Ubuntu Developer Summit report: X.org improvements, driver controversy, and bling (Linux.com)

Ubuntu Developer Summit report: X.org improvements, driver controversy, and bling (Linux.com)

Posted Nov 15, 2006 6:25 UTC (Wed) by k8to (subscriber, #15413)
In reply to: Ubuntu Developer Summit report: X.org improvements, driver controversy, and bling (Linux.com) by thebluesgnr
Parent article: Ubuntu Developer Summit report: X.org improvements, driver controversy, and bling (Linux.com)

Ubuntu has made decision after decision not to choose free software when the free software choice would have involved a little more work for Ubuntu. This includes their primary support tool, their forum, their development support tools, and now their driver set.

Yes, often the free software path would involve more work shouldered by Ubuntu, but the dividends for having all these tools customized to meet their needs would pay off over the years easily, and would help other orgniazations who would pay them back by improving the tools again, and so on, one hand washes the other.

Ubuntu as an organization seems at best weakly commited to the Free Software philosophy. Cynic that I am, I believe they are, as an orgnization, purely opportunistic about it, and shortsightedly at that. There's nothing catastrophic about that. Even a shortsighted, opportunistic company who uses free software can benefit themselves and the free software community, but there is something I find difficult to respect about the strong disconnect between what they preach and what they practice.

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