[LAD] Releasing source code is not enough, I think...

karl at aspodata.se karl at aspodata.se
Tue Jan 21 08:44:45 UTC 2014


Filipe Coelho:
> I think we should stop assuming releasing source code is enough.

I take the stand that releasing source code is enought.

There are lots of tools in any standard distribution to make that 
source into binaries. New users have to learn that, it is a fundamental 
part of linux-at-large and similar systems, i.e. the free-software-movement.

> [GNU/] Linux

(Note, linux proper is just the kernel, what you mean is a installed 
distribution.)

> is getting more user friendly,

No, linux-at-large is more and more getting in the way of the local 
administrator, forcing one to install more and more stuff that might 
not be wanted, with big userspace things like gnome making distruptive
changes -- that is not user friendliness.

> and most users are not able 
> to compile software,

This is where education comes in.

If people want to use ms-windows or macos-x, they take courses for that.
Why not educate yourself when you come to us ?
Why should we care for the "lazy" people ?

> plus some distributions make it specially hard (debian, ubuntu, fedora, 
> opensuse) by having the libs installed but not the headers.

If you go the distribution route, don't forget that their maintainers 
find ways to make their job easier.

So for debian you do apt-get build-dep <package_name> for a given 
package. Yes, for random sources you have to hunt down the dependancies,
but you have to do that for binaries to.

> Releasing software on windows or mac, even open-source, *always* comes 
> in a binary,
> and most users come from there.

Microsoft and Apple dictate user interfaces, if people comes to us, why
do you believe they want the same relationship ?

For the arguments sake, I say:

People coming to Microsoft have to learn the Microsoft way, ditto 
Apple. People coming to the free-software-movement has to learn it's 
ways, and one fundamental thing here is source code.

Regards,
/Karl Hammar

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