4 ms·

The scariest thing is that this happened a quarter of a century ago. Wow, I feel old! It was such a big deal back then, when everybody questioned Linux' viabili

The scariest thing is that this happened a quarter of a century ago. Wow, I feel old! It was such a big deal back then, when everybody questioned Linux' viability.

itomato 3y ago
Oh yes, and the pressure it imposed on Linux use in industry. IBM would not own Red Hat today if not for this memo. The fear and uncertainty that rippled the industry, right up through vendor selection made it harder, riskier and more frustrating to choose and make use of Linux than it should have been. Take notes.
- fragmede 3y ago
  IBM acquired Red Hat in 2019, and this memo is from 1998, so I'm skeptical it was this memo that caused that particular acquisition.
  - bitwize 3y ago
    IBM had had a "Linux/open source friendly" strategy since the early 2000s. Remember that ad with the Eminem-looking kid they named "Linux", and they were like "he's learning"? That's how they came to acquire Red Hat, by leaning into the "we're totally besties with open source" narrative.
    - bitwize 3y ago
      The advertisement in question: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7ozaFbqg00 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7ozaFbqg00
    - sillywalk 3y ago
      Also Endorsed by Avery Brooks a.k.a. DS9's Captain Sisko. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQAa_WKJxPs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQAa_WKJxPs
    - pjmlp 3y ago
      Mostly because it was a way to reduce Aix development costs. Ironically Aix is the only big iron UNIX that still matters today.
- squarefoot 3y ago
  I was among a group of enthusiasts in a local Linux User Group who were contacted by IBM in about 1997 or 98 to give some talks in their local HQ; the experience was quite satisfying, they were genuinely interested. According to some of them, word was that Lou Gerstner, then IBM CEO, had been told by one of his closest advisors something along "if we don't take Linux seriously we're going to make our biggest mistake in history", and that started it all.
- sillywalk 3y ago
  I think IBM saw Linux, and Java, etc. as a way to offer a sort of common software platform on top of its' various server platforms. X86 (when they still made them), NumaQ, POWER, Mainframes, sort of like Workplace OS, but for free.

The scariest thing is that this happened a quarter of a century ago. Wow, I feel old! It was such a big deal back then, when everybody questioned Linux' viability.

itomato 3y ago

Oh yes, and the pressure it imposed on Linux use in industry. IBM would not own Red Hat today if not for this memo. The fear and uncertainty that rippled the industry, right up through vendor selection made it harder, riskier and more frustrating to choose and make use of Linux than it should have been. Take notes.

fragmede 3y ago
IBM acquired Red Hat in 2019, and this memo is from 1998, so I'm skeptical it was this memo that caused that particular acquisition.
- bitwize 3y ago
  IBM had had a "Linux/open source friendly" strategy since the early 2000s. Remember that ad with the Eminem-looking kid they named "Linux", and they were like "he's learning"? That's how they came to acquire Red Hat, by leaning into the "we're totally besties with open source" narrative.
  - bitwize 3y ago
    The advertisement in question: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7ozaFbqg00 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7ozaFbqg00
  - sillywalk 3y ago
    Also Endorsed by Avery Brooks a.k.a. DS9's Captain Sisko. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQAa_WKJxPs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQAa_WKJxPs
  - pjmlp 3y ago
    Mostly because it was a way to reduce Aix development costs. Ironically Aix is the only big iron UNIX that still matters today.
squarefoot 3y ago
I was among a group of enthusiasts in a local Linux User Group who were contacted by IBM in about 1997 or 98 to give some talks in their local HQ; the experience was quite satisfying, they were genuinely interested. According to some of them, word was that Lou Gerstner, then IBM CEO, had been told by one of his closest advisors something along "if we don't take Linux seriously we're going to make our biggest mistake in history", and that started it all.
sillywalk 3y ago
I think IBM saw Linux, and Java, etc. as a way to offer a sort of common software platform on top of its' various server platforms. X86 (when they still made them), NumaQ, POWER, Mainframes, sort of like Workplace OS, but for free.