04.28.11
Attachmate and Mono
Summary: Novell is polluting GNU/Linux with Microsoft software that is also a target for patent litigation; it is not known what Novell’s acquirer is going to do with it
What does Attachmate (AttachMSFT) plan to do with Mono and Moonlight? We do not know because the subject is barely discussed. The same goes for OpenSUSE, which is not the same as SLE*.
Now that “Novell Sale to Attachmate [is] Completed”, the CEO of AttachMSFT just mentions SUSE and proprietary software. To quote IDG: “In an interview on Wednesday afternoon, Attachmate CEO Jeff Hawn noted Suse would be its own separate business unit under the Attachmate umbrella, as would Novell: “We’re making Suse its own business unit so it’ll be on par with the other three business units.” The other two include the Attachmate and NetIQ business units, all under the auspices of the Attachmate Group.”
Does anybody know what happens to Mono? Will AttachMSFT’s CEO treat is like he treats bison? We searched the Web for answers and the first result we found was from Microsoft. There is a new Mono audiocast aptly called “Monkey Talk” (first episode features a Microsoft MVP) and it sure looks like Novell’s work on GNOME only yields a lot of Mono software, which spreads further to other distributions, even the new Ubuntu (11.04). This includes the Novell-developed patent trap known as Banshee 2.0 (now with extra Microsoft patent infringements and Microsoft code) and another project which is developed by a person from Novell gets promoted here today. It ends with:
If Mono isn’t a problem and the GIMP is a little complicated for you, then you’ll probably like Pinta.
But Mono is a problem. Ask Canonical's CTO. Having given its patents to Microsoft, Novell should be treated with disdain, not mere caution. █
J.H. said,
April 28, 2011 at 3:57 pm
Pinta? What the heck is that?
GIMP really isn’t complicated at all, it’s just a little odd until you get used to it.
Dumb question, maybe you can answer for me – why is it that Mono seems to be targeted at mostly Gnome? You don’t see these mono based apps being made for KDE, for example.
Dr. Roy Schestowitz Reply:
April 28th, 2011 at 4:04 pm
It is probably at least in part because of IDEs and bindings. See for example:
http://techrights.org/2008/11/30/mono-tries-to-enter-kde/
http://techrights.org/2009/03/18/qyoto-problem-qt-kde-mono/
http://techrights.org/2008/02/17/kde-mono-binding-osuse-live-cd/
http://techrights.org/2008/08/14/mono-sneaks-into-kde/
twitter Reply:
April 28th, 2011 at 11:14 pm
I suspicious of “desktop unification” efforts where people advocate KDE change to be more like Gnome. KDE’s strength is it’s own coherent expression of a desktop. Separating web browsing from file management by making Dolphin a stand alone application instead of a kpart is an example of a frustrating change in KDE that is supposed to make things easier for some fictional naive user. Microsoft TEs enjoy the confusion and flame wars “unification” creates and will probably try to push mono binding to add fuel to the fire. There’s no better way to stir up trouble than to senselessly demand uniformity. Diversity is a free software strength.