Adam Linford wrote:
>
> > I've noticed a lot of vendors jumping on the Linux bandwagon and
> >starting to offer support for thier system that run Linux. But, it seems
> >that it is only for SUSE, Redhat, Caldera and TurboLinux. WHY NOT DEBIAN?
> >Is it because we are not commercial? And if so, I propose a Debian support
> >team.
>
> Its an idea to be thought about I suppose, but I've always received all the
> support I need from this list, along with other Debian information. I've
> used RH, but never felt like I was part of a community like with Debian.
>
> <sic>
>
> >This is something that concerns me and I would hate to see Debian lost
> >because of not being commercial.
>
> To my mind, Debian succeeds in many of it's objectives, purely through *not*
> being commercial.
>
> Just my $0.02
FWIW, I distinctly remember a story recently about a commercial
company planning to release a distribution *based* on Debian.
Debian itself will never go commercial because its not controlled
by a single company or single person.
To me, reports of Debian's imminent demise due to a whiff of
commercialization are grossly overstated. If this Debian-based
distribution comes true, I cannot see how it would affect, in any
way, the Debian community. The developers will continue on with
their plans for Debian as before. This commercial company can
offer assistance and suggestions to the development, but it
couldn't impose its will on a large group of strong-willed (to say
the least) developers, so Debian is quite safe.
A whiff of commercialization might actually be helpful in three
ways. First, there is the possibility of this company writing
Debian related software under a GPL (as RH does) that can be
adopted into the base Debian distro, with the approval of our
developers of course. Second, this adoption of Debian as the base
for a commercial distro will be a form of significant free
publicity. Third, the use of Debian as a base for a commercial
distribution will send a clear signal to those who have questioned
the value of a volunteer organization's development of a Linux
distro. The signal is that Debian, regardless of how it was
created, is a quality product on par with the other commercial
dists, and is even viable in a commercial setting (via that
commercial dist that's based on Debian).
--
Ed C.
