By Linux Today Staff Writer Paul Ferris
Three Words: Legacy NT Systems.
I can’t help feeling the enthusiasm around the show, it’s like
some kind of positive virus catching. One of the things that is
impossible to avoid is the sense of the power of the Linux
community. There is a sense of change in the air that I can’t avoid
talking about. Where Linux may be tomorrow is not important — it’s
here today.
The people here at Linux Expo fall mostly into the technical
category, yet I have run into quite a few people who seem to have
come to find out just what this is all about. And the reactions are
all the same: They are amazed at what is happening. They all talk
about how well the diverse Linux community bolts together.
And I’ve met a lot of people that I didn’t expect to meet.
Donald Becker, the author of numerous network card device drivers.
Jim Gettys, co-author of the X Windows standard. Alan Cox, kernel
hacker extraordinaire. Ransom Love of Caldera systems and Bob Young
of Red Hat software. And the consensus is amazing. These people are
all for the most part thinking the same things.
Which brings me to my next point. Anti-Linux writers talk a lot,
usually in a negative fashion, about so-called “fragmentation” of
the Linux community. Wake up people — I’ll say this loudly and
clearly: Linux is, has, and will be “fragmented”. Stop applying
outdated methodology and thinking to Linux. This is new, and it’s
the wave of the future, and yes, it’s happily fragmented — like a
mosaic is fragmented.
Also like a mosaic, it bolts nicely together to form a beautiful
picture. It’s part of what will make Linux the ultimate power in
the computing community. It’s part of the new community that will
bring the masses over to a new way — to cooperation and
interoperability.
And it’s on this last point I want to stand. Linux is not going
to obsolete things that you are dependent upon. This point is
directed at the IT community that is looking with skepticism and
worry at the arising Linux force. Listen, the Linux community means
to work well, and be a fair player. The Linux community doesn’t
need to be “anti-fragmented” to be of use to your community.
The Linux community doesn’t want it, so it won’t happen.
So, never fear, the community will ease the transition to a new
playing field where everyone gets along, and standards, true ones,
are honored. Linux will be happily fragmented, and even with that
so-called disease, it will work well with your legacy Windows NT
systems.
Legacy Windows NT Systems: Doesn’t that just roll off the
tongue?