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Libre software and the associated freedoms aren't (or shouldn't be, at least!) "hipster stuff"! They are also in no way in conflict with Proper Science. One mig

• orkoden 11y ago
  If you still have scientific equipment running Red Hat 6.2, you're not a lot better off.
  • toothbrush 11y ago
    If it's Libre (which i suspect RH isn't — but i am no expert) then all the source code should be available, and presumably you could hack the drivers (or whatever) to work with whatever new-and-improved hardware/software you want to run. That's kind of the point of Libre. But perhaps i'm missing your point about RH?
    • toyg 11y ago
      read my post again: most manufacturers have no time for this sort of diatribe, and most users have no time or inclination to "hack the drivers" -- especially in rigid "efficiency-first" organisations like the military.
      • toothbrush 11y ago
        Still, if the choice is between a) throw away a $300,000 piece of equipment for lack of drivers, assuming the company producing it has disappeared without all trace or b) spending less than $300,000 on employee time to make it work again then to me case b sounds preferable, even in efficiency-first organisations. The military, i don't know. All i'm saying is that b wouldn't even be feasible without stuff being Libre, so diatribe or not, it actually would benefit public, private and commercial users' interests. Anyway, probably i'm too optimistic about things.