02.24.09
Novell Enables Microsoft Distributions
MIGUEL de Icaza is gloating over something called CoyoteLinux, which has been obscure. He claims that it chose Mono for administration tools.
Interesting find: Coyote Linux -a firewall in a box- configuration of Linux is using Mono and ASP.NET for its admin tools.
While de Icaza wants to portray this as an example of developers choosing Mono, it’s important to understand why such choices are made. Here is a post from the person behind this project, who already has an interest in Windows. He writes: “I am currently working to get a test cluster online using Windows 2008 Datacenter x64 with SQL2005 Enterprise x64.”
It seems safe to suggest that many of those who choose Mono tend to favour Microsoft technologies in general and to begin with. “Also, it’s tied to MSVC, which is definitely not FOSS,” points out Balrog.
This is not a safe route to take.
What Novell does with Mono was explained by Charles Hixson yesterday. To quote a portion:
So the Novell agreement with MS didn’t offer the community ANY protection. They just pretended that it did. That was the foundation of my distrust of Novell. It also allowed Novell to slip MS technologies into it’s code without danger to itself (as long as it adhered to certain practices…unless the secret parts meant that it didn’t even need to do that). So the only people in danger were the ones who used Novell systems to build their code. Or otherwise adopted the MS technologies which Novell suddenly started pushing more actively.
There is a safe to test to apply whenever Mono is chosen; Is it chosen for merits, for familiarity (existing habits) or for tendencies going in Microsoft's favour? █
Victor Soliz said,
February 24, 2009 at 10:59 am
The guy needs Visual Studio 2008 to deploy Linux apps sounds like Icaza’s and MS’ joint dream come true.
HH said,
February 24, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Another propaganda from this guy…
Get a life man, I mean it.
Needs Sunlight said,
February 25, 2009 at 3:43 am
@HH: de Icaza hasn’t gotten a life during the last decade, he’s not about to suddenly go out and get one now. Really the bes thing he could do now, is just withdraw from computing all together.
Joshua Jackson said,
February 25, 2009 at 5:19 am
I don’t need VS2008 to deploy Linux apps. If you take the time to read over my initial comments or look over the past history of Coyote Linux (which goes back to 1998), I have always supported a mixed environment for both my development and the software I offer.
Coyote Linux, which has well in excess of 2 million downloads, has from day one included support for both Windows and Linux for the purposes of setting up the Linux system.
My reasons for using Mono are detailed here: http://coyotelinux.com/2009/01/coyote-linux-design-philosophies/
I am using mono because I work in, develop for and support multi OS environments. Take Windows out of my day to day life and I couldn’t pay my bills… and, no, I don’t lose any sleep over it.
One item not mentioned in the blog post is that I have always used a cross platform language as part of my development process. Prior to Coyote Linux 4, my development efforts have always included Delphi / Object Pascal and PHP. Delphi was used for both the Windows configuration utilities and was used to create binaries for Linux. I initially used Borland Kylix, but when they dropped support for the product, I went searching for another cross-platform option. I settled on C#. Like it or not, that is what I prefer to code in and provides me with RAD (rapid application development) that works for both Linux and Windows.
I manage several Linux and Windows based servers. When properly managed, both OS’s prove to be very reliable and perform very well for the tasks I choose them for. The fact that people can’t or are too lazy to take the time to learn how to manage and maintain the equipment they are using does not deter me from using something myself.
I am a Linux distro author, but I am not a zealot. If someone doesn’t like my choice of development tools, languages, etc – that’s their opinion and they are entitled to it. I am not insisting that anyone use the tools I develop. Most of these tools are actually developed for my company’s use – I release them for others to use. 10 years, a couple million downloads, and 40,000 forums posts later, there must be at least a few people out there that don’t mind my development choices.
Dan O'Brian said,
February 25, 2009 at 5:39 pm
C# is also on the rise as far as market share and other areas of growth go, it’s already surpassed Java (which is on the decline):
http://radar.oreilly.com/2009/02/state-of-the-computer-book-mar-22.html