[Dovecot] Linux should be as easy as Windows

[Dennis Clarke]

[ sorry for the slight OT ] 
>   On 18/08/2010 15:41, Dennis Clarke wrote:
> > > From a "Standards" thread I saw this :
> >
> >       "Linux should be as easy as Windows"
> >
> > I would like to point out that this is a thinking problem. A shift 
> in thinking is required.
> >
> > That should say :
> >
> >      "Open source and Free software should be as easy as Windows"
> >
> > In this way we allow someone running BSD, Solaris or some port of 
> Debian to an old Dec AlphaServer will have the same level of 
> functionality provided standards are adhered to. Once programmers 
> begin to see everything in the light of Linux then we can also kiss 
> goodbye the opportunity for portability to other OS types.
> >
> > Dennis
> >
> I think everything defined as "easy" is not (random order):
> - Light

  Sometimes things are not and that is okay. GNOME is not XFCE or Fluxbox but we have freedom to choose either. Perhaps by "light" you mean you don't need 32G of memory and a dual socket 12-core Opteron 6100 series machine with some hot NVidia graphics card and 10Gb ethernet to just *barely* install Windows 8.  :-)

> - Scalable

Nice if possible.   Some things just don't scale well. A P-vs-NP type problem.

> - Secure

Love dovecot for this reason. 

> - Portable

Totally. This is what open standards are supposed to be all about. Also why assembly tweaks to architecture locked modules should be avoided whereever possible. Sometimes there is no way out. 

> - Customizable

Nice but .. again not a hard need in my mind. 

As someone that *tried* to work on this disaster : 

http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/print/107625/Developers_put_OpenSolaris_on_PowerPC?taxonomyName=Open+Source&taxonomyId=88

I watched as a large filthy corporation step in and say "never ever on IBM hardware" and the whole thing was taken inside to become this : 

    http://labs.oracle.com/spotlight/2006/2006-06-14-SolarisPPC.html

Where it was very quietly killed. 

Let's hope the big corporate world never calls up Mr. T ( dovecot author ) and tosses a billion dollars at him. A few million sure ... but not a billion. Otherwise dovecot would be wrecked by the greedy pigs at Oracle or IBM or Apple etc. Just my opinion. 

Sorry for the OT

Dennis