Open source advocates often talk about the way that source-code visibility ensures better security and freedom from lock-in, but Zemlin points out that the development model is only part of the story. "You also need 'open standards' that offer the strongest way to ensure multiple, portable, interoperable implementations with fair access to all," he says. "The hidden secret in the world of open source is that without open standards all the promises of freedom are lost."
For this to work it needs the support of distribution vendors as well as ISVs. All the major Linux distributions are now LSB-compliant - about two-thirds of the LSB Certification Register is made up of various Red Hat and SuSE Linux versions. Not so many ISVs are in evidence. That's only to be expected, argues Zemlin. "Our standard - like all standards of this kind - has a common adoption cycle: once distribution vendors pledge their support and then begin certifying to the standard, ISVs begin to pledge their support," he says. "The response from the ISV community is overwhelmingly positive. This will save their organisations millions in development and testing costs."
ISVs of all sizes have something to gain from standardisation. "For large ISVs, even if they do not certify today, they will have a long term [plan] that will insure their Linux investments will be safe," he says. "For small ISVs the LSB presents a new opportunity for them to target Linux in a cost effective way."
A recent FSG survey of about 30 ISVs showed strong support for standardisation -- respondents said their biggest concern was to head off Linux fragmentation. While the survey is confidential, Zemlin says most major Linux application vendors are on the list.
The challenge is to turn that ISV interest into action. "There is lots of momentum around the LSB, with many key players in the industry supporting it, but still not enough active involvement from ISVs certifying their applications," says Dirk Hohndel, director of Linux and open source strategy at Intel, who is a member of the FSG's board of directors.
Partly, this is because ISVs have baseless fears about the cost and complexity around an LSB certification, Hohndel says. But the processes also need to be improved. "[Intel] is working with the key Linux OS vendors to include the LSB build environment and the verification tools in the software development kits, and to offer LSB certification as part of their own ISV certification efforts, to make this step easier for ISVs." Hohndel says. Intel is also providing marketing support, guidance and technical talent to help with implementation work. "After a couple of conversations, most of the ISVs see the significant value that LSB will provide to them in the long run," he says.
For application makers it comes down to a financial decision, according to Red Hat's Carr. "For many ISVs, the issue is of choosing a de facto standard versus a de jure standard. If the LSB is maturing from one release to the next, and Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3 is already established as a de facto standard, they might just choose to port their applications to something that is a known standard," he says. "For ISVs, it's a financial investment to support Linux, and they want the biggest possible return on their investment."
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took there repos down for Ubuntu (I think there back now but they took a few months). I don't think there is a perfect answer,
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Talkback
The same problem could happen with Microsoft as they differentiate their products. After all, so far their current version english of MS-Word can't interoperate flawlessly with localized versions of the same software. If you consider slightly different versions, or other platforms than x86 the situation is even worse.
6 Feb 05 18:13 ReplyIf they can't have their office suite to interoperate with itself how can we expect that various versions of their server software will work together. Not to mention that they simultaneously supports several separate product lines like win2k, win2003 server, XP, and soon Longhorn all slightly different. On top of that we haver various other software such as Exchange, IIS, SQL Server. If you need to upgrade one component, my experience is that you will need to upgrade all the rest, giving lots and lots of headaches.
My guess is that most LInux distros are far more interoperable with themselves and other Linux and unix systems with or without LSB than Microsft manages to be within their own product lines. The GPL factor keepls Linux inline regardless of standards. If one Linux finds some new amazing way of doing things, it will be all over the marketplace as he is required by GPL to share with his competitors.
The only thing that he can keep secret is upgrade and support procedures he runs in his office and it is such difference that makes him competitive, but such differences seldom affects the interoperability of software at the customer location.
At least the licence isn't likely to fork.Once GPLed you are in control of your software. If you go the Microsoft way you can never be sure what licence you end up with. All of a sudden, you download some more or less necessary service pack, and the licence of your entire installation changes.
6 Feb 05 23:44 ReplyNow, so far the licence changes applied with service packs have been quite harmless, but the fact that they do change it is worrying.
Would you buy a car, where you all of a sudden find that after your first service, the passenger seats have been removed and you have to buy specil passenger licences to have them added back. I think not.
I remember Linus Torvalds answer to "The forking question" was "so what".
7 Feb 05 08:42 ReplyThat is, if linux forks there must be some very good and acceptable reason for that to happen.
And there are none, and no demand for that.
In stead there is a strong demand for a standard making life easier for everybody working with linux.
And linux is right now the envolving world standard for supercomputers, embedded devices, consumer electronics,
web-servers, carrier grade, - you name it.
So a standard base for linux is something everybody actively want.
Excuse me?
7 Feb 05 23:19 ReplyQuote: "Now, so far the licence changes applied with service packs have been quite harmless, but the fact that they do change it is worrying."
Very wrong, Sir. There already have been security patches from Microsoft that came with an EULA requiring very demanding, one way deal, terms or else no rights to install the patch.
Here's one example:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2002/06/30/ms_security_patch_eula_gives/
Perhaps people have forgotten how a free market is suppose to work.
7 Feb 05 23:34 ReplyIn a real free market there are no ways to limit consumer choice other then by providing good quality solutions at competitive prices. Should someone not be able to provide that then somebody else will. Thus enabling the 'better species' (Darwin anyone?) to become dominant until the environment (the needs of the masses) changes and the former 'better species' better adapt to the new environment fast enough or some other 'better species' will become dominant (the innovation need for speed).
Since it stands to reason that good interoperability will be part of the demands required from a 'better species' it's fair to say that in a real free market good interoperability will be no problem at all.
And given the free market nature of Open Source today the mechanics of ensuring good interoperability are already in place today.
Not complying to such Darwinian laws would find any Open Source solution sidetracked and quickly replaced by something else that does. Basicly it's a safety mechanism. Even mistakes are quickly minimized (by means of lesser demand) and thus turned into a thing of the past faster then the PR department of a typical company could change it's PR theme.