A concise answer would be:
It's about making it easier for the makers of proprietary server
software to create an easy-to-install product. To them, United Linux is
a single platform for them to support and promote.
Why(not so concise):
1. The new United Linux is aimed at servers NOT desktops (where it's
actually needed but not likely to make money).
2. Servers using Open Source software won't benefit much from a LSB
compliant distro. Most Linux servers in business (i.e. money paying)
organizations have an administrator who knows how to a) install from
source, or b) choose the correct distribution rpm or deb.
3. That leaves businesses with servers using proprietary software
(think Oracle, etc). The managers there would just love to see a single
supported Linux distro that all the makers of expensive, proprietary,
and formally supported software say is compatible with their product.
The makers of such proprietary will love having a single platform to
support instead of the mixed bag they have to contend with now.
However, I believe that if the makers of proprietary server software are
successful targeting United Linux, then we may see United Linux become a
standard that makers of proprietary DESKTOP Linux software (whenever
that becomes real) will rally behind.
Good or Bad? For those who use open source software it's irrelevant.
For those who buy or sell software to run on Linux, it's a good thing.
Ed.
Anita Pesola wrote:
> I just read this. Here's the article....I would like opinions as to
> whether this is good or bad. If you can't read it, let me know because I
> cut and pasted the article. :-)
>
> Linux Vendors Announce Plans to Unite
>
> By MATTHEW FORDAHL
> AP Technology Writer
>
> SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Four Linux companies announced plans Thursday
> to create a common business version of the open source operating system.
> Industry leader Red Hat, however, was not among them.
>
> Caldera International, Turbolinux, SuSE and Conectiva will jointly
> develop the distribution called UnitedLinux and sell it, by the end of
> the year, under their own brand names.
>
> Previously, each company released its own flavor of the operating system
> and, for the most part, software designed for Linux usually ran on all
> distributions with minor tweaking.
>
> The group -- also called UnitedLinux -- hopes to speed further business
> adoption of Linux by releasing a single version that will be supported
> by all. The companies will fund joint research and development.
>
> North Carolina-based Red Hat, which now sells about 50 percent of Linux
> software, has launched its own alliance with various other software and
> hardware companies.
>
> Ransom Love, chief executive of Caldera, said Red Hat and other major
> distributors have been invited to join. Mark de Visser, Red Hat's vice
> president of marketing, said his company has made no decision.
>
> ``We are not sure what to make of it, because they called us yesterday
> and have been working on it for four months,'' he said. ``We cannot join
> anything we don't understand.''
>
> In a survey of 800 companies in North America and Western Europe, about
> 40 percent said they were either using or testing Linux in their
> organizations, according to the research firm IDC.
>
> Linux, a derivative of Unix created by Finnish college student Linus
> Torvalds, is developed by a community of programmers around the world.
> Its source code is shared and freely available.
>
> Though individual companies charge for the operating system, tech
> support and services, versions can be downloaded legally for free on the
> Internet. Many companies and governments have turned to Linux as a
> low-cost alternative to Microsoft Corp.'s Windows operating systems.
>
> ``You can't help but compete against Microsoft,'' Love said. ``When
> someone is trying to be all things to all people, you can't help but
> bump into them. ... I think this does provide a feasible business
> alternative.''
>
> ------
>
>
>
>
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