Debian/W32 (was Re: BAD recap)

[Karsten M. Self]

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on Sat, Jan 12, 2002 at 12:30:04AM -0800, Alan DuBoff (aland@softorchestra.=
com) wrote:
> On Thursday 10 January 2002 10:07 am, Robin Rowe wrote:
>=20
> > Not everyone agreed when I suggested that it would be good to
> > encourage and support Windows ports of open source software (the
> > topic of my current article in Linux Journal). Some thought Windows
> > ports should be deliberately unsupported by OSS projects as a snub
> > to Microsoft, or that working with Windows programmers or users was
> > too unpalatable to consider anyway.
>=20
> You have to admit, discussing Windows at a Bay Area Debian meeting is lik=
e=20
> trying to sell dog $#!T at a lawn party!

I'm not so sure of that.  Two reasons:

  - There are people who will consider such work worthwhile.  I'm not
    going to say they can't do that.  How involved Debian's got to be
    with this is an open question, but is a W32 port really all that
    different from, say, supporting ARM or Mips?

  - From the strategic standpoint, incrementalism works to free
    software's favor.  Availability of free software on the Win32
    platform makes possible trialling of aspects of the GNU/Linux
    experience.  Realizing that legacy MS Windows systems outnumber
    GNU/Linux ones 20:1, it's a nice leverage of our codebase.  My
    feeling is that the advantages of free software will be made more
    accessible this way, and that the appeal of a completely free
    solution will be stronger once a small sip is taken.

Peace.

--=20
Karsten M. Self <kmself@ix.netcom.com>        http://kmself.home.netcom.com/
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