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The argument is very sound. The idea that licenses and people are what drive open source but that's just one aspect of it. The ability to pick up the code and g

The argument is very sound. The idea that licenses and people are what drive open source but that's just one aspect of it. The ability to pick up the code and get to work with minimal hassle can make or break an open source project. If I have to rewrite half the code just to get things working on my system and begin building on the original source then why don't I just start from scratch anyway? Obviously everyone's mileage may vary and there's bound to be a few issues with any project but when they're so common and similar to what the author describes then his point is validated. I've always known Windows to be notorious for making me jump through hoops to get simple, common development tools working. The author mentions Ruby, Python, Perl, and Node (I'd also add Apache, Nginx and PHP) as examples that more or less "just work" on any platform... But not Windows. You have to jump through hoops and use alternative software or (very different) methods to get these things working and it's a huge pain and doesn't help promote open source as the frustration of getting something to work is enough for someone to give up. I'm not a Windows hater and I don't want to start a whole Win v. Linux v. Mac argument. The reasons for things being like this on Windows (please excuse me if I'm stating the obvious) is that, first, Windows has a very different heritage from every alternative OS. Secondly, Microsoft has a long history of trying to keep users and developers hooked on their platform. As a programmer if you learned on Windows then switching to another OS for development can be a challenge. Depending on the programmer that challenge may be enough to keep you on Windows as its the path of least resistance to you. I can't completely blame them however. If in an alternate universe Windows had a Unix heritage along with other popular OSes and Linux was the odd man out then we'd be saying the same things about Linux distros that we say about Windows now. I prefer every OS but Windows for a lot of reasons one of which is the same as the reason why my hypothetical programmer chooses Windows over other platforms. On any Linux or OS X machine I have a development environment up and running smoothly in a short time with minimal glitches but Windows makes things very hard for me. So while they're trying to keep current devs locked in they also make non-Win devs locked out.

CurtHagenlocher 15y ago
<quote>The author mentions Ruby, Python, Perl, and Node (I'd also add Apache, Nginx and PHP) as examples that more or less "just work" on any platform... But not Windows. You have to jump through hoops and use alternative software or (very different) methods to get these things working</quote> This is a very 21st-century perspective, in that all of these non-Windows platforms are basically Unix. If you look at the platforms that existed in the early 90s -- things like MVS, VMS, TOPS-20, OS/400 -- these were even less Unix-like than Windows was. Windows is an anomaly only because it's the last non-Unix OS standing.
- derleth 15y ago
  > these were even less Unix-like than Windows was Heck, compare MS-DOS to NT-derived Windows. You only get directories beginning in MS-DOS 2.0 and you never get something comparable to fork().
- billpatrianakos 15y ago
  Right, that's exactly my point. I'm not criticizing Windows for being Windows but just pointing out why working with it is so frustrating. You restated part of my point very well when you said Windows is an anomaly because it's the last non-Unix OS standing. As for it being a very 21st century view, well, yeah it is. I'm talking about how things are done now. The platforms of the 90's are pointless to even consider as no one is using them anymore. You could get really technical and point out some enthusiasts using BeOS and some other 90's OSes but for the most part they're dead.

CurtHagenlocher 15y ago

<quote>The author mentions Ruby, Python, Perl, and Node (I'd also add Apache, Nginx and PHP) as examples that more or less "just work" on any platform... But not Windows. You have to jump through hoops and use alternative software or (very different) methods to get these things working</quote> This is a very 21st-century perspective, in that all of these non-Windows platforms are basically Unix. If you look at the platforms that existed in the early 90s -- things like MVS, VMS, TOPS-20, OS/400 -- these were even less Unix-like than Windows was. Windows is an anomaly only because it's the last non-Unix OS standing.

derleth 15y ago
> these were even less Unix-like than Windows was Heck, compare MS-DOS to NT-derived Windows. You only get directories beginning in MS-DOS 2.0 and you never get something comparable to fork().
billpatrianakos 15y ago
Right, that's exactly my point. I'm not criticizing Windows for being Windows but just pointing out why working with it is so frustrating. You restated part of my point very well when you said Windows is an anomaly because it's the last non-Unix OS standing. As for it being a very 21st century view, well, yeah it is. I'm talking about how things are done now. The platforms of the 90's are pointless to even consider as no one is using them anymore. You could get really technical and point out some enthusiasts using BeOS and some other 90's OSes but for the most part they're dead.