encouraging commercial apps

[Douglas Loss <dloss@csrlink.net>]

I know that the ideal in the Linux community is open source software,
but how do you all feel about encouraging companies to port existing or
write new software to Linux?  If everyone thinks that's a good idea,
what should our role be?  I'm trying to get in touch with ARDI (makers
of Executor, the Macintosh emulator) and Willows Software (makers of
TWIN and the Willows Toolkit, which make it easier to move MS Windows
apps to Linux) to see what if any support they'll give other companies
trying to convert their apps to native Linux ones.  If these companies
are agreeable, I'll start approaching some of the educational software
companies (my hobbyhorse, after all) and trying to pitch them on the
profit-making potential of Linux ports of their software.

I plan to tell them that the installed base of Linux computers is
greater than that of OS/2, and may possibly be greater than that of
Macintosh, and that there are at this moment _zero_ educational programs
available for that market.  If I can show them that there are resources
for easily porting their existing programs to Linux and can assure them
that we as a community will be happy to help them accomplish such ports,
I think we might be able to convince at least a few to do the ports.  As
an aside, would we be happy to help them do that if they intend to sell
the programs and not release the source?  At any rate, once we have a
few companies porting to Linux (expecially if they are making some money
selling apps for Linux) we might see a groundswell of ports begin.

Any thoughts?

-- 
Doug Loss                 My sources are unreliable, but
Data Network Coordinator  their information is fascinating.
Bloomsburg University          Ashleigh Brilliant
dloss@bloomu.edu