-counted.