FSF will do better with more sources of finance

Commercial GNU/Linux, GNU/BSD GNU/Mach distributions(operating systems) are definitely making money. All the vendors are coming out with fancy/experimental front ends to the GNU/* operating systems. They are marketing it as their own OS. Especially Ubuntu. I did not find the word "linux" or "GNU" in a page depth of 2 - 3 on the ubuntu web sit. I am happy with other GNU/* vendors, by at least the fact that they have the name "linux" attached in the name of the product. Ubuntu goes many steps ahead and calls ubuntu, the os. Thats it. Now let us see the attitude of Mark towards the GNU "brand" as he calls it.

My comment on his blog

"Mark, Are u man enough to give an option during install to the users(freedom) to chose between gnome 3.0 and unity *.*?
Do u feel ashamed in calling ur product Ubuntu GNU/Linux?
Dont u think u should thank communities other than U(r)buntu?

btw, congrats on putting out one more experimental shell on the users."

His reply to this was

"@srinivas

I don’t think adding complexity to an install is macho. Do you? By all means, make your own Linux distribution, and add that option. Every Ubuntu user has the easy choice of lots of alternative shells and desktop environments, that’s part of the great thing about Ubuntu. Almost everything is one apt-get away, and if something you care about isn’t, it’s an open environment for your to help others get it too, just step up and participate.

As for your other questions… no, I feel no shame in the fact that Ubuntu is built on GNU and Linux. I also don’t think the people behind those initiatives are so insecure as to feel left out when we don’t put their brand in our brand. You, and every other GNU or Linux fanboy knows exactly what’s GNU and what’s Linux, so there is no benefit to shouting it out. New users who may become contributors to those initiatives will quickly figure it out. And we won’t turn off potential users with a flurry of terminology they don’t understand. All in all, Ubuntu’s track record for bringing new users and contributors to GNU, Linux and Debian is very good. I doubt your whining is much of a help in that regard, but perhaps I’m mistaken and I’d gladly stand corrected if you have facts to back it up.

As for thanking other communities, yes, we do that, all the time in many ways. Lots of those communities work hard to make sure their stuff is fully and properly reflected in Ubuntu as a result. I don’t think you have any point here, other than perhaps to try and be mean and a smart-ass. You succeed admirably on two out of three counts: mean, and an ass.

Mark"

My reply

"@ Mark

Everything is not apt-get away. It has to be brought to that stage by hundreds/thousands of developers. shooing me away by comments which are not “filtered” will not make everything else right.

Come on Mark, Now, who is insecure. U are facing the insecurity of losing new “customers” for ur operating system. As for us “fan boys” we will always fight for “powered by GNU/Linux” label to appear wherever it is used. Suddenly u seem to be upset by the word GNU/Linux. Dont forget that your product aint anything except GNU/Linux unless u develop all the userland and the kernel urself."

Please do continue showing ur “mean” side to the world. I am happy that I have succeeded in exposing that.


I would now like to draw ur attention to this blog http://www.networkworld.com/community/defective-by-design-lacks-traction. It is very clear that FSF's GNU efforts need some traction in terms of cash. I would call upon all the commercial distros to give back to the source. All the commercial distros are taking the source in public domain and in GPL very lightly. They are taking it as granted. They dont want free software evangelists to increase in numbers. They reach this milestone by telling that users are normally dumb and they dont prod deep. If GNU/* is added to the product name, it will create curiosity in the user and will definitely follow the links. This would help FSF enormously in its endeavors.