| Re: Message From RSI VP of Engineering [message #27505 is a reply to message #27225] |
Wed, 24 October 2001 11:02   |
stevens
Messages: 7
Registered: July 1995
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Junior Member |
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In <9r6ob0$6ot$1@sulawesi-fi.lerc.nasa.gov>, Logan Lindquist:
[Snip...]
> I do not know the details of porting stuff that has been written for Linux
> over to OS X but I wouldn't image that they would be much different, since
> OS X is based on a Linux kernel.
Not Linux...FreeBSD. Both *nix, of course, but ports 'twixt *nix is not
a walk in the park, generally. Then there's the whole zealotry thing in
porting GUIs between *nixen and their distribution sets. For a while it
seemed as if some Linux diehards would go to war over Gnome vs. KDE for
crying out loud. Enough of this GUI jihad especially proprietary; where
the heck is the science and visualization stuff?
Actually, these kernels don't need any GUI (even *nix's X) to operate.
Now, it's true there is considerable experience porting X among *nix.
Speaking for myself Aqua's just another GUI. If RSI would rather modify
standard X toolkits and build a low(er)cost IDL port, go for it. I will
use any X interface they might finally offer mainly since beggars can't
be choosers. Having cut my teeth on Linux in a world infested with dumb
ideas like proprietary Winmodems, I'm happy when any vendor makes these
efforts to port functionality to "niche" environments like OS-X.
[Snip...]
> seems to be a preliminary one. Business people will change their mind if it
> is deemed profitable for the company.
There's two sets of cashflow interest here: RSI, and Apple. But there's
not a lot RSI can do in pitching itself as a Gnu charity to Apple. They
are on their own here, and Apple certainly has bigger fish to fry.
If it won't include Aqua (i.e., Apple proprietary) there's hardly a way
Apple can make money. Gnu is mainly about choice, and only peripherally
somebody's cashflow problems. Then there's the whole FUD scene in which
Macroslop screams bloody murder about Gnu "contamination" when all that
proprietary codebase (like a lot of Apple) "comingles" with Gnu. That's
enough reason to keep legions of attack lawyers licking their chops, if
only in the service of ignorant, unrestrained avarice. Get the pix?
Stallman might say, Gnu is not here to make Apple and RSI (etc.) money.
> About the pricing. If everyone would remember back to economics, the
> quantity/demand curves and the price/cost curves will give us some useful
> tool to analyze their decisions.
[Snip...]
Then please consider X toolkits and Gnu may not be Aqua, but just about
the only way RSI can afford IDL-anything for OS-X (or Macs, period) and
"keep the dream alive" as some might say.
--
Regards, Weird (Harold Stevens) * IMPORTANT EMAIL INFO FOLLOWS *
Pardon the bogus email domain (dseg etc.) in place for spambots.
Stevens at sc45[.]rsc{period}raytheon(dot)com. *DO NOT SPAM IT.*
Standard Disclaimer: These are my opinions not Raytheon Company.
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