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View Full Version : What hinders open source development



shof2k
April 20th, 2006, 03:07 PM
Hi folks.
Having been with Ubuntu through 3 generations (and eagerly awaiting the fourth), I was impressed with the overall improvement in ubuntu in each release.

This made me wonder if the stereotype of opensource development as chronically being cash strapped and resource lacking is really true?

Does the community need more money (for peoples time, equipment etc) or more people (developers, testers, users etc) or a more formal way of directing resource at potential weak areas?

All comments from the ubuntu great and the good welcome!!

mostwanted
April 20th, 2006, 03:25 PM
The one thing that hinders open source is hardware with proprietary drivers and closed specs. Reverse-engineering can be successful at times, see WINE or the recently reverse-engineered broadcom drivers for the wifi chipsets used in Apple's notebooks, but usually it's a lengthy and dire process.

New graphics card drivers from Nvidia an ATI are not open source unfortunately. That's definitely going to be more of an issue in the future.

shof2k
April 20th, 2006, 06:11 PM
Interesting point. I know that linux binary drivers are available, but there is no reason for them to be closed source. If they were open, there is a good chance the community could actively improve them.

My post was focused on the type of resources the community needed, but this should also be an area to promote opening of the source.

nalmeth
April 20th, 2006, 06:22 PM
This has been discussed a lot, but should be discussed more anyway.
Open source needs MORE PEOPLE TO USE IT.
Hardware/Games manufacturers aren't going to help anyone out from of the goodness of their heart's. They need a viable market to start developing products and services for.
It needs sunlight and water (money) to grow.
Linux THRIVES from attention. It needs to be in the discussion.
Ubuntu is opening up that can I think.

Stormy Eyes
April 20th, 2006, 09:04 PM
The programmers need hookers 'n blow.

nalmeth
April 20th, 2006, 09:29 PM
The programmers need hookers 'n blow.
Yes.
The difficulty seems to be in collecting and securing it, and transporting and distributing it through dedicated channels.
Once this process becomes efficient and standardized, I think we will see OSS development skyrocket.

shof2k
April 20th, 2006, 10:02 PM
You might need to wait for apt-get hookers, just don't forget your antivirus :)

briancurtin
April 21st, 2006, 02:48 AM
in a way, people to work on projects is hindering it. there are things at higher levels that are holding open source development back more, but the people are important. i cant even put a number on how many threads ive read on various boards about "hey this application should do this!" or "our distro should have this" and then theres a 12 page thread on what should happen and what will happen, and who will do it, and then nothing comes out of it.

great strides have been made around here and around linux, just that things could be better if there were more to work on things that get talked about.

MetalMusicAddict
April 21st, 2006, 03:43 AM
The programmers need hookers 'n blow.
Who doesnt? ;)

Besides the closed nature of hardware and drivers I think money is also a stumbling block. Some people who work on great projects do so in their spare time and have real jobs also. Along with families to support.

I wish I had "Shuttleworth" money so I could spread it around. Not that he's doin' a bad job. :)

briancurtin
April 21st, 2006, 04:12 AM
i wish i had "shuttleworth" money to keep it all to myself and buy cars and houses

Sef
April 21st, 2006, 10:18 AM
Also too is that OEMs like Dell, HP, etc, don't put it on their systems. If they did, it would raise the amount of computers that had nonmicrosoft operating systems on them.