Public Domain Python

[Grant Griffin]

In article <IYqw5.1846$94.386123 at ptah.visi.com>, ge at nowhere.none says...
>
>In article <39C1D17A.13030BE at seebelow.org>, Grant Griffin wrote:
>>Grant Edwards wrote:
>>> 
>>...
>>> I've been doing real-time embedded software for 15+ years, and I just
>>> finished my first project using 100% open-source development tools.  My
>>> experience is that open source tools completely outclass commercial tools in
>>> every respect.  Better tools, better service, better documentation.
>>
>>Evidently you've never tried to run CygWin on Windows. <wink>
>
>Well, I live in Unix-land, but I just spent about two weeks
>setting up a complete Cygwin/gcc/gdb-insight/eCos development
>environment for ARM7 embedded work under NT for another
>division to use (complete with printed manuals for everything
>and a CD that almost installs itself).  I was quite impressed
>with my work. 

I am too. :-)

But the fact that someone who is experienced in that stuff needed two weeks to
do it suggests that those of us who aren't particularly Unix-literate and aren't
particularly GNU-literate (config.in, etc.) don't stand a chance.

Over the last few years, I've tried to get CygWin running several times, usually
wasting 1-2 days on each unsuccessful attempt.  I've had some success installing
the binaries, but I haven't ever gotten very far in having it rebuild itself
from scratch.

But since Windows is a highly standardized system (it has to be: otherwise it
would never work to ship software as binaries), I always wonder after the second
day of frustration what sort of computers and operating system those _Cygnus_
guys are using to build the CygWin system: evidently it isn't Windows. <wink>

>The day after I shipped the whole thing (along
>with two prototype platforms) management decided that they
>wanted that division to do WinCE on StrongARM instead.  Aaargh.

(Be glad you had only two weeks invested in it. ;-)

...
>Exactly -- open source works best for things where the users
>and the producers are the same group.
>
>>Users of Windows currently are the largest single category of
>>software users, yet "free software" (in the GNU sense) does not
>>cater to them whatesover.  Why?  Because "free software" (in
>>the GNU sense) is written for producers, and those producers
>>mostly use some form of Unix.
>
>It also means that Unix users who have a different set of tasks
>to perform than the open-source-producers don't get any
>open-source tools for those tasks.  Open source will always be
>strongest in the areas that interest programmers (e.g.
>languages: lots and lots of different language implimentations).

Good point.  For example, I think there's a GNU chess program--but there isn't a
GNU "Monopoly" program. <wink>

(Which reminds me: isn't it about time for Stallman and his friends to write one
of those "Home Lawyer" programs?  ;-)

>Things that programmers don't find interesting or don't need to
>do aren't going to get open-source tools for them, unless
>somebody with money decides to fund the project for whatever
>reason (e.g. Sun and StarOffice -- not to start a discussion of
>whether StarOffice is really "open" or not).
>
>In the linux newsgroups at any point in time there are several
>threads going on like this:
>
>     NewUser:  Why isn't there an application for X?
>     
>LinuxHackers:  We don't to need to do X.
>
>     NewUser:  But I do need to do X, and I have to run Windows
>               to do it.
>  
>LinuxHackers:  Then write an application to do X.  Nobody's
>               stopping you.
>               
>     NewUser:  I don't know how to program.
>     
>LinuxHackers:  You should learn, then write the application
>               you want.
>               
>     NewUser:  I don't want to write programs, I just want to
>               use them.
>               
>LinuxHackers:  Then go back to Windows.

Yup.  I think the moral of the story here is "Software 'freedom' is mostly for
the elite."  ;-)

feudalistic-ly y'rs,

=g2

_____________________________________________________________________

Grant R. Griffin                                       g2 at dspguru.com
Publisher of dspGuru                           http://www.dspguru.com
Iowegian International Corporation            http://www.iowegian.com