Mr Hocevar: This is my first time communicating with anyone in the Linux community, so please forgive me if I have breached some sort of protocol. I have been a Linux dabbler, user and supporter for some time. One of the developments I have noticed with pleasure over time is the increasing number of, for lack of a better word, enterprise quality Linux programs. Because of my profession, and my desire to set up my own company after retirement next year, I have been particularly aware of developments in the GIS realm. One of the few professional level, commercial GIS suites available for Linux has been MicroImages "MIPs". It is very capable, and less than half the price of the now Windows only ESRI products. It is also MUCH cheaper to update/upgrade and maintain. As I refuse to buy Microsoft's OS, I was eying it seriously for my own business use. Imagine my chagrin when upon going to the Microimages site today to have a look at their latest version, I discovered no references to LINUX on their pages! I immediately called MicroImages to find out what was going on. I regret I did not get the person's name, but he was quite knowledgeable.
Basically, they decided in the last few days to no longer support Linux. I was told that they sat down and analyzed the traffic on their website over time and saw that Linux downloads were few. I didn't think to ask how many or if the number was increasing, decreasing or static. From further quite frank and informative conversation, I believe the central reasons for their decision are these. First, their impression of the "average" Linux user is multifaceted, but does not include the general business owner or professional. More critically, I presume, ones likely to use their product. Second, and the primary reason I am addressing these concerns to you, is the perceived/real burden to needing to write code to support their software running in different Linux distributions. I also got the impression that they saw few distributions seriously focused on the enterprise. In particular they mentioned SUSE, Fedora and Ubuntu. Frustration concerning the constantly changing (Linux supporters might say evolving) code and the necessity to track multiple changes in multiple distributions. They are a small company, and I could see their point. They seemed particularly convinced that Ubuntu was aimed at the home user. I countered that SUSE, RedHat and Ubuntu had all been recently evaluated for their support services. I observed that this was an issue of great concern to business owners, and that each had basically done well. Again, I forgot to mention that they had provided that support quickly, without charging by the minute, and with considerably better problem solving than Redmond. I said that RedHat and SUSE certainly focused on the business environment. He countered that, in their analysis, the purchase terms of RedHat made it more expensive to purchase than Windows, and that it made little sense to support them in that case. In the end they had decided to support Windows and MACs OS/X only. I then observed that in writing for OS/X they were essentially writing to UNIX/Linux and Solaris, although I allowed that Solaris software also historically tended to be expensive. I allowed I could see his reasoning. However, I observed that while there were many different distributions to consider, perhaps they weren't thinking strategically. I suggested that perhaps they should write code to support their program running under Debian, as it formed the underpinnings of about half the distributions out there, including Ubuntu. I suggested that they might want to collaborate with RedHat because of their business focus and relationship to other RPM based distros, including Fedora. As for UNIX, which I believe to be MicroImage's original OS focus, writing to support MIPs running under the BSD familiy, the underpinning of OS/X, and Solaris, with its Linux program binary compatibility, would give them a more manageable task, and good coverage in the Linux environment. Certainly better than none. I will be sending this along to whomever I can think of in these other OS contexts as well. But because of the reasons I stated, I am focusing my thoughts and hopes on the Debian community as having perhaps the most means to support this effort, and best chance to persuade MicroImages to reconsider its decision. Companies offering powerful business-oriented programming deciding to not support their programs running under Linux just serves to make Linux less attractive as an OS environment for business or general use, slowing down its adoption. I don't wish to see that happen. My hope in writing this is to stir up support for MicroImages at this moment in particular, but support for enterprise software developers in general, in developing for the Linux environment. For myself, I refuse to put one more penny that I have to into Windows and/or Windows-centric products. I am sure I am not alone. However, I am also a hard-nosed realist. I am willing to learn a new OS, and spend the time to search out reasonable Linux-based alternatives to Windows-based programs. I currently have that luxury, as I earn my living in an environment where I have no choices in this regard, so I can take time to evaluate. But when I start my own enterprise, I want choices. I will want support. I will need programs and an OS that "just work" and provide me the tools I will need to successfully compete in the marketplace of products and ideas.. I was a beta and gamma tester for OS/2. I support the Linux ideal. I have contributed financial support to various Linux-based projects over the years. I want there to be meaningful choices in operating systems and programs for pleasure and work. I read about the efforts to entice developers to write for the Linux platform. In seeking that involvement we should not be so distracted as to allow a long-time participant in the commercialization of Linux slip away unnoticed. Gene Kersey PS I have sent this note to organizations where I could find a contact fairly easily. So, if this ever happens to get forwarded to Sun, RedHat, Ubuntu and SUSE, this is why you didn't receive the original. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
