Re: Emacs vista build failures

[Thomas Lord]

Lennart Borgman (gmail) wrote:
> Thomas Lord wrote:
> > The most important thing in such a large effort as a complete system
> > is the standards:  standards for coding, for documentation, for
> > source code management, for configuration, build, install, patching and
> > rebuild/reinstall, and uninstall.
>
> Yes, standards is the key to success.
>
> There are probably other areas for standards that could be mentioned 
> too. One could for example think about OpenOffice and the struggle to 
> implement an open standard for word processors.

Thanks.

Layering matters there, in my view:

Getting source code management, configure, build, install standards 
right makes application level (e.g. functionality at the level of 
OpenOffice) easier to standardize on -- because you can then publish 
working, useful, reference implementation *components* to deal with 
those app-level standards.


> I find it hard to imagine that GNU/Linux will not be dominating when 
> there are (in a bright future) adequate standards. Before that time I 
> find it hard to believe that GNU/Linux can dominate.
>
> This is because standards makes it much easier to build on the work of 
> others - and the idea of doing that is at the bottom of GNU/Linux IMO.


Right.  "Composability" (of source components) is the thing to 
optimize.   From there, things can grow without giving over freedom (via 
licensing or more subtle controls) to intermediaries.   The GNU project, 
per say, has failed and needs a reboot.

-t