Re: Fwd: Boxer on Linux

[Doug Loss <dloss@csrlink.net>]

bickiia@earlham.edu wrote:
> 
> >You are right, Boxer on Linux is a great idea! I'd love to get it
> >done. I presume you've inspected our Web site.
> 
> I don't know that this is a viable option for Boxer or not, but it seems
> like it might have potential for Free Software in general: would it be
> possible to get grants to write free software?
> 
> It just seems like there's a tremendous amount of money being dumped in
> to computers in education right now -- IMHO most of it without much
> thought or plan -- that at least some of it could come this way.
> 
> Again, I don't know if Boxer could do this -- I imagine it already has
> existed on charity, of sorts, for a while by way of the university
> affiliation.  But I'd love to see something like this happen for
> someone.

I get the impression that the Boxer team is hoping to make a living from
Boxer, which in this case might preclude opening the source.  Rather
than a grant, might we be able to find some group to commission a Linux
port?  The group could negotiate with the team for some rights to the
Linux port, which might include gratis distribution.  I don't know if
there is such a group in the Linux community, but if there is I'd
support it for educational ports.

Other than that, would anyone here be interested in helping these guys
with a port?  Whether they do a Linux port or not, they'll still be in
the position of losing their university support, so I don't see that
they should mind.  The question of open-sourcing is the one they might
have a problem with.  If you do the port for them, you might be able to
get them to agree to gratis distribution if nothing else.  Vincent
Konieczek, is this something your group might be interested in?

-- 
Doug Loss                 The difference between the right word and
Data Network Coordinator  the almost right word is the difference
Bloomsburg University     between lightning and a lightning bug.
dloss@bloomu.edu                Mark Twain