OS/2, eCS & ArcaOS - Technical > Setup & Installation
Is eComStation DEAD?
Sigurd Fastenrath:
My Software subscription did expire these days. Before I got to prolongue it I am wondering if this is a good idea or not. Spending more Money or looking for an alternative like the - free of Charge - Linux Mint.
So:
When I look back there is almost no Information about
- the "new" owner XEU.COM
- the stage of eCs development
- what is going on at all
in Addition there is almost no activity in the Bug Tracker anymore, when it comes to Mensys or XEU.COM.
Is it time to consider eComstation to be dead?
I am wondering if there is at least one Person around who does know something and is bold enough to write the truth, what ever it may look like.
Martin Iturbide:
hi Sigurd
The platform had died so many times, that possible asking if it is dead or alive does not make sense.
If IBM, Serenity and/or Mensys are working on a new release should not be our prime focus as a community. Our focus should be to try to move forward on an free (as freedom), independent and open source OS/2 clone. With that we finally put to sleep the question is it dead or alive, since open source software only dies when there are no contributors... and with the option to be resurrected on any time.
The new owner XEU.com has not said anything, so I think it will be good to wait for any announcement or new release before buying a subscription, that is only my opinion.
...just kidding.
But my I think we need a Plan B as a community and stop depending on single companies.
Greg Pringle:
It would seem that XEU bought Ecomstation for business reasons. It would therefore be illogical to immediately dispose of it.
XEU looks to be promoting banking software. Since OS/2 has had a long history in banking it looks like Ecomstation was a strategic buy.
Doug Bissett:
--- Quote ---But my I think we need a Plan B as a community and stop depending on single companies.
--- End quote ---
The problem with that is, that Mensys is currently the only company licensed to do anything with OS/2. I would think that that license would expire if Mensys (or XEU) decided to drop eComStation (unless Serenity still owns the license, in which case it is back in their ball park). Most long time users probably remember the problems with getting that license in the first place. If anything, it will be more difficult this time. It will also be difficult to replace Mensys in the big picture. It has been shown that eCS is not a money maker, and it could very easily become a money sink, so most companies (if not all) would hesitate to get involved, even if the license is still available. I doubt if IBM would allow just anybody off the street to pick it up.
You must also remember, that Mensys is in the business of electronic retail, which includes a LOT more than just eComStation, so it may come down to a business case scenario, which probably isn't good.
Martin Iturbide:
Hi
<personal opinion>
- OS/2 first dead was when IBM's Lou Gertstner put in march the strategy to stop investing on OS/2.
- OS/2's second and official dead was on December of 2006 when IBM stopped all support that platform.
- OS/2's third dead was when Serenity System dissapeared, but we have the luck for Mensys to got it.
- OS/2's fourth dead may be on this days that it is moving from Mensys to XEU.
.....I will like to be around for the fifth dead in the future :)
Do we require a company?
I don't know why people think that if it is not a company behind OS/2-eCS we are doom. It is like we have "paradigm" so hard inside us saying that we need big players like IBM, Microsoft, Sony to make the OSes a success. I insist we don't necessary need that. OpenBSD and Linux (kernel) are foundations that maintain their development.
But that does not mean that is bad to have a company behind the OS, and I think that is good to have a company that still sells OS/2-eCS and that bundle it with open source software (Copyleft), so the will be forced to invest on open source bugfixing for the community. I think that is a good retribution for using open source software for commercial use.
But we want to remain in time, and we don't want to depend on a single company or single individual. That's why open source is the path.
Ask yourself this hypothetical question: if Mensys goes bankrupt tomorrow, will you un-install eCS from our system, switch to other platform and stop visiting OS2World at once? or will you remain on the community until you are forced to migrate (lack of drivers, lack of software and .... I don't know... neighbors laughing at you?)
IDEAS
The crazy ideas that shows up as plans, without counting on Mensys and without too much details are:
Option 1 - Keep moving on replacing OS/2 closed source components until we have a full open source OS/2 clone. That will make it legal for everyone to use the clone and will be legal for any company to improve/distribuite/resell it. This is long term.
Option 2 - Use the public OS/2 files (like fixpacks) and recreate some kind "poor's man eComStation", which will be only legal for the people that have an OS/2 license. Create some kind of installer that download the fixpacks files, put it together with the rest of the open source software and create a installable ISO.
Option 3 - Treat everything as abandonware and pray to never get a lawsuit. The problem with this is that we can not grow this way. Abandonware is not understand as "legal to use". Even that there is some kind of legal exception on the US with Abandoware (Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abandonware#DMCA) it is not enough to make something that can grow and the community will stay as hobbyist toy (which is what is looking today, with the exception that there still some companies that still uses OS2-eCS).
ISPIRATION?
I really think that there a lot of other open source projects that are getting some money and have the collaborative will to keep going without a main company sponsoring them.
1) ReactOS - The already have some VM's, they have supporters and they are starting a Kickstarter campaign to make ReactOS a Cloud OS. They had raises 22K for the moment.
2) Haiku OS, maybe they got source code donation (or not) from BeOS, but they keep moving. Raised 23K for 2013.
3) There are a lot of little OSes being developed and people gave some money to they.
4) OpenBSD which is a more recognized OS, has raised 111K (goal 150K) for 2014. And told that they require 20K only for the electrical bill, while on this community we will kill for 20K that will represent more software/libs ported. (...but even if we found a millionaire to sponsor us, we need a plan)
Just do not say it is impossible, ReactOS is doing it. Just don't say it will take forever, Linux did it and cloned Unix.. and it even became more notorious that moved on replacing Unix.
Action Plan
I insist we need to move on the open source direction and do the following:
1) Build a team of people, developers, testers, documenters, users, supporters and cheerleaders.
2) Build up the plan on how we can reach an open source OS/2 clone.
3) Set the priority on which components to start and which is the effort on each components.
4) Start the fundraising campaign for each component to make this a reality.
If we try to make a 100% clone of OS/2 and we end up cloning only the 70%, 60% or 30% it will still be a success, because we will have more that what we have today.
</personal opinion>
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