Date: Fri, 18 Apr 1997 15:01:47 -0300 (ADT) From: The Hermit Hacker <scrappy@hub.org> To: mike allison <mallison@konnections.com> Cc: chat@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Commercial, Non-Hacker CD Distribution - A thought Message-ID: <Pine.NEB.3.96.970418144604.4592R-100000@thelab.hub.org> In-Reply-To: <3358E6C2.5C763CA1@konnections.com>
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On Sat, 19 Apr 1997, mike allison wrote:
> Marc:
>
> This is VERY similar to the RedHat?ApplixWare bundle. They send out the
> suite bundled with the optimum RH Linux version to run it. I think RH
> has a division that maintains the ApplixWare port. This sounds like a
> GOOD commercial project for someone willing and able to put it together
> and SUPPORT it.
>
> *BSD is a far better platform than Linux (For this) because the Linux
> world cannot always insure that any particular distro was
> compiled/configured the same as any other. RH ApplixWare may not run
> under Slackware.
>
> *BSD doesn't have this problem since the releases are centralised for
> the platform.
>
> Wish we had the resources to do this.... The office suite IS the killer
> app which allows one to move away from MS....
We sort of already do have the resources...if ppl were a little
more willing to put their "money where there mouth is", so to say...
The Office Suite is a Linux product...but its Free for non-commercial
use...you hear every once in a while on the lists about how X company has
this really nice commercial product, but for Unix, it would cost a major
fortune to buy compared to a MSWindows version...which makes sense, considering
the market share.
So, as a community, why not approach StarDivision concerning filling
the void that currently exists...a *good*, office quality, FreeBSD ported
Office Suite (its already there, just as Linux binaries). How much would an
MS-equivalent product cost, if you were in an MS environment? MSOffice goes
for how much...$400? StarDivision is giving it away for free for non-commercial
use...so go to StarDivision, ask them for a FreeBSD port to include as part of
a "commercial CD package" and offer to pay them per CD. Current cost of
CD: $39.95...commercial CD package w/ StarOffice: $65...now StarDivision is
making $25/copy off a product that they aren't making any money off of now...
at least not off of 'non-commercial' users...
(NOTE: Simplistic view...I know)
What other products are out there that could go into a commercial
quality (business-quality?) CD? Xaccel? McAfee(sp?) Virus scan? CDE?
Make it a brain-dead install...we have, IMHO, a rock-solid platform
to build from, but its pretty much a 'hackers-world' distribution right now,
not meant for the generic user that wants point-click and little-to-no-headaches
Then again, so far, there are only two of that even consider this
to be a reasonable idea *shrug*
>
> -Mike
>
> The Hermit Hacker wrote:
>
>
> >
> > Hi...
> >
> > With all the talk about large corporations and whatnot that has
> > been going on, why not build a "Commercial FreeBSD" CD-rom?
> >
> > Mainly, something that results in as brain dead of a Unix OS as
> > possible for end-users, something that I could give to my mother and tell
> > her to insert this into drive A and boot your computer...it will ask you
> > a few questions and then do the rest on its own.
> >
> > Think of it this way...how much does MicroSloth charge for Windows95
> > nowadays? NT? What do you get with it? An OS, that's it, right? (I actually
> > don't know, haven't installed a MicroSloth system in several years)
> >
> > What I'm thinking is that, for starters, we have a Unix based
> > Office product (StarOffice) that kinda works under our Linux Emulation. Why
> > not make a deal with them to come up with a FreeBSD port and offer to resell
> > it as part of a commercial FreeBSD CD. I don't know how much they charge
> > for their Commercial version, but considering they are just giving it away
> > for non-commercial use, you could probably work out a deal...hell, I'd even
> > buy a copy of StarOffice if they had a FreeBSD port...
> >
> > So, wrap FreeBSD/StarOffice for FreeBSD into a CD as a start.
> >
> > What else would be required? Wrap Netscape in with that, again, so
> > that its *already* intalled without having to go to the ports section and
> > dealing with that (we're talking *end-users* here!)
> >
> > Isn't there a realaudio port for FreeBSD? what other commercial
> > quality products are out there that we could effectively make a *end-user*
> > CD distribution that is as plug-n-play as possible?
> >
> > Hell, even kernel optimizations from GENERIC could be done in such
> > a way that its just a system tuning chore that happens in the background
> > and when complete, informs the user that a reboot is required to make the
> > new kernel active.
> >
> > then we'd have the FreeBSD that we all know and love (source code)
> > and a FreeBSD that I could give to my mother and be relatively confident she'd
> > be able to actually make use of it. (ie. she doesn't need source or a ports
> > section)
> >
> > *shrug* Just a thought...there is enough talent around here that
> > building up a User-Friendly GUI interface wouldn't/shouldn't be that
> > difficult...no?
> >
> > Marc G. Fournier
> > Systems Administrator @ hub.org
> > primary: scrappy@hub.org secondary: scrappy@{freebsd|postgresql}.org
>
Marc G. Fournier
Systems Administrator @ hub.org
primary: scrappy@hub.org secondary: scrappy@{freebsd|postgresql}.org
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