| Joseph Cheek speaks about Mandriva's acquisition of Lycoris |
(Jun. 15, 2005)
  Foreword -- Desktop Linux distributor Lycoris has been acquired by Mandriva, the company resulting from the April merger of Mandrake and Conectiva. We asked Lycoris founder Joseph Cheek what the deal means for current and future Lycoris and Mandriva users and developers.
Here's what we learned . . .
Q1. What made you decide to be acquired?
A1. Our original growth strategy for Lycoris depended on securing an investment that we never were able to secure. Last fall we had some difficulty getting our latest release out the door, and after the dust settled I decided to switch gears and pursue a merger or acquisition.
Q2. Why by Mandriva?
A2. We solicited several candidates. Mandriva was attractive to us because they had a strong sense of community and good technology, they were interested in re-engineering their desktop OS, and they had the desire and resources to back up any commitments they made.
Q3. What are the main benefits of this acquisition to Lycoris? ... to Mandriva?
A3. For Lycoris, we get to be part of a larger whole with a vision very similar to ours. We get to merge technology with a set of products whose strengths are well suited to our weaknesses, and vice versa. I personally get to help lead a great team.
For Desktop/LX users, they get the confidence that their investment in Desktop/LX isn't wasted, that they have a well-supported upgrade path from Desktop/LX to Mandriva Linux, and that the same meticulous attention to detail that characterizes Desktop/LX will continue in Mandriva Linux.
For Mandriva, they get a larger community, access to a team known for creating great user interfaces with a strong desire to see Desktop Linux succeed, and the ability to quickly branch out into specialized OS fields such as those for Tablet and Pocket PCs. Mandriva also gets a large boost in providing consumer-ready operating systems for those with very little knowledge of Linux or even computing in general.
Q4. Do you expect Lycoris Desktop/LX to become merged with the Mandriva distro's, or will the Lycoris Linux desktop continue on as an independent distribution, for the foreseeable future? If they will be merged, how soon would you expect that to occur?
A4. They will be merged. The plan is to merge Desktop/LX Personal with Mandriva Discovery 2006, available this fall. Other bits of technology may show up in other Mandriva products, such as PowerPak and PowerPak+, Cooker, and so on, and some may take longer to integrate, but we expect to have a solid upgrade path available for purchase and/or download this fall.
Q5. How many employees are currently at Lycoris? How many will become Mandriva employees?
A5. One 8-) . I am the sole remaining Lycoris employee. Our core volunteer team will be welcomed as VIP contributors on Mandriva's Club, being able to continue to develop, test, and document, so Mandriva is effectively getting many new faces, not just mine.
Q6. What will your role be on the Mandriva team?
A6. Right now I am helping them to integrate our technology. Once that is complete, I will be free to help them plan for and implement future desktop products.
Q7. What are some key differences between Lycoris Desktop/LX and Mandriva Linux, as they exist today?
A7. Mandriva Linux is larger and more general-purpose. It has many facets that make it a fit for many different purposes. Lycoris Desktop/LX is strictly a desktop linux, and most of the innovations integrated into it are strictly for desktop users.
Q8. How do free desktop distributions such as Ubuntu compare with software from Lycoris and Mandriva that include proprietary software?
A8. Completely free software is an ideal we all aim for, and hope to be able to achieve in all circumstances someday. Right now, we've taken a small hybrid approach, integrating some proprietary software that quickly allows us functionality that free software doesn't yet. As more and more free, high-quality alternatives exist for proprietary software, we hope to be able to deliver them quickly without losing the functionality and quality that we strive to achieve.
Mandriva, of course, already provides a 100% open source/free beer version of Mandriva Linux.
Q9. Lycoris cut staff and products last fall, while Mandrake went through a reorganization bankruptcy in spring of last year. Red Hat, meanwhile, cut its desktop Linux offering last summer. Is there or will there be a market for Linux on the desktop? Who is currently best-positioned in the desktop Linux market?
A9. Desktop Linux isn't easy, but if it were, I wouldn't enjoy it as much as I do now. The fact that it's a challenge sometimes to create it and then sell it is what gives me some of my pleasure.
Certainly there is a market for it, and we're seeing steady growth here already. We intend to both capitalize on the existing market and grow the market in the same way -- by delivering great software.
Our goal is to be the best positioned player in the desktop Linux market. I believe we're very close to achieving that goal already.
Q10. Thanks very much for your time, Joe.
A10. Sure!
About the interviewee -- As founder of Lycoris, Joseph Cheek employs his vision for a simple and powerful desktop operating system platform. He has forged Lycoris into a leader in the Linux desktop space with Desktop/LX and supporting applications. He broadened his highly technical background during his tenure at Linuxcare and Microsoft. He co-authored the Integrating Your Network with Caldera OpenLinux 2.3 book, was a technical contributor to Microsoft's Windows 98 Resource Kit, and has written a monthly Linux column for Computer Source Magazine. As an entrepreneur, he has worked in both the Novell NetWare and Linux spaces and brings a focus on simplicity and quality that makes Lycoris products and services innovative, strong options to the Windows platform.
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