RE: OS/2 is FINALLY History (per IBM) :-(

["jt" <jt@xxxxxx>]

| [mailto:midrange-l-admin@midrange.com]On Behalf Of
| fiona.fitzgerald@notes.royalsun.com
| Sent: Friday, December 13, 2002 12:55 PM
|
| Leif thinks - time to begin to open source OS/400...
|
| I can't agree with that. OS/400 has never had a virus. It's a robust,
| stable system.
|
| Every single multi-user-related problem on Windows servers experienced by
| our Network support
| team, every single registry problem, scalability issue and authorisation
| crisis gets the response "that was sorted out on OS/400 years ago"
| And then they have to take down the lot to ensure eradication of a virus.
| Rebooting with a virus scan adds at least 7 minutes to the delay in
| powering each PC back up.
|
| Let's not put the alligators back in this swamp, huh ?

Although I agree with Leif on this particular issue, I agree with your
sentiment as well.

That's why I found the statements by Chris Smith in this interview in Byte
(http://www.byte.com/documents/s=7647/byt1035780187489/1028_woehr.html)
somewhat alarming.  I didn't register to get at the archive, but iirc, he
said the choice is whether you want "cool stuff" on the 400 and "open"
source or the profits of "closed" source.

Since the vast majority of "cool stuff" tends to just BARELY work in the
first place, I view opening the *security* code to be a lose-lose
proposition.  But, looking at increasing mindshare more than anything, I
don't know why IBM wouldn't want to release the rest of the source for
CPF/OS/400 (or at least V4R5).

jt