[syslinux] Whither SYSLINUX

[Frank Mitchell]

SYSLINUX is certainly useful. I currently start Debian from their standard
boot floppy, which uses SYSLINUX. I found it very easy to edit syslinux.cfg
for ide-scsi setup.

Surely the future lies with bootable CDs and floppy images specifically
designed for them. Maybe there should be a combined SYSLINUX / ISOLINUX
package which allows you to specify Floppy Emulation or not.

But if you invent a new software package, I'm beginning to wonder whether
GNU GPL is still the best choice. It was based on the idea of group
collaboration, not an individual Developer getting feedback via his Web
Page. Nowadays there are good reasons why nobody should want other
Programmers to modify your software.

And as Linux gets more commercial, it make less sense to exclude the
possibility of collecting royalties from Commercial Distributors. You want
to be generous, but not stupid.

My current thinking was prompted by the phrase "Free Beer". In England it's
entirely legal to brew your own beer. You get a better product and avoid
alot of tax. But people don't bother. There's no chance of commercial
brewers being put out of business by Home Brew Kits.

So maybe you could have it both ways. Your Source Code could be
available for anybody with the nous to compile it, while Commercial
Distributors could still make money by distributing the binaries, and give
some to you.

Faictz Ce Que Vouldras: Frank Mitchell