Date: Sun, 21 May 1995 23:12:02 +0800 (CST) From: Brian Tao <taob@gate.sinica.edu.tw> To: FREEBSD-HACKERS-L <freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.org> Subject: Re: (fwd) Re: Mma for Linux, when? Message-ID: <Pine.BSI.3.91.950521225952.15569X-100000@leo> In-Reply-To: <17788.801053281@freefall.cdrom.com>
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On Sun, 21 May 1995, Jordan K. Hubbard wrote:
>
> I don't buy the conclusion, though I certainly see merit in the
> argument that we should have as many native applications as possible.
> For better or for worse, many users perceive an operating system's
> viability as a function of the number of native apps for it. I
> suppose the logic is that if the ISV felt the OS to be worth the
> effort, then it must be worth looking at.
I don't think most users are clued-in enough to know or care about
how many *native* applications are available for an OS like FreeBSD or
Linux. All they want to know is that FreeBSD not only runs FreeBSD
binaries, but also SCO and BSD/OS (and maybe even Linux in the
future). Binary compatibility with BSD/OS should be a big selling
point in FreeBSD's favour. I've been able to convince at least a
dozen users on io.org to run FreeBSD at home (despite an extremely
strong Linux presence in Toronto) because io.org runs BSD/OS, and that
means a giant repository of pre-compiled binaries for them to use.
Instead of arguing that we might as well give up on FreeBSD and
run Linux for the apps, we should set a goal of "Better Linux Than
Linux" (apologies to OS/2 Warp and "Blade Runner"). ;-)
Perhaps this should be moved to freebsd-chat...
--
Brian ("Though this be madness, yet there is method in't") Tao
taob@gate.sinica.edu.tw <-- work ........ play --> taob@io.org
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