Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!unmvax!pprg.unm.edu!hc!ames!amdcad!sun!pitstop!sundc!potomac!jtn From: jtn@potomac.ads.com (John T. Nelson) Newsgroups: comp.sys.next Subject: NeXT source code... Message-ID: <7565@potomac.ads.com> Date: 31 Jan 89 04:01:59 GMT Organization: Advanced Decision Systems, Arlington VA Lines: 50 From: feldman@umd5.umd.edu (Mark Feldman) Newsgroups: comp.sys.next Subject: NeXT concerns will be willing to purchase a source license. Steve Jobs said that our having source would make it more difficult for NeXT to provide support. Well, if NeXT doesn't provide source, there's a good chance that support won't be a problem, as we won't be purchasing NeXTs. This is the one point about the NeXT philosophy that bugs me. Source code will not be available because (supposedly) it would be more difficult for NeXT to provide patches/support when everyone has bastardized their kernels. There are probably legal issues here too (is Mach wholly public domain? Does NeXT want to ship source code for their proprietary products when they could conceivably be used on another Unix machine?). I'm not a big fan of the centralized, software-updates-via-cart-tape methodology for updating software since it means you have to wait... and wait ... and wait... AND WAIT for the latest software updates. Sun is notorious for not distributing patches on a timely basis... well no wonder... its EXPENSIVE shipping out those cart tapes and Sun is after all still a small, rapidly growing company. On the other hand NeXT can't rely on networks and user groups for distribution of patches to their code (ARPANet, NSFnet, Usenet, BITNET, ad nauseum) as a corporate policy. Neither can they afford to have irate customers calling because the latest patches didn't install properly on their machine's bastardized kernels. This policy, however, should not penalize those of us who wish to modify our kernels/applications and are willing to take our chances. If NeXT had a decent patch/revision control system then it might be possible to coordinate these changes with user modified code. My $0.00002. -- John T. Nelson UUCP: sun!sundc!potomac!jtn Advanced Decision Systems Internet: jtn@potomac.ads.com 1500 Wilson Blvd #512; Arlington, VA 22209-2401 (703) 243-1611 "The only thing more useless than a Faberge' egg is a coffee table picture book about Faberge' eggs"