Matt’s Blog of Truth

Nokia announced recently, that it plans to release it’s newly acquired Linux Free and Open Source graphics library under the LGPL. (Lesser General Public License). Previously, Qt was developed and owed by a small company called, Troll Tech. Troll Tech sold Qt under restrictive corporate licenses, therefore, stifling it’s potential wide acceptance in the Free and Open Source Community that builds Linux and thousands of other Applications under it’s development model.

This is VERY good news, because Qt is the graphics library that KDE (the K Desktop Environment ) uses. KDE is second in popularity only to the GNOME Linux Desktop.

KDE developers, over a year ago, did a complete over haul, mainly to exploit Qt version 4’s amazing, newly added graphics capabilities and cross platform support. As a result, KDE 4.0 has a beautiful polished look and feel, making Desktop Linux shine brilliantly.

However, all was not rosy getting to this point. Initially, KDE 4.0 was intended to be a developer release, which contained known bugs and incompatibilities. Unfortunately, the major Linux Distributions (Ubuntu, openSUSE, Mandriva and more) did not take note of this, and released their KDE4.0 Linux Desktop, as being 100% End User ready. This created an up roar of ‘KDE 4.0 Sucks’ and endless blogosphere comments and slanders about the state and future of KDE 4.0, as a result of this mistake. In other words, KDE 4.0 was not intended (by the KDE release team) to be released as a 100% stable version.

But, now that KDE 4.2 RC was released this week, it is the version that KDE developers are saying ‘End users SHOULD use’ and the KDE version the Major Distros SHOULD have used in their initial Official release, to replace the older KDE 3.5 version.

Also, with the great news, that Nokia has released KDE’s graphics library (Qt 4.5) as completely Free and Open Source, KDE 4.2+ is expected to explode in size. Both in terms of contributions (developers and artists) and End Users.

For years, GNOME Linux Desktop Environment has been the top Linux Desktop, for many reasons. One reason being that GNOME’s graphic library (GTK) was released as true Free and Open Source Software, resulting in a lot of community backing. GNOME however, has been pegged as ‘too plain and simple looking’ and not up to par with modern looking Desktops, to stand side by side with Apple Mac’s and Microsoft’s Vista shiny modern look.

Not any more… KDE 4.2+ is set to replace GNOME as the top Linux Desktop Environment. KDE 4.2+ looks damn good. Not only that, but it is also easier to use than KDE 3.5, with a focus on making the configuration options and menu system, easier to navigate and manage.

GTK (GNOME’s graphic Library) is also pegged as not being sophisticated enough, in that, it is programmed in strait C and not C++. C++ is a modern ‘Object Orientated Programming’ language. Qt is programmed using C++. C++ reveals it’s power, with complex software, by making it easier to program complex programming concepts, which C lacks. Others argue that strait C is more efficient, than C++. But, it can not be argued, that C++, if done right, can make a programmer’s life easier.

Look out Apple and Microsoft… KDE and Qt are on their way to making some major heads turn.

A Long, LONG time ago, there was this Operating System called, WINDOWS. It was created by a monolithic software company named, Microsoft. Microsoft once commanded all corporations AND home users (business and pleasure) to run Windows. Windows 95, to the harped upon Vista Operating System.

Microsoft Windows was all people used. All around the world. Rich or poor.

Than one day… people started working together. First, the nerds and geeks, than Corporate Businesses. All talking about SOFTWARE CODE, using this new invention called, THE INTERNET.

Over time, the geeks and nerds attracted the attention of business folk. Business folk want money. Money employs people, brings people together to form Corporations, JUST LIKE MICROSOFT!

Microsoft, being the big ol Dinosaur, gets scared!

Oh no!

Someone…

Wait MILLIONS?! All contributing to a common code base and evolving into something LIKE Windows?!

Impossible! This can not be!

Microsoft felt threatened.

After all, Linux was Free, Open Software, built by Millions of Human Minds.

Linux is Free and Open.

Free, allowed not just one Corporation to ‘get rich’, but MULTIPLE corporations!

Open, as in, easy for masses of geeks to contribute to a common Code base, using this new ‘Internet Thing’. It allowed them to custom build Web Sites, create opinionated BLOGS, and Servers to run it all. What scared Microsoft about all this ‘activity’, was that it was completely NOT related to Micro-saurus!

Over time, Microsoft fought, tooth and nail, to convince Corporations running Windows to NOT, please DO NOT INSTALL Linux! But, Linux was FREE OF CHARGE, and the nerds loved it, because the code was Open to read and write.

Microsoft, hired programmers at discounted rates from India, Russia, China and other countries pawing for a US Dollar.

Micro-saurus had one problem. It was based on years and years of OLD code, which Microsoft had BILLIONS upon BILLIONS invested in. The malware and viruses threatened Corporate secret files from hackers obtaining them and selling to competitors, as well as, all the Windows home users getting ‘fed up’ with viruses and Internet Porn pop up Ads.

There was no turning back for Micro-saurus. It had just too much time and money INVESTED in their virus ridden Operating System to rewrite a completely virus free Windows.

OK, that is the end of my, ‘long time ago’ story.

Unlike the quick and nasty extinction of the Dino’s, Microsoft was slowly eroded away. Linux just kept improving, over time. Multi-Corporate and Millions of ‘tinkering geeks’, eventually create something everyday masses of casual users could use. This attracted Game Publishers, as well.

The Mammals inherited the earth. The once, seemingly MEEK Mammals, small compared to the tromping and stomping Dino’s, suddenly inherited the Earth. My analogy is that Linux is somehow (in my own way) related to the Mammals and Microsoft to a Dinosaur.

This comes as a big win for F/OSS. Russian Government has mandated laws, that all of their schools must use non-proprietary, that is to say Open Source software, by the year 2010, or those schools must pay, on their own, the fees of the proprietary software.

So, in other words, Russia is the first Nation to, make into law, the use of Open Source in schools, or the schools themselves must pay, not the Russian Government.

Not, a bad deal, considering Open Source is Free of charge and, in most cases, better quality software.

Read the original article here.

P.S. This coincides nicely, with the resent article, that basically said that China Demands Source Code. Also, in a recent Microsoft move (a bad move at that), decided to activate Microsoft’s Genuine Copy Protection for, MS dubbed, Anti-Piracy Day. For that entire day, probably a Billion Chinese computers were put into limited functionality mode, with a long threaten pop up license, stating that they are thieves and are doing illegal things with MS software. Namely XP or Vista.

So, MS is just shotting themselves in the foot. This only pissed off the Chinese, and probably raised Apple’s market share a point or two, perhaps even a few Linux shares were raised as well. Let’s hope MS continues to have more, Anti-Piracy days to come!

Now I know ‘what’ Google is. Google is an amazing technology company that turned Search into Billions a year in revenue. Google also is gushing with innovations. So many so I will link you to ALL OF THEM, (wikipedia), just browse it for a second, than come back and let’s talk about why Google is releasing all of this, making little revenue or fan fare with most of them. Example: Chrome was hugely hyped, now with it’s list of bugs, only less than 1% now use it. Many more examples are to follow.

Whether you quickly browsed through the Google ‘List of Products’ or not, I will just say there is well over 50+ products in there.

Everything from the latest Android Cell Phone to the Google Maps, Analytics, Gmail, RSS Reader and on and on. But, this then leaves us, what is Google really doing? Is it just trying to give back without much notice on trying to make revenues?

Often times, the projects from Google are developed in isolation, within the company. A great example of this is Android the Smart Phone and Chrome the Browser. Both would go great together, yet there are no rushed plans to get them better integrated. Their project leadership and dev teams might as well be on different planets.

An interesting article, about a guy who says, Android will be all dried up, soon. Now, us Open Source advocates do not want to hear that. I in most cases will dismiss such a remark as hog wash anyways. But, if you read the article, he makes his point very very clear.

Google is about Search. With 80+% and sucking more percentages in a day, Google is clearly Search Masters. It’s easy money folks, and will never go away. No matter if a Recession hits the economy, it is widely known that Advertising is one of the least effected markets. No matter what, sellers have to sell their products.

But, the potential for Google to make such products as Android and Chrome Browser so emensly successful is there. Just that, there is complete discontinuity in most of Googles products. Most of them first generate massive hype, then fizzle away into the background to join the long list of ‘back drop’ products.

I think Google’s main concern is Search. Also, to become too huge too fast, which it is already, is exactly what happened to Microsoft. Sure, MS is huge and makes billions, but it is also driven by greed, and it suited in court on a weekly basis, for anti-trust issues. I think Google, even could easily through Billions into any long list of amazing innovations and products they have produced, have largely decided to not become an 800 pound gorilla in too many areas, except Search Engines and Ads, they are willing to back off, and just let the open source world do what they want with it.

In a way, this makes sense. And, I praise Google’s top leadership of product overall mangement of recognizing the need to ‘Do no Evil’. But, is this really what Google, overall, is thinking? Maybe there is no Google Board of Directors even given the insight and power to push their products further into main stream markets. Maybe, Google set it up that way for the reason of not becoming evil.

Who knows? I would love to find out.