There are lots of different ways you can build software and the typical ways in which FOSS development and proprietary development are done are quite dramatically different.

In this article, I’m going to talk about what problems the typical FOSS method can face when open source products are integrated within enterprise environments. I will then go on to talk about two different companies, and how they address some of these issues.

Monolithic Releases

The trend in proprietary software development is to release relatively infrequently, but when you do, to provide a massive update. One of the most obvious examples here would be Microsoft and their development cycle with Windows.

It took them about 5 years to push out Vista following XP, and when they did, they had changed an awful lot between the releases. You could argue this example is a little extreme, but bear with me.

“Release early, release often”

Now contrast with the trend for free software/open source development. Ubuntu recently pushed out their Hardy Heron release. Ubuntu follows a 6-month release cycle, and apart from a minor blip pushing Dapper Drake back by two months a couple of years ago, they have kept to that well.

In contrast to the changes between XP and Vista, relatively little changes between Ubuntu releases.

This concept of ‘release often, release early’ that is so pervasive in the FOSS world has been written about in Eric S Raymond’s The Cathedral and the Bazaar (very interesting read, if you’re in to that sort of thing by the way).

Potential Problems for Enterprise Adoption

These frequent release cycles and constant wave of small changes to open source products can cause issues in the business environment.

Read the rest of Enterprise FOSS Adoption

Remember the good old days when to change a screen resolution or driver, you had to edit xorg.conf or reconfigure X.org? Those fine times are now over, or they will be, with the release of Ubuntu 7.10.

As of an update from a few days ago, users are now able to access a graphical user interface for editing xorg.conf, though only for graphic and display settings. This tool has support for dual monitors at the moment, and with the release of X.org 7.3 it will be possible to add even more. You can turn on and off both (or one) of your monitor(s), change the available resolutions, orientations, and set mirror or exteneded desktops.

On the Graphics Card tab, you have a selection of drivers and video memory. You can pick your graphics card and have it select a driver for you, or you can choose the driver yourself (useful for binary ATI/NVIDIA drivers).

The Test feature as of writing is a little buggy, but this is an alpha version still; updates will follow.

This feature is actually Ubuntu-specific at the moment, though other distributions are sure to adopt it soon. It is part of Ubuntu 7.10’s “Bullet Proof X” blueprint that states, in a general sense, that if X for some reason fails to start, then it will fall back to a failsafe mode with this GUI running to help get you back on your feet.

There is much improvement to be made with X as 7.3 releases, but whether this will make it into Ubuntu 7.10 in time is another story. Feature freeze is now in effect, however it was broken for an X update once before. Whether we’ll see it all depends on when it is released. Count on FOSSwire for our take on X.org 7.3 later this month or next.

Slashdot is reporting that the BBC Trust are going to be meeting with the Open Source Consortium over the BBC’s new on-demand iPlayer video service. The service is currently planned to utilise Microsoft DRM technology, which of course will be a problem for anyone wanting to enjoy the content somewhere other than Windows.

“With the Launch of the BBC’s iPlayer imminent, the BBC trust has agreed to hear the Open Source Consortium’s concerns regarding the BBC iPlayer’s tie in with Microsoft’s software. The move by the BBC to use Windows Media DRM & their apparent lack of commitment towards other platforms has caused outrage in many circles and prompted several online petitions.”

The BBC have previously been petitioned by free software users and user groups over the decision to utilise Microsoft DRM, which will lock the on-demand video services so that it is only usable by Windows users.

As a public service broadcaster, the BBC pledge “to serve everyone and enrich people’s lives” and so it has been argued that by locking people into Windows technologies, the BBC aren’t fulfilling this.

The willingness to talk however should be a good sign that the BBC are hopefully treating this concern seriously, and so I do hope that all computer users, regardless of which platform they use, will be able to benefit from the iPlayer service.