Interview: 64studio, Daniel James

8. 6. 2009 | Luboš Doležel, Robert Krátký | Rozhovory | 4175×

1. Why did you start to use Linux? Did you use other operating systems before choosing Linux?

I started using Red Hat 5.0 on the desktop, for web development, around ten years ago. Before that I'd only used GNU/Linux as a web server. I'd had some very frustrating experiences with sound card support under Windows 95, and the lack of community really made me feel like I was on my own. I'd also been using Macs running System 7, but found the OS quite limiting, and I didn't like being exploited by Apple and its resellers. In those days, the exact same component would be priced differently, depending on whether you bought it from the Mac store or the PC store of the same company, and I felt cheated.

2. What made you consider starting/joining the development of an 'alternative' distribution?

I was using AGNULA/DeMuDi, a Debian derivative, when the funding behind that project ran out. I suggested to DeMuDi maintainer Free Ekanayaka that we form a new company to produce Debian-based multimedia distributions for OEMs and other commercial users. Of course we also produce a free-as-in-beer distro, but our aim is to make our free software development self-financing.

3. What did the 'big' distributions lack (or had too much of)?

They often lack focus on the needs of specific groups of users, because they follow the lead of Windows or OS X in trying to create a general-purpose desktop. We can't blame them for trying to reach the mainstream, but it's fortunate for users with specialised needs that a diverse range of distros exists.

4. What do you say to those who think the Linux world should be more united and focus on co-operation rather then resolve problems by forking projects?

I'm definitely in favour of co-operation, and this is one of the reasons I founded the linuxaudio.org project. However, freedom to fork is one of things that makes free software great. Sometimes it's the best technical solution.

5. Is 64studio your primary operating system? How many other distros have you used so far? Which ones?

Yes, for the last three years. I've also used Red Hat, Mandrake, Debian and Ubuntu in the past. I also like dyne:bolic, it's a good project.

6. What is 64studio's killer feature(s)?

We have a great user and testing community, which is very friendly and supportive. On the technical side, we're aiming for the highest possible performance on modern hardware, while retaining support for the legacy PCs that many people still use. We were the first distro to demonstrate that fully native x86-64 is a really worthwhile technology for multimedia workstations. Our 32-bit build works on a Pentium II, although we recommend at least a Pentium III for good real-time audio performance.

7. What do you plan to implement/improve? What can we look forward to in 64studio's next release?

2.1 has release notes in Czech and a local mirror, thanks to Stanislav Graf.

We're working on a Lenny based version, to be called 64 Studio 3.0. I'm looking forward to improved support for the newest hardware, including many-cored processors. We should also see some improvements to look and feel, and I'd like to integrate more documentation with the desktop.

8. What do you consider the biggest obstacle for mass deployment of Linux on the desktop?

The diversity and range of quality in PC hardware; there's a lot of junk out there. I don't consider this to be a major problem, because the true age of free software begins after the PC era, in the realm of specialised, low energy embedded devices.

Thank you for your time.

No problem!
Cheers!
Daniel

       

Komentáře

[mce]

zminovany projekt/distribuce se jmenovala "Agnula/DeMuDi"

[Robert Krátký]

Dík, opraveno.

[otasomil]

Zajimavy projekt. Jeho live verzi zvazuju otestovat. Sic multimedia nejsou zrovna muj obor zajmu. Cesky mirror zde:

[Jan Grmela]

začne s koncem éry PC – ve světě specializovaných embedded zařízení s nízkou spotřebou.

Tak tak. Je zajímavé sledovat, jak vývoj počítačů prodělal elipsu "počítač nám staví velká firma a nemůžeme na něm nic upravit"->"počítač si stavíme doma sami"->"u počítače si občas něco vyměníme sami"->"počítač nám staví velká firma a nemůžeme na něm nic upravit"