What Would Be Crazy For Linux Right Now

[wirrbeltier]

What I'd really like to see would be a success of the ongoing efforts in standardization of the mobile/embedded space (there was this linaro foundation, and other bodies, trying to get some order in the chaos of embedded systems, IIRC).
Because I guess a lot more stuff is going to happen on smaller, low-powered, more heavily integrated devices, probably SOCs. Right now, the engineering of those devices comes from the embedded sector, which (to me as an interested observer) seems to be the antithesis of anything open:
- No open, official standards (since tight integration drives everyone to make up their own, slightly different implementation),
- Secrecy about components and even more closed-mindedness about drivers.

Resulting from this, there's now a huge fragmentation of largely different devices, which makes it difficult for FOSS projects to even start somewhere, and port code once it's working somewhere. Plus, devices do have a crazily high turnover rate, so it's unlikely that a large community can form to work on the same device.

There are already some devices shipping with a desktop-linux-style OS and even the possibility to install Debian-distros: Nokia's Maemo devices, like the N900. Sadly, Nokia has failed with its strategy and teamed up with Microsoft... Yes, the N900 is a dead horse, but it's such a pretty one

Also: An organized effort out of the FOSS community to financially support graphical development. Since graphical drivers appear to be among the most mind-boggling software in existance, the number of people actually able to write such code seems not to be overly large; especially not if they have to do it in their spare time.
Hiring some high-profile coders like Marek for a year to code FOSS drivers, based on community-raised donations, would advance things quite a bit

[devius]

Maya ran on linux long before Autodesk acquired them. Had there not been a linux version already in place it is unlikely Autodesk would have decided to have a linux version. I wouldn't be surprised if one day they take Maya and 3dsMax and merge them into one windows only product.

That wouldn't surprise me as well. In fact, I'm still surprised they did a Mac version of autocad. About Maya, they do sell it, and it costs as much as the other versions, but unlike the other versions they don't offer any kind of support, so it probably won't be long until they discontinue it.

[deanjo]

Autodesk Maya runs on some Linux distros since quite a few years now.

Maya ran on linux long before Autodesk acquired them. Had there not been a linux version already in place it is unlikely Autodesk would have decided to have a linux version. I wouldn't be surprised if one day they take Maya and 3dsMax and merge them into one windows only product.

[Remco]

Linux has actually had a 5% usage share for a few good months now.

http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_os.asp

(Please don't look at the market shares, still not that many linux pc's are sold these days. )

Selection bias. That figure is 4-5 times the figure from other statistics sources. I bet you don't encounter a Linux box for every 20 computer users you meet.

[dsmithhfx]

Autodesk software on linux.

Autodesk Maya runs on some Linux distros since quite a few years now.

[cician]

Distros support a common package format with platform independent binaries like LLVM bitcode or MSIL.

Autodesk software on linux.

Skype protocol completely reverse-engigeered or open sourced.

[M1kkko]

Linux reaches 5% market share

Linux has actually had a 5% usage share for a few good months now.

http://www.w3schools.com/browsers/browsers_os.asp

(Please don't look at the market shares, still not that many linux pc's are sold these days. )

[kraftman]

@Deanjo

It seems someone just addressed remaining issues:

http://www.archlinux.org/

Please hurry!

[kraftman]

Lol, common packaging, settling on common api's, fixing the basics of audio and video is bull? FYI there is just as much 'crap' in foss as there is in closed.

Those are actually good points.

[SunnyDrake]

You forget this!.. http://www.calculate-linux.ru/blogs/ru/232/show !