[FreeNX-kNX] Compiling NX1.5.0 on amd64

[Gian Filippo Pinzari]

LROUFAIL at nc.rr.com wrote:
> We are fortunate they don't just create software for Windows like most
> commercial software.

It's not a matter of luck. I think there is an implicit pact between
a company releasing its software as OSS and the community. NX is OSS
not because of a late attempt to save a product that doesn't sell.
NX has always been OSS and since 2001 we have not received a single
significant contribution. On the contrary, we have had to defend
ourselves from the repeated attacks coming from all fronts. Don't
forget that a system like NX is a welcome addition to any big vendor's
software stack. Destroying a company developing an interesting
software is a much better alternative than partnering and sharing the
outcomes. Because of that, we have developed a very defensive attitude.
People can't expect NoMachine to be more open than it is already.

About FreeNX, things work with OSS when developers contribute to the
advance of a software, not when they just copy it and don't give
anything back. About the ability of FreeNX to uncover bugs and help
NoMachine to test the software, I can say that this help doesn't pay
the bill. It's quite easy to find bugs. Users, for example, are
wonderful at that. NoMachine offers free downloads already and has a
staff trained at taking care of filling Trouble Reports. I think that
FreeNX developers should rather concentrate on helping with these
bugs, if they care about the future of NX.

I know that the most fierce OSS defenders would like to see FreeNX out-
pace NoMachine in every respect and would like to see NX finally freed
of any commercial inheritance. These kind of people will never help
us. They will rather throw their FUD at us, one of the preferred sports
in this industry. We are not concerned of competition. On the contrary
we think that there can be a place for both a OSS and a commercial
NX version. Unfortunately it's difficult to compete with FreeNX when
we do 99% of the work and FreeNX keeps doing the 1% and giving it
away for free. Is this the way OSS development should work?

> Don't take potshots at them from a free forum.  They don't owe us better
> documentation.  The code is a good enough gift to the community.  If you
> want more you should pay for it.

Nothing is ever perfect. We are more than wishful to listen and improve,
as long as there is a clear idea of who's supposed to do the work.
Bugs don't get fixed automatically just because somebody mentions them
in a mailing list. The same is true for the documentation. Instead of
criticizing all the time, people should rather ask themselves if they
have really tried to help, or have gone the easier route, consisting
in the usual "thanks a lot, unfortunately this stuff is not good enough
for me, I'll come when it's ready". As far as I know, everytime I have
asked somebody in the OSS community to help, he always responded that
he was already busy with some other thing. I can reassure you that I'm
tremendously busy too, and all the other people here are busy as well.

/Gian Filippo.