Writer tells Penguinistas to chill on closed source

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Jul. 16, 2008

A Datamation editorial by Matt Hartley argues that Linux purists should quit complaining about closed-source code and get on with their lives. Boycotts against vendors such as nVidia that refuse to disclose source code for their drivers will only make software companies think twice about supporting Linux, he maintains.

Hartley's editorial, called "Closed Source vs. Open Source in Desktop Linux," points out that closed source software is more prevalent in the Linux world than most Penguinistas would like to admit. Often, he says, there's a double standard: nVidia gets vilified while Skype is generally given a pass. The reason, he says, is that the pervasive Skype is so far superior to widely bundled Linux alternatives like "Ekiga" that even the purists tend to lower their standards and go with Skype. In some cases, there is no real open-source alternative, he suggests, as with wireless drivers.

Despite the uproar over the nVidia drivers, Hartley says he has personally had no serious problems using them, and found nVidia's support to be helpful. "Mysteriously, Linux developers have been able to make things work on their end despite this issue with the licensing behind the current closed source NVIDIA driver," he writes. "Don't get me wrong, I would love to see NVIDIA open up the drivers as much as the next guy. However, seeing Linux purists calling out for a boycott against a vendor who is indeed supporting the Linux platform is simply begging for future repercussions yet to surface."

Such uprisings only reinforce negative stereotypes about Linux developers, Hartley continues, while providing fuel to software executives who argue against supporting Linux. "Linux developers are largely considered to be a royal pain in the backside by the closed source world," he adds.

Hartley goes on to debunk the belief that including closed-source elements in open-source applications can violate the open-source sanctity of the Linux kernel. The kernel "has safeguards in place to ensure that it will never cross streams with code that is not licensed with an open source license," he writes. "There can never truly be a real threat to Linux as we know it."

In conclusion, Hartley suggests that Penguinistas just need to accept that the world is not ideal. "I would love to see each challenge presented to the Linux platform tackled head on by open source software whenever possible," he writes. "However, when you live in a world of patented MP3s, encrypted DVDs, 3D-accelerated ready driver modules, and a wrapper for closed source Windows wireless drivers, you soon realize that closed source remains very real."

The full Datamation article should be available here

-- Eric Brown

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Use of this site is governed by our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Except where otherwise specified, the contents of this site are copyright © 1999-2008 Ziff Davis Enterprise Holdings Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Ziff Davis Enterprise is prohibited. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.