sometimes it hurts when linux-freaks become so defensive. warren loves linux and believes in it as much you do, or probably more. but he has told the fact honestly. nobody says that linux is bad. but reality is that it will always be a niche-desktop. there are many reasons for it but the most important reason in unavailability of mature and industry-standard application software.

Whatever Warren said in this interview is true to its core. Linux is definitely fun to play with, but it is not going to win the desktop until commercial software vendors find it easy to build software around it.

Fragmentation – You missed the point. It is not about different versions of Debian. It is about debian vs. Red Hat vs. Novell and so on.

GPL – Once again you miss the point. Commercial businesses are not just going to give their software away – it makes it hard to pay the bills. So, you have blend commercial and the GPL, which is not easy to do, and for most businesses, not worth the hassle.

Capable – Who cares how capable a piece of software is, if their isn’t a market base. If enough people were to adopt Linux, software makers would start writing code to run on it. Here lies the catch though – most customers want a computer that runs the software they are familiar with, so they won’t chose Linux. BTW, you must not know very many IT workers, and I don’t think Microsoft is very worried at the moment.

Finally, who says that Warren doesn’t believe in his product? Did Apple stop making computers after they realized they wouldn’t be number 1? Linux is powerful and fun to work with, but realistically it will probably never win the desktop. So stop lashing out, get some perspective, and move on.

First of all, don’t complain about this supposed “fragmentation” of the Linux market when you’re contributing to it. Why not work for Debian? Oh wait, it’s all rough around the edges and you’re the only one with the vision to see it through.

Secondly, the GPL absolutely DOES NOT limit your rights. It guarantees your rights – and other’s rights. You still have the copyright and your name still appears on the code. This basic misunderstanding of the GPL is really shocking coming from a maker of a popular distro.

Thirdly, Linux is more than capable on the desktop. Warren’s IT experience seems to be stuck in 1997. Every single IT worker I know either uses Linux on the desktop and/or Linux in the datacenter. Microsoft has every reason to be worried – they will be replaced. It’s happening more and more every day.

I’d love to ask this follow up question: Why do you waste everyone’s time developing a product that you don’t believe in?

I think Warren characterizes the issues with Linux on the corporate desktop. Dia and GnuCash, while nice apps for personal use, just aren’t robust enough for corporate use. I use Windows myself for Visio-I can’t justify throwing out a dozen years of Visio files. Also, in the case of open-source financial software, if there is a bug that results in financial damage, say fines for incorrect payroll withholding, who is accountable? To put it cynically, there has to be someone that can be sued if there is going to be corporate acceptance-otherwise who is going to risk their career on that decision?

Also, regarding the GPL, while ensuring freedom for the end user, is very restrictive for the developer-its primary premise is that the author is giving up his copyright (a Constitutional Right in the US), and there are restrictions under GPL 3 on how software can interact with hardware. (This is an observation, not a criticism, as GPL isn’t forced on anyone who doesn’t want to use it.)

I would not be using Ubuntu without their current network manager. Warren Woodford’s MEPIS network tools have been great for wireless networks for years, and the rest of the distro’s are now catching up.

I believe MEPIS’s problem is that Warren will get tired of supporting it one day.

Having said that I agree with his assertions of the politics of Microsoft’s power and undue influence here in USA.

Thankfully, we internationalists know better.

Many people in the U.K are running linux on their desktops and the number seems to be increasing, in the last few months I have been asked by at leat 9 people who have just bought a new desktop/laptop to remove the vista virus and replace it with a workable system..

I work in a small company we have the choice of OS (not mac…..) out of 12 people 10 run Linux – mainly ubuntu some suse – we are i,t based however i know of at least 3 companys in my home town who have replaced windows desktops with linux, I know the local college is thinking of doing the same.

I am 31, many of my age group in the UK used computers pre windows (most people started with 8bit / Amigas). The fact that linux is similar (well more similar than windows) to the amiga helps – i.e it is a workable stable system that generally doesn’t randomly crash..

I for one have always hated windows – going from a 32bit amiga 1200 to windows 95 was the worst experience ever that nearly stopped my interest in computing altogether,

There may not be a sudden year of the desktop however I believe that things are slowly going in the right direction.

The GPL is a *grant* of rights which are otherwise denied under copyright law.