Corporate Linux and the Community? 13
namelessByChoice asks: "I'm a software developer in a rather large hardware company. We have recently begun using Linux as the OS of choice for in house hardware test equipment. Now since Linux is "free" we don't have to pay licensing fees to anyone, but as a moral obligation we would like to contribute in some way. I'm looking for suggestions on the best way to do this."
"So far we've come up with a few ideas.
- 1. Donate money to FSF.
- 2. Arrange a Licensing scheme with Linux distributor and use their distribution.
- 3. Make an announcement to the media "So and so chooses Linux for mission critical applications".
- 4. Open Source any thing that is not proprietary. By proprietary I mean things that are considered corporate secrets, such as the software that runs the equipment. Anything generic like kernel modifications, drivers, libraries could certainly be released."
LUGs (Score:1)
Another great way to help out the Linux community is to help out with the local LUGs. Give them a place to meet. Speaking from experience, finding a good location is one of the hardest parts of running a LUG
Also encourage your employees to attend, especially your most experienced Linux people. Have them monitor the mailing list and help out newbies. Sponsor an install fest.
The best part is that most employees will find this to be very enjoyable and rewarding.
Re:heh (Score:1)
AIX?
VMS?
Re:heh (Score:1)
--
Re:OK, here we go. (Score:1)
Chris Hagar
Re:Go for licensing with a vendor (Score:1)
Chris Hagar
another idea (Score:1)
that you like but it needs some work.
Then contact the peaple working on it
and ask them what they need.
this is a win win situation you get a better app
they get what they need to produce it:}
and if you dont do anything else make it known
that your company uses and has had success
with it. Hopefully on the senior management
front that is where it will do the most good.
If a geek askes his boss if they can go with a linux solution and
the boss has just talked to someone last week about the success your company
has had with it he/she will be more likely to
allow it to be used.
Number 4 (Score:1)
Donating to the FSF is making a bit more of a political statement than simply doing unto others as they have done to you (they let you use their software so you let them use yours).
Re:heh (Score:1)
That would be email. Seriously though, Linux can be pretty secure if the admin knows what he or she is doing. That's a big if.
How to help? (Score:1)
Re:LUGs (Score:1)
A good idea. How about looking for other local projects (which could be LUG-related), such as getting free software into local schools (they may appreciate hardware as well!). I'm investigating a project along these lines myself, so many schools know only M$, but see little reason for things to be otherwise.
-Derwen
Re:Go for licensing with a vendor (Score:2)
How in tarnish could setting up a licensing/support/partnership with a Linux distributor be 'bad'? This provides a channel for the company work work through with their Linux needs, strengthening their experience with Linux. It strengthens the Linux distributor because they have customers. customers is good. So it's a win, win situation all around.
Can you imagine Microsoft claiming that having companies license Windows 2000 from them is 'negative'?
-BrentGo for licensing with a vendor (Score:2)
-Brent
OK, here we go. (Score:2)
That's a good idea, or you could channel money directly to others you know could use it. Like if you use Debian's distro, just send them some money (check their web site, they have details on how to contribute money).
Another good idea along these lines is to donate used equipment (or better yet, new equipment). As most businesses have some machines laying around that will never get used again, and this could be a big help to the right project.
Another good idea. But I (and maybe others) would be interested in how you mean this. Are you talking about paying a certain amount of each sale to them to 'license' their distro for each device you sell? Or is there some other arrangement you are talking about?
This is an excellent idea no matter what else you end up doing. Our company uses Linux on all of our workstations and we have put prominent "We support Linux" sort of messages on our web site and even some of our literature. And here's the kicker, we are a cabinet company!.
OK, be careful on this one. Anything generic like kernel modifications (if you are modifying existing code) has to be released (nature of the current license for using the kernel). A driver doesn't have to be released as GPL if it is loaded as a module. And unless you modify an existing library you should be able to keep your 'new' libraries to yourself. But any other 'generic' things have to be released if you base them on previously GPLed code.
However, I applaud the idea of releasing whatever else you can as GPL or at least as open source software. It's too bad more companies don't feel any sort of 'moral obligation' when 'given' something free of charge that helps them.
Good luck to you.