Re: SEUL: Free Enough?

[Kevin Forge <forgeltd@usa.net>]

jfm2@club-internet.fr wrote:
> 
> Troll Tech is afraid having uncontrolled developments of the Qt
> library introducing bugs in it thus giving bad reputation to the Qt
> library.  
>
This is also why Netscape doesn't just GPL Communicator.  There is a
substantial teem of programers who would be quite willing to spend time
and effort smuggling little bugs into the source code if it were too
open.
In future years Linus will need to be increasingly vigilant to protect
our Kernel from this kind of attack.
>
> The Qt free library is exactly the same than the commercial
> version: it is not crippleware or second-rateware.  This deserves some
> praises from the Linux community.
>
I have never herd them commended before.  just cringed from :(
>
> I hope we can work a formula like TrollTech issuing Qt 2 and then
> allowing users modifying Qt 1 as long it is used in GPLed _UNIX_
> programs.  Possibly the free QT1 getting a new name so bugs in freeQT1
> don't alter the reputation of Qt2.
>
Another possibility.  I would like for them to keep the FreeQT
substantially
behind however so it would only be agrsivly developed if the commercial
QT libs are closed ( new license ) or abandoned ( Troll gets bought by 
Microsoft etc.. ) 
>
> Another point is than I would not be ruling out KDE if that were the
> only alternative.  In fact I was for having KDE as a stopgap solution
> for 1998 until Miguel de Icaza mailed me than Gnome would be ready
> this year.  And Fred Pesch affirms than eXode would be ready around
> June.  I hope I will be able to persuade Fred to bend eXode towards an
> end user desktop instead of an ultra-sophisticated desktop.
>
I would advise the GNOME people and the eXode crew to copy the KDE look
as much as possible.  the Reasoning behind this is that KDE is by a
large
margin the most beautiful and smooth desktop I have sean.  My only
problem 
with it is that it's not complete.  The little things like the clock in 
the corner being configurable are actually planed but waiting in the
wings.
>
> > Did I say I really like KDE ?
> Did I say me too?  :-)
>
It has been said that the only problems with KDE are legal.  It is
a technically sound library ( not that I know what that means BUT only
1 major app shows a recurent bug. "KFM" )
> 
> Fortunately MetroLink is now selling a Motif runtime (only shared
> libs) much cheaper.  Suse sells it for 99 DM (50-60$) here in Europe.
> 
That's more than a Linux distro.  In fact that + the $ 49.99 for some
fully commercial distros is more expensive than Windows.  It's real
difficult to convince somebody that a Linux distribution is not just
an OS but includes a whole bunch of need apps.  In any case KDE is
right now much nicer than Motif.  If QT were to do this modification 
to the License we may yet see KDE as the #1 Desktop in the world. 
That may still happen with the current license ( the KDE crowd shows
no sign of slowing down ).
>
> would be payware in Windows but nobody told we would have to provide
> him with first rate free software in every area.
> 
We don't ... but it is nice to spread the Range a bit.  i.e. I have a
List of first rate DOS/Windows Software I wold like to see cloned on
Linux / GPL.
mIRC.  
Quick Books./.MYOB
Corel Word Perfect Office.
Mortal Combat 
Will we ever see thise things ?  I don't know but ksIRC is rapidly 
turning into mIRC for Linux, And I hear rumers of 2 full Office suits
that are in early development and only people who claim to be developers
are geting the sorce code for 1 of them.
> > >
> > > stupid the tradition of forcing people to learn VI just because it is
> > > the traditional editor.
> >
> > Gee ... I thoght I was alone in the world.
> 
> Minix and Linux since 1991 and never used VI (Emacs rules!).  The only
> thing I know of VI is how to exit.
> 
Lucky you.  My command for exiting vi works like this.
alt+F2
pidof vi
kill ### ( where ### is the result from command 2 )
I do lots of consulting work.  but it's all Windows** and DOS.  For Unix 
work I call in a subcontractor and take 30%.  This goy is 29 and has
gray 
hair so I must be getting a great deal :)
-- 
"Through the firewall, out the router, down the T1, across the
backbone, bounced from satellite, Nothing but net."