ben wrote:
On Wednesday 16 January 2002 10:18 am, Kent West wrote:
[snip]
Why oh why won't Corel release the old DOS version into the open source
world?
[snip
Yes, but I don't particularly care if the DOS version is *made
available*; I'd like it to be *made available as open source*. Then the
developers out there could (and hopefully would) convert it to native
Linux, thus leading to more functional Linux software.
Note that Corel _did_ (does?) have a Unix-native version, including a
console mode (not available, AFAIK, in the WP8 which was made generally
available for GNU/Linux). This would seem to be the program you're
looking for. What the availability of this program is I don't know.
i wrote to corel, asking about the possibility of a linux version of wp5.1
ever appearing in the world. below is their response.
The WordPerfect 5.1 for Linux/UNIX was never developped by Corel
Corporation. The last versions to be offered for Linux/UNIX are
WordPerfect 8 for UNIX(X graphical and console based) and WordPerfect
Office 2000 for Linux (X graphical only).
Both products are currently discontinued, with chances of renewal
studied based on market demand.
Thank you,
Corel Customer Services
so i wrote back and said:
Thanks for your response. I'm aware of the fact that Corel didn't develop
WP5.1, which was a product of the former WordPerfect Corporation out of Utah,
but you do own the rights to the source--don't you? How about releasing the
source under a GPL license? Given that you do have a niche in the larger
Linux market, it would definitely enhance your standing in that community, as
well as generate a reasonable amount of publicity that would also draw
attention to your complete product range; in short, a good return that would
benefit you as well as the community.
this received no response, at all, not even an automated reply in receipt of
my mail. maybe they've got a filter over there to toss anything containing
the dreaded three letters--GPL. so, kent west, don't hold your breath.
ben
This all has been discussed extensively on the Corel Linux and chat
lists with depressing results. One hope was that the pending(?)
appearance of the Xandros distribution (ex CorelLinux which brought me
to Linux and Debian) might in the long run result in a revamped
WordPerfect Office for Linux.
WP8 retail edition (with more fonts than the discontinued free download
version) can be had via eBay for a few bucks. I purchased a copy
recently and am waiting for it to arrive. Meanwhile VMware lets me work
with a current WP version.
-- AvH
