Thank Stallman if Dell starts shipping Ubuntu (and keep looking at Microsoft stocks)

I think this is really a key moment in the history of computers and technology. It seems Dell will start shipping desktops and laptops with Ubuntu GNU/Linux preinstalled on it: everyone will be free to choose!
I totally love this post start (duggmirrored): “It’s now official. That’s it, the embargo is over. We can talk.” The news, still unconfirmed, is already reprised by BBC for instance but you can follow the evolution of the media tam tam on technorati.
There will be future days for commenting on this fact, this increase in freedom of choice for all of us, for now let us just rejoice looking at the Microsoft stock slumping.
And in this moment I think the best thing I can do is to pay homage to the man who started it all. Some years ago, when “I’ll create a complete free computer system from scratch” would have seem a so donquixotesque utopic adventure, he had the courage and the will to start the way towards what he believed was the correct thing to do. In this day, I’m really happy to thank Richard Stallman and to quote him from the movie Revolution OS

The whole GNU project is really one big hack, it’s one big act of subversive playful cleverness to change society for the better, because I am always interested in changing society for the better, but in a clever way.


(this video is a part from “revolution os” in which Richard Stallman discusses the birth of GNU and his motivations, I was not able to find the last part of the movie from which the above quote is taken)

9 thoughts on “Thank Stallman if Dell starts shipping Ubuntu (and keep looking at Microsoft stocks)

  1. Roberto Galoppini

    I agree with you Paolo,all floss folks ought a lot to Richard, and we couldn’t get there without his job. Neverthless I believe that Dell is embracing free software for tactical reasons though. Microsoft’s OEM is a tax that every single hardware manufacturer has to pay, (GNU/)Linux to them represents a chance to change the balance of power.
    Last but not least it is worth to mention that many other hackers made (GNU/)Linux a viable alternative, and entepreneurs like Mark Shuttleworth today are also making the difference.

  2. paolo Post author

    I absolutely agree with you. Surely Dell is embracing for tactical reasons, this is what should always happen in a free market, no?
    But the software/hardware mass market is so globally unfree that it is just amazing how so few people seem to realize this.
    Anyway, I agree there are a lot of other great people in Free Software but Stallman is unique! ;-)
    If you haven’t, watch the movie “revolution OS”, pretty inspiring!

  3. Roberto Galoppini

    Free market?! Uhm, I just heard about free software so far.. ;-)

    The “Dell thing” it is just the beginning, in the very next future I think we won’t bother each other talking about operative systems. I see Google, and pretty soon Microsoft too, delivering just everything through the net, fat clients we are used to today is going to be a niche market in my opinion. For the time beeing Dell is getting its chance to get (big?) discounts for OEM licenses, though.

  4. paolo Post author

    I agree with you. And in a way it is a pity because we spent so much energies fighting for freedom in software and now everything moves to services.
    This is why I think that GPLv3 and the discussion about “distributing as service is distributing and hence GPL clauses apply” is very important and interesting and will shape our digital future.
    I guess you know the proposed “honest public license”, right?
    http://www.funambol.com/blog/capo/2006/08/honest-public-license.html

    Ciao and thanks for comments!

  5. paolo Post author

    Grazie per il link all’articolo su Rufo. Quoto “I foresee that Italians will end up mostly “making cappuccinos for the chinese people”” e temo che abbia ragione ;-(
    Non ci vorrebbe poi molto ad invertire la tendenza e fare dell’Italia un motore di sviluppo del Software Libero e Open Source. Basterebbe un politico un po’ illluminato. Ma uno dei pochi (Fiorello Cortiana) non e’ stato neanche ricandidato.

  6. Antonio LdF

    La naturalezza con cui dice “usatelo, venite..” e’ disarmante e dimostra una forza di pensiero e d’animo che vermifica i grandi big dei sistemi operatvi, dei softaware e via discorrendo.

    Sono passato ad Ubuntu proprio ieri e, nonostante ci siano cose un po’ più complesse rispetto a Win, sono felicissimo di averlo fatto (ora sono a lavoro però :-P)

    Spero di contribuire in qualche maniera, in qualche settore..magari il mio eh?!

  7. paolo Post author

    I don’t know why I switched to Italian in my last comment, it was not because i realize that 3 Italians discussing in English is weird! ;-)
    Antonio, I’ve seen your presentation at the OpenCamp, I think you will be able to contribute, probably in your field!
    If you have any problem with Ubuntu, feel free to ask, or even better join the local Linux User Group.

  8. Antonio LdF

    I’m ready to ask if necessary, but the work of the other people for the manuals and the wiki is great!

    I’ll join in the local user group soon!
    Remember even that if you need “something”, you have only to ask!

    Read you soon..
    :-)

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