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 From : Sergey Lentsov                       2:4615/71.10   08 Mar 2001  18:11:06
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 Subject : URL: http://lwn.net/2001/0308
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 Leading items and editorials
 
    Opening up OpenMail? As was [45]originally reported in ComputerWorld,
    Hewlett-Packard has announced that it will cease development on its
    [46]OpenMail [47][OpenMail] product. Version 7.0, which became
    available on February 28, will be the last major release of this
    system.
    
    This announcement may seem like just the death of yet another
    proprietary software product. But it matters. OpenMail is the only
    "enterprise ready," Exchange-compatible mail server product which is
    available on Linux. Its demise leaves an important corporate function
    with no Linux-based solution; all that's left is windows-based,
    proprietary systems - and not very many of those. For the moment, this
    looks like a setback for the World Domination program.
    
    There is an important lesson here, however, for the users of
    proprietary software. Companies that have deployed OpenMail have
    invested heavily in it. But, with proprietary systems, you never
    really know if it will be there tomorrow. OpenMail is going away, and
    there is nothing its users can do about it. It can not be maintained -
    even by those willing to pay for that maintenance. If a proprietary
    system's owner so wills, the software simply vanishes.
    
    It is worth pointing out that HP is paying more than the usual amount
    of attention to its users' interests in this case. The announcement
    went out with OpenMail 7.0, rather than after customers had paid for
    upgrades. And HP will be providing bug fixes and other support for the
    next five years, so there is plenty of time to find a replacement. HP
    is to be commended for being clear about its plans, rather than just
    quietly ramping down development.
    
    One of the first thoughts that comes to mind, of course, is that HP
    should release OpenMail under an open source license. HP, after all,
    has [48]taken some criticism at times for seemingly being more
    interested in talking about free software than actually supporting it.
    Here is, it seems, HP's chance to bolser its open source image while
    simultaneously doing the free software world a real favor.
    
    Life, of course, is not so simple. Bruce Perens has [49]sent around a
    note on the future of OpenMail and the possibility of releasing it as
    open source. Most of the usual problems apply. For example, HP does
    not own all of the code that is in OpenMail, so the company will have
    to go through, track down all of the various licenses it owns, and
    figure out how they impact an open source release. Over twelve years,
    a large system can accumulate quite a few of these licenses. Once they
    have been found, it will be necessary to "sanitize" the code, removing
    everything that can not be released. That is a big job, and the
    resulting system is likely to function poorly, if at all.
    
    Then, of course, it's not just a simple matter of tossing the code
    onto an FTP site and hoping for the best. There needs to be CVS
    archives, project management, documentation, web pages, etc. And
    getting people interested in the code could be a challenge. After
    twelve years, one can assume that this system has grown complex and
    full of cruft. It may not be for the faint of heart.
    
    The end result is that releasing OpenMail as free software would not
    be a cost-free action for HP - it could, in fact, be quite expensive.
    
    Perhaps the best case scenario, in the end, might be for some other
    company to take on the open-sourcing of OpenMail. Even in these
    (relatively) hard times, it seems like it should be possible to build
    a business on this product, much in the same way that NuSphere and
    Great Bridge are hitching their wagons to open source database
    systems. A small business could perhaps be built around
    nicely-packaged OpenMail box sets, but OpenMail seems like a system
    that would support a large market in design and support services.
    Companies that depend on OpenMail would probably be willing to pay for
    further development and support services; they could redirect the
    funds currently going into license fees.
    
    What's needed is a company that can build this business. [50]Sendmail,
    Inc. seems like it would be a natural for this line of work; OpenMail
    already uses sendmail, and would be a strong weapon in Sendmail's
    quest to make money from enterprise services. Red Hat, too, could
    perhaps benefit from the package. And VA Linux, of course, has made a
    major goal of replacing its dotcom customers, who have not been the
    most reliable lately, with blue-chip enterprise companies. If HP can
    not find the resources to free OpenMail, certainly one of these other
    companies should be able to step in and help out? Let's make HP come
    up with a different excuse for holding onto the source.
    
    (See also: [51]The OpenMail Showdown: Is Bruce Perens Just a Pretty
    Face? by Don Marti for a more cynical look at the situation).
    
    HP gets into Linux-based stereo gear? Since OpenMail is no longer an
    appropriate fit with HP's strategy....what is? For one clue, see
    [52]this press release describing a new partnership with RealNetworks.
    The details are sparse, to say the least, but the picture that emerges
    is that the two are working on a Linux-based box which would plug into
    a living-room stereo system and make music available from the
    Internet. The real set of products and services are due to come out
    later this year.
    
    One could be forgiven for wondering if the companies aren't targeting
    the Napster customer base. A paid service providing a "universal juke
    box" functionality could well be popular, especially if it is easy to
    use (without a user-visible computer) and lacks legal challenges. In
    that context, a quote from [53]this TechWeb article is interesting:
    
      [HP VP John] Spofford said a Web-connected home-entertainment
      device is a logical step for HP, whose CD-Writer rewritable drive,
      which has sold 10 million units, lets consumers make media from the
      Internet and PCs accessible on other devices.
      
    A network-based music device which avoids the wrath of the music
    industry is unlikely to provide a straightforward connection to one of
    those CD writers. We are waiting to see how they resolve that problem.
    
    The other question, of course, is that of just how open this box will
    be. A Linux-based system designed for audio applications would be a
    fun toy to play with. We can only hope that HP will provide an open
    interface to this box so that others can write their own applications
    for it. Somebody will figure out a way in regardless; why not make it
    easy and let a wider set of applications drive sales for the device?
    Bruce Perens [54]said two years ago:
    
      Open Source has de-emphasized the importance of the freedoms
      involved in Free Software. It's time for us to fix that. We must
      make it clear to the world that those freedoms are still important,
      and that software such as Linux would not be around without them.
      
    Perhaps Bruce, in his high-profile HP role, could help to make this
    new product line support freedom?
    
    Inside this week's Linux Weekly News:
      * [55]Security: Strong ES vs Weak ES TCP/IP implementations, new
        security reports for Apache, /bin/mail, PHP-Nuke, PHP, and more.
      * [56]Kernel: SnapFS enters alpha; DOS-formatted scripts.
      * [57]Distributions: What is a Linux Distribution? Icepack Linux,
        NIC Linux and Brutalware are added to the list.
      * [58]On the Desktop: Page layout updates, Mozilla slips but Opera
        slides, and Mandrake talks GNOME.
      * [59]Development: New GTK+ and GLib, Mailman 2.0.2, CMF for Zope,
        Python Software Foundation.
      * [60]Commerce: Zero-Knowledge Systems names Advisory Board, Lineo
        to acquire Convergence Integrated Media.
      * [61]History: "Who do you sue?" VA Linux acquiring SGI - seemed
        possible at the time.
      * [62]Letters: The music industry; Allchin's comments again; and
        more.
        
    ...plus the usual array of reports, updates, and announcements.
    
    This Week's LWN was brought to you by:
      * [63]Jonathan Corbet, Executive Editor
      * [64]Elizabeth O. Coolbaugh, Managing Editor
      * [65]Michael J. Hammel, Senior Editor
        
    March 8, 2001
    
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    [69]Eklektix, Inc. Linux powered! Copyright Л 2001 [70]Eklektix, Inc.,
    all rights reserved
    Linux (R) is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds
 
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    3. http://lwn.net/2001/0308/security.php3
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   51. http://noframes.linuxjournal.com/articles/buzz/0045.html
   52.
 http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/f_headline.cgi?bw.030601/210650282&ticker=HW
 P
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   67. http://ads.tucows.com/click.ng/buttonpos=125-001-016
   68. http://lwn.net/2001/0308/security.php3
   69. http://www.eklektix.com/
   70. http://www.eklektix.com/
 
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