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Comment Re:Maybe only for limited distributions [Was: Re: (Score 1) 360

Ah... no. For one system --- there is an "open source" software option; and in this open-source I found an annoying bug. The dirty secret with open source, if the bug it isn't on someone "favorite" plate, it's not going to be looked at/fixed. And if I don't know the language that it is written in ... then it won't be fixed.

You have the source. You can determine the language (or pay someone who can). You can pay someone to fix the bug.

The hardware that I'm stuck with is no longer available as 'new' and there are no "modern" drivers as an option. The software cannot migrate (and in one instance the owner of the software is no longer in business)

Which is why I'm advocating (in the future in your case) to not buy these types of systems in the first place. I realise in this case it's after the fact. Maybe next time.

This 'choice' is never offered.

So next time ask for it. There should be little objection. If the company is worried about giving up the source - it's only it they're out of business so no money lost. I also think it's quite reasonable to ask for the source if they effectively discontinue the product. You do have to ask though. Your lawyers and management will likely be on board with at least asking, especially after seeing the consequences this time around. If the vendor is not willing to compromise, make a choice. Either accept the risk (as was done previously - please learn from this) or choose something or someone else who meets your requirements. Or even change your process to not "require" this system. There are ALWAYS choices. They may not be easy or nice, but they are there.

In this case, someone previously chose to use this system. Next time around remind the decision makers about this. They may well choose to ignore you and accept the risk. But they have chosen this option. I'm not denying you're between a rock and a hard place at the moment. I've been there (exact same thing). It sucks. Just try to educate the decision makers about this type of thing in the future.

Comment Re:Maybe only for limited distributions [Was: Re: (Score 1) 360

You misconstrued what I said. If the drivers (software) are open source (eg: in the case of Linux, in the kernel and supported by the kernel dev team), then they will be supportable (essentially) forever. Choose this type of software where possible. Substitute drivers for an application. If the app is open source, it's supportable forever. A decent compromise is an agreement that if the company stops supporting the software without an upgrade path (or goes out of business), it makes the software open source. Have seen that in numerous purchasing contracts. A third party (usually lawyers) hold a copy of the source in escrow.

Granted it's not always offered, but that's my point - it's a choice.

Comment Re:Maybe only for limited distributions [Was: Re: (Score 1) 360

I sympathize, but in the end, it's YOUR fault for buying software and/or hardware that only works on a particular operating system and you don't have the source. There is a perfectly valid reason free software people want drivers to be open sourced. I know, I know - but they don't offer that. Then either choose something else or accept that you're buying into closed source and potentially unsupportable items. It's a choice. People make it. You choose to use this stuff. Even if it feels like you don't have a choice, you do. The choice might even be not to do that thing that requires that particular thing. It's still a choice. If it's for business reasons, it's STILL a choice. Don't do business or do business and use unsupportable items. It's still a choice. You might not like it (which is perfectly normal), but it's still a choice you made.

Comment Re: So completely ass backwards (Score 2) 78

Those like my employer where my present location has 1100 seats. I can't go around installing printer drivers all day or close the company down because we had to move a copier and the installed print driver only works for a specific port.

Reinstalling the driver 1100 times is not an option!

Who has 1100 seats and DOESN'T have some form of automated deployment tool? That sounds like job #1 to me...

Submission + - First steps towards network transparency for Wayland (phoronix.com)

munwin99 writes: For the longest time, when bringing up Wayland a recurring question was "what about network transparency?!" Well, Samsung's Derek Foreman has today published the set of Wayland patches for providing Wayland network transparency by pushing the Wayland protocol over TCP/IP.

Comment Movie (Score 1) 129

Personally I'd love it if Blizzard simply made the WoW movie the same as they do for these trailers. At least we know it's fake (as opposed to dressing up people and using effects to look 'real'), just run with it and make good use of it as they do now.

Comment Re:TPM is all you need. (Score 1) 100

Edz, you just disproved your own point. No normal user I know gives a crap about any of those features. Tech users, yeah, sure. Normal users, no way. NONE of them make the pain and expense of an upgrade worthwhile. Pain because things change and they have to relearn them. Expense because upgrading costs money for the OS and (usually) money to have someone do it for them. Add to that the fact that the press and others have written off the interface (no comment on it from me here) and they see no compelling reason to spend money for something they don't care about and which they have been told is bad.

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