Attracting Linux users?

Interesting conclusion of Charlie Schluting in his article “Will OpenSolaris 2008.11 Attract Linux Users?”:

If OpenSolaris spent the next 1-2 years focusing primarily on adopting standardized open source software rather than implementing shiny new features, the project would stand a much better chance of attracting long-time Linux users.

Don´t think so. The new features are the stuff that attacts Linux users … you have to do both. Making it easy for Linux users to choose their favourite OS on technical merits than on usage habits. But there has to be a technological lead. Otherwise there wouldn´t be any reason to think about changing. Often good-enough is good-enough. You need such features like dtrace or zfs or crossbow to create a demand.

OpenSolaris doesn’t need the exclusive community that Solaris enjoyed all these years, it needs the huge Linux community. I think it will happen; the question is, “how quickly?”

ACK. I think Solaris will get more influence from the Linux side. We need the bigger linux community. The problem is: You can´t get a linux-like standard on one side without violating some standards and alienating Solaris users. Solaris don´t need the community at the price of its soul. We have to balance this. PS: Anonymous is correct … i´ve read this article in an incorrect way as i was distracted, so it led me to a wrong comment. I´ve reread the article again and edited the article.