Open-source guru Eric Raymond joins Freespire board

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Sep. 26, 2006

In a move that some may have sensed was coming, Eric S. Raymond -- one of the co-founders of the open-source movement -- will become the newest member of the Freespire Leadership Board on Sept. 27.

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Raymond, perhaps best known as one of the co-founders of the Open Source Initiative and author of such seminal open-source works as The Cathedral and the Bazaar, has recently declared that if the Linux desktop is ever to grab a large share of the desktop market it must do it soon or it will never happen.

Raymond believes desktop Linux is entering into a critical period, noting that historically, users have shifted operating systems during periods of fundamental changes in hardware platforms. He believes the PC vendors' embrace of 64-bit computing will provide desktop Linux a unique window of opportunity, which if missed, may not come along again for many years.

To make that happen, Raymond said at the 2006 San Francisco LinuxWorld that no matter how painful it may be to some free software purists, Linux must support popular proprietary software such as Windows media files, as well as proprietary hardware like Apple's iPod.

Just before this, Linspire Inc. had launched Freespire. This Linux operating system is a community-driven Linux that gives users the option of combining free open-source software with certain proprietary codecs, drivers, and applications.

So, it is not surprising to learn that Raymond and Linspire CEO Kevin Carmony began a series of conversations at LinuxWorld, which led to Raymond joining the Freespire board.

"Desktop Linux must advance now," said Raymond. "If desktop Linux is to advance to a broader audience, it must work with iPods and other MP3 players, play DVD movies, view Windows Media and Quick Time content on the web, and so on. I wish users didn't require these proprietary formats, but it's naive and unrealistic to expect the masses to forgo these requirements in the near future. Linux must make some compromises to attract mainstream users."

This isn't to say that Raymond is now supporting proprietary models. The decision is, from his viewpoint, a purely pragmatic one.

Raymond believes the only way to influence ISVs (independent software vendors) and others to support open standards and open software, is to attract enough end-users to make Linux too large to ignore.

"There simply aren't enough Linux users today to put much pressure on hardware and software manufacturers," said Raymond. "To attract more users, Linux must support the popular drivers and file types in use today. Freespire is the one distribution I see willing to make this unfortunate but necessary compromise, so I'm happy to contribute to their effort."

Carmony is understandably glad to have Raymond's support. "We are extremely pleased to have someone with Eric's background, experience and reputation involved in the Freespire project." he said.

"Eric has a keen interest in seeing desktop Linux become more workable with the necessary codecs and drivers, and he sees Freespire as a good launching off place for an ideal he and the Freespire community both share; getting desktop Linux to just work, even if that means providing the option of proprietary codecs in those cases where there are not yet viable open source alternatives," Carmony added.

As a Freespire leadership board member, Raymond will help shape the direction of the Freespire project, along with the other leadership board members, and those from the Freespire community and technology boards. Raymond's participation has already begun, including meetings in San Diego at Linspire's headquarters.

"Eric has already had a significant impact on our work," said Carmony. "Look for some very exciting advancements, as a direct result of his active participation."

-- Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

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Use of this site is governed by our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Except where otherwise specified, the contents of this site are copyright © 1999-2008 Ziff Davis Enterprise Holdings Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission of Ziff Davis Enterprise is prohibited. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.