Date: Sat, 6 Jun 1998 23:51:40 -0400 (EDT)
From: Evan Leibovitch <evan@telly.org>
To: Linux Business Mailing List <linux-biz@lege.com>
Subject: [linux-biz] Linux, Uniforum, and standards

Three URLs of interest:

1) The Gartner Group report on free Unix at
   http://advisor.gartner.com/inbox/articles/ihl2_6398.html essentially
   says that Linux is great for internet servers and other non-critical
   work; it poses no threat to commercial Unix vendors for the foreseeable
   future

2) A Uniforum PR piece describing The Open Group's new overtures to Linux
   http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/980529/uniforum_a_2.html

3) The "Linux Weekly News", and its conspiracy theory regarding the
   above Uniforum press release, are at http://www.lwn.net


Methinks that Eric Raymond and the LWN writers ascribe far too much
forward thinking to Unix vendors than actually exists. 

My own spin on Linux and standards; I don't think the Linux world cares a
whit about whether it's "official Unix" certified or not. Its players
certainly won't pay any of TOG's ransoms -- the only attempt to date, the
abortive "lasermoon" project to produce an SUS-conformant Linux, burned
its players so badly that nobody will likely ever retrace that route.

IMO the TOG move is simply an act of desparation in order to remain
relevant; the growing popularity of Linux erodes its "we are Unix" stance
more each day. If Linux can't be co-opted into the TOG fold, then the
brand name "UNIX" becomes genericized and unenforcable (sorta like
"kleenex"  or "thermos") and the SUS becomes just *one* Unix standard
instead of *the* Unix standard. The stakes are high to TOG, but the Linux
world can afford to sit back and watch TOG squirm. 

Of course, it didn't help that TOG totally pissed off the free software
community when it commercialized X Windows for the first time, prompting a
"we won't play along, we'll continue on our own path, and we don't need
your blessing" response from those who maintain the freeware
implementation of X (http://www.xfree86.org/news/pr-980407.html). This
kind of "screw you if you're not working in *our* interests" attitude
IMO characterizes the Linux community's approach to imposed standards and
standards bodies.

I see tough times ahead for TOG, which has painted itself into a very
awkward corner. Here we have what should be the most powerful and
authoritative Unix organization, encompassing just about every relevant
Unix standards and advocacy body ever created, yet its very relevance is
challenged by a grassroots movement that threatens to eclipse it from out
of nowhere.

Are we having fun yet?

- Evan



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