You might know Lindows as the company behind an aggressively marketed OS based on Linux and KDE. Indeed, LindowsOS is shipped on certain Wal-Mart PC offerings and the company has won huge contracts for LindowsOS machine deployments. You might also know Lindows as a sponsor of the ever popular KDE-Look.org community site.
Well, Lindows was in the Netherlands on Dec 8th to show its support in a situation where a certain large software powerhouse has apparently been attempting to intimidate local LindowsOS resellers. Sure enough, KDE Dot News took the chance to meet Michael Robertson for
an interview and chat about KDE and Lindows. Wait a minute. Was that Konqi in one of those pictures?
KDE Dot News Interviews Lindows CEO Michael Robertson
What role does KDE play for Lindows?
How is a 60-person company going to compete? We need allies. There is a very low cost
development team out there who are helping us. We need KDE to be successful because we are
very dependant on that project.
What were your reasons for choosing KDE over other available desktops?
It has a more familiar UI than GNOME. It is more comfortable for a Microsoft user.
We are very happy with the rate of speed at which KDE develops. I admire the KDE team.
What do you like most about KDE.
The pace at which the project is moving. Also its desktop friendly features.
But most importantly we like the community behind KDE.
What do you like least about KDE.
We would like to use exclusively KDE applications because that would give us the most
consistent interface. For example File-Open dialogs in OpenOffice are different with the
one found in Mozilla or the standard KDE "File-Open" dialog. We need consistency!
We need integration!
Mozilla is a richer experience than Konqueror (at least back
then when we made some choices about which browser to use in LindowsOS).
There are always going to be other projects. Does the KDE project replicate
efforts? KDE does not always have the best application. So we need more integration.
Could you tell us somewhat more about the work that Lindows has done to
integrate KDE in their products? Has this been a difficult process?
Not that difficult, it is pretty easy to make changes. We invested some time during our
3.0 release to implement changes we could easily adapt to newer future KDE versions.
So this is very generic code. Our technology has to make it easy to incorporate new
technology.
How does Lindows support the KDE community?
We currently support all our open source partners at www.msfreepc.com.
We support KDE in as many ways as we can. All code will be published back to the
community (except for Click-N-Run). A lot of changes are not feature changes but more
or less "default features".
How are we going to help KDE? We will look at sponsoring projects on a case by case basis.
We bring marketing to the KDE community, often overlooked by technical people. By building
marketing channels, building resellers, this will make KDE stronger. Marketing and business
development are major obstacles preventing widespread KDE adoption. There are definitely
no technical shortcomings of the KDE desktop. It is not just about technology but from shifting
style in the business of software. From
selling packaged software to selling services.
But what is the impact of KDE on the economics? How is KDE going to impact 90% of the world who use KDE but don't give back to KDE? KDE will
impact the business of software. For desktop linux software to gain wider adoption, it needs support of
OEMs, resellers and retailers. The economics have to make sense for
these companies to invest their time, resources and shelf space. There
must be a way for them to generate profits from it. The problem with
saying "all software is free" is that it removes the economic incentive
for these companies to work with desktop linux and they will not support
it.
LindowsOS is going to move
the industry. We want to move the business to a service model instead of a package model.
We are basically selling you the delivery of software instead of the different components.
We are working directly with motherboard and laptop manufacturers to let the LindowsOS
work with that hardware. I believe it needs some successful software companies based around
KDE who are willing to make investments with hardware manufacturers.
Look at KDE in a broader vision. Verifying software is one thing, but "hardware validation" is the
key. Once the hardware IS validated you also need retailers.
LindowsOS recently announced a large deployment in Canada, can you tell
more about that?
We have deployed 30.000 desktops. These are so called webstations similar to
Knoppix, which is very easy in maintenance. They were impressed with LindowsOS
and decided to go with us.
What kind of users is LindowsOS targeting?
We target the mass market. By that we not only mean the home user but also small
to medium sized business. Basically anyone who is cost conscious.
How do users switching from Microsoft Windows to LindowsOS perceive
that switch?
We have hands-on experience. All our staff are using our own distribution (we eat our own dogfood). So when
they are working with LindowsOS we have a good notion of how some former MS users perceive
LindowsOS.
We have hired several power users who are keeping good contact with the community. These guys
interface with insiders (like Beta testers) and they get info from these insiders about
how they perceive LindowsOS.
Where would you like to see the future of KDE go,
and what new features would you like to see in future releases?
We encourage KDE to look at incorporating services in KDE rather than
standalone applications. We think the future of OS is based around services.
The lines between operating systems and services will blur. People are using (Internet) services. Those
services need to be incorporated in the OS. So how does KDE make sure that it
interacts better than any other desktop environment out there?
Some people have been predicting a Linux breakthrough on the desktop
for some years now. Do you think 2004 is going to be THE year?
I think I have to say "yes" because I run a Linux company. We are missing
a key thing: "retail distribution"! When retail distribution happens that will
be the time things will really take off. I don't know about 2004. I think so yes?
I noticed that the old man Bill featured in
Lindows latest commercial.
Do you still expect to get a Christmas card from Bill this year?
If I get one, it will have 2 lawsuits stapled to it.
Comments
Given that there are retailers being sued for carrying Lindows CD's, I guess it's available in some shops -- I think the vicinity of Enschede was mentioned. Don't think there are Lindows PC's, and I've never seen the CD's myself, but then, I used to be a SuSE user, now slowly migrating to Debian.
Anyway, this makes this conversation on the train even more remarkable: one year ago, the CEO of a Dutch company selling Windows software had already heard of Lindows and was considering using it as a platform for his security software.
Enschede, it's close to the border but very difficult to be reached by train.
OS diffusion: Sell Lindows in a coffee shop to win the european market :-)
Debian/Suse, this is what we run here. Lindows seems to be a less attractive solution. however Mr. Robertson, open a Office in Europe, we like KDE :-)
This Dutch company sells pre-installed LindowsOS-machines:
http://www.dvcs.nl/
Hbasic?
http://hbasic.sf.net
also with dotgnu bindings, so when VB.NEt will be implemented ...
:-)
> All code will be published back to the community (except for Click-N-Run).
On what GUI toolkit is Click-N-Run based?
Its a qt application.
Taken from http://people.kde.org/konqi.html:
~ Is there any unreleased/unrevealed stuff in your pipe? (New applications/technologies for developers, new icon sets/themes for artists, ...)
Glad that you ask. KDE 2.1.2 soon will be released!
-------
Link rot? No not on KDE Sir.
You do have fun with old interviews, yes?
My favourite pice of old interviews:
"Gaël: Will there be a KEmacs?
Matthias: XEmacs is the editor of choice for many of the KDE developers. In converse, some XEmacs-developers also mentioned interest in a tighter KDE integration. So the future regarding KEmacs looks pretty bright."
From http://www.linux-center.org/articles/9809/interview.html
September 1998
:)
> We are very happy with the rate of speed at which KDE develops.
And I'm not happy with the rate Lindows integrates newer KDE versions. Even the newest Lindows 4.5 seems to be still based on KDE 3.0.1.
Total Community Forum Posts
Lindows.com - 153,242 posts
Lycoris - 67,144 posts
Mandrake - 45,452 posts
Xandros - 20,179 posts
Robertson's paid trolls talk to customers in spe. :-)
Well, if Robertson wanted to enter the European market I would apply for a job :-)
We could start a campaign that suits our market.
"Robertson's paid trolls"
Thats a strong accusation Mr. Andre any evidence or are you just trolling yourself?
Have you missed his disclaimer? The ":-)"?
Gentoo - 715,825 posts
I love statistics. :-)
Did you think that you could get alway with preading a lie so easily? i just stopped by the http://forums.gentoo.org/ and added them up its very easy anyone can do it. The total was 113,786 not the made up number you just posted. Come on dude stick to the truth.
Keep cool, ok?
Stop by http://forums.gentoo.org/ again and scroll down. In the "Who is online" box, you will read the following:
"Our users have posted a total of 716201 articles"
That's where he got the number from. That's where I got the number from. If you believe that number to be wrong, you are entitled to connecting the webmaster of gentoo.org. But next time, be a little bit more careful before accusing other people of being liars. It might be seen as malicious behavior.
All you have to do is add up the posts and you get the total of 113,786 not 716,201.
How, when the "Desktop Environments" forum alone holds 103843 posts and "Installing Gentoo" forum another 78517? That's already more than the number YOU claim.
And even IF you were right, all the guy did was rely on the number given by gentoo.org at the usual place for a phpBB forum. That certainly wouldn't make him a "liar". I wouldn't even call gentoo.org a liar. I give people the benefit of the doubt.
But that has its limits.
You, my friend, are either blind, or unwilling/incapable to admit an error, or a troll.
Installing Gentoo
Having non-GUI problems with the Installation Guide? If you're still working your way through it, or just need some info before you start your install, this is the place. All other questions go elsewhere.
Moderator Global Moderators
Posts
78517
Kinda confirms what I just said, eh? :)
Well, let's end the argument here.
"contacting", not connecting :-D.
BTW, just added up the numbers in the "Posts" column myself and I do get the number the forum software claims below.
At this point, I'm /fairly/ convinced Kraig's just a troll.
I'm sorry i went back and readded and i was wrong i mistakenly was adding up topics and not posts. Gentoo IS a very active forum and seems to have a good community. It must be very hard to install with a HUGE number of 78520 on just that topic.
Well, it's certainly targeting the advanced user; the installation is text-based and involves partitioning and configuring some things manually. However, it's actually a pretty well documented process - and once it's installed, it's very easy to maintain, update and optimize. Personally, I think it's an awesome platform to run KDE on and get the most out of it.
Looks like many others think so, too.
Aside from the top-of-the-line package management, Gentoo is a fairly "pure" Linux. That makes the Gentoo forums a very good place to get answers even for mostly generic Linux questions. Very often, I find myself doing a search there before asking Google / Google Groups.
> It must be very hard to install with a HUGE number of 78520 on just that topic.
You were doing good until this line. That's only a fair assumption if a number of factors align. A more fair assertion is that it's hugely popular because what we know for sure is that in the end that will be the deciding factor and people often post before searching. As was pointed out it's not geared toward newbies as it is not a slick push the button install. It offers you the opportunity to compile everything or use a compiled base but you decide what resides on your system and do the basic configuration. This means following instructions and that means errors and questions. I routinely have people contact me with questions about Quanta that tell me they are newbies and running gentoo. I ususlly shake my head as if I just bit a lemon and try to fit those two concepts together before telling them they are not such a newbie if they installed Gentoo.
Typically Gentoo is popular with developers like myself because it's easy to keep updated. However my favorite thing is that I installed it once and that is the end of installing! Updates really work because we don't create a frozen in time hodge podge of RPMs that will break once we start reshuffling the libraries. That is done to sell more CDs. (I don't even use or like RPMs.) Note that on Gentoo it is possible to create a login with options to run KDE versions 2.2, 3.0, 3.1 and CVS while commercial distros can't offer any version compatibility but can seem to add half a gigabyte of stuff you never wanted and several security risk daemons.
As you said, Gentoo is not for Newbies. RPms and deb.s for the rest of us.
Not everybody has the leisure to build from sources. Creating rpms is difficult, too, and badly documented. In my point of view automatized compile farms have to be in place. Or: How do i create a Suse rpm with RedHat?
Just use checkinstall.
I routinely use it for small packages I want to be able to uninstall someday.
I say 99%, but I haven´t seen it fail yet on me.