[oi-dev] [illumos-Developer] OpenIndiana and illumos, part 2

[Jose-Marcio Martins da Cruz]

Sorry, I'm comenting a digest...

oi-dev-request at openindiana.org wrote:

> Message: 4
> Date: Thu, 18 Nov 2010 12:42:00 -0800
> From: Garrett D'Amore <garrett at damore.org>
> To: Albert Lee <trisk at opensolaris.org>
> Cc: OpenIndiana Developer mailing list <oi-dev at openindiana.org>,
> 	Discussions related to development of Illumos
> 	<developer at lists.illumos.org>
> Subject: Re: [oi-dev] [illumos-Developer] OpenIndiana and illumos,
> 	part 2
> Message-ID: <1290112920.101879.178.camel at thinkpad>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
> 
> 
> Thanks for helping to make my goals clear, Albert.
> 
> Let me elucidate a bit more.
> 
> I'm specifically not interested in distro that attempts to rehash what
> Oracle is doing, or one who's sole benefit is a more liberal license
> than what Oracle provides.  For a variety of technical reasons, I don't
> even think such a distribution is *possible* -- at least not without the
> complete source code (and the right to use it!) for all of Oracle's
> Solaris code.
> 
> I *do* need a distribution that is more closely aligned with the goals
> of illumos, which includes significant innovation.  Today there is
> nothing filling that gap properly.  I'm happy to have OpenIndiana be
> that distribution, but some changes in the way OI runs itself (and more
> specifically in what OI drives for) are required to get there.  If I see
> that OI is interested in filling that role and willing to make the
> necessary changes, then I'm willing to invest resources to help.
> 
> However, if OI wants to remain truly independent of illumos, and still
> wants to aim for compatibility with Oracle Solaris, or OpenSolaris, as a
> primary goal, even at the cost of innovation in illumos, then I don't
> think OI can fill the needs of illumos.  In which case I need to invest
> elsewhere, even if it first seems like a duplication of effort.
> 
> Let me spell this out a bit more clearly.  There are large financial
> motivators behind illumos, and a number of us have staked not just our
> spare time but our entire careers and in some cases our businesses on
> this bet.  So, we're going to see our goals through, one way or the
> other.  The question is whether OI is going to come along for the ride,
> or be left behind.
> 
> If that sounds a bit melodramatic, then I'm sorry, but I do think its
> important the folks involved in deciding the future of OI understand
> what's at stake from illumos' perspective.  This is far more than a part
> time hobby thing.
> 
> 	- Garrett

I could eventually some day contribute as a developper, but I don't have time 
presently. So, I comment just as a "Solaris user". Just a common user point of 
view, but I think I'm not the only guy to think this way.

Illumos and OpenIndiana are a nice opportunity for people who don't want to follow 
Oracle strategy : as an OS which potentially can replace Solaris 10 and beyond.

I don't worry about future compatilibility with Solaris 11, 12 and beyond. This 
isn't the problem. What I need is an option to migrate away from Oracle Solaris.

I imagine that Illumos and OpenIndiana will, no doubt about, slowly drift away 
from Solaris.

There are two kind of efforts to be done : to be able to provide a robust 
distribution, and be able to inovate.

 From Sun times, there where many things which come from Sun research : NFS, NIS, 
ZFS, zones, ... So to be able to continue to create new things, instead of just 
reimplementing things created by others, you should invest in some research, or 
have some big company behind (not hard to imagine what kind of company could be) 
supporting Illumos/Openindiana.

The hard point is that the number of current solaris users is far below the number 
of linux users.

I hope Illumos and OpenIndiana will succed to find your way... ;-)

Best

Jose-Marcio

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