Re: WINE, SoftWindows, and other proprietary software ports

[Erik Walthinsen <omega@omegacs.net>]

> > Perhaps SSC would consider adding a page to
> > their site to include advocacy petitions? I'm only looking at it from a
> > standpoint of consolidating the efforts and exploring a central location
> > for efforts like this.

I am planning on creating a site to do just that, in the reasonably near 
future.  Linux United (linuxunited.org) currently has a alpha version of a 
vendor/product database, which will be used to rate products and vendors
based on their Linux support level.  It doesn't have fields for support 
levels yet because I have still not determined the best way to quantify 
such information.  I would welcome some help and/or ideas.

As for the advocacy work, I'm starting to build the basis for a site, tied 
in with the vendor/product DB, that will provide all the services needed to 
run a full-scale advocacy project.  A counter differentiating between general
interest and $$$ interest, a comment system, communications storage (i.e. 
you e-mail the company and put a copy here, they reply, you put a copy on 
the site).  This site doesn't exist yet, however, so I would again 
appreciate help and/or comments.

I called Insignia just today, actually, and they said that they are keeping 
a list of people who call interested in SoftWindows for Linux.  I gave them 
the URL of the advocate site, but they will be much more impressed if 
people take the time (5min maybe) to call them up and request the port.

One issue that was brought up was that they "would have to research 
patents, licensing fees, etc., related to the OS"...  It seems that 
companies like this don't *know* what they're getting into, or more 
commonly, *not* getting into.  Part of the advocacy site I plan on creating 
will be dedicated to distributing the basic information about Linux to 
vendors.  ALL vendors.  That's where the vendor database comes in again.  

Getting the right information to all the vendors is half the battle, and I 
think it would be very good to have a group of people who are willing to be 
the technical interface to various companies in various stages of the 
process.  At first they'd be answering questions like "is it *really* 
free???", then the progress to more technical questions from the actual 
engineers, if a port is being done.

Please note that this is being given maybe 10-20% of my time.  I would 
really, *really* like to find a couple other people who can help out with 
this.  Even just to have a few people to bounce ideas off of would be good.
Please e-mail me if you have ideas or want to help out.  If there is
sufficient interest and help available, I'll get a mailing list created.

TTYL,
    Omega


     Erik Walthinsen <omega@seul.org> - SEUL Project system architect
        __
       /  \                SEUL: Simple End-User Linux -
      |    | M E G A            Creating a Linux distribution
      _\  /_                         for the home or office user