Google, Linux, WinXP and Open Source
I was reading the other day about the leak of information concerning Google's own "GDrive", which will allow any individual to store files (with "infinite space", so went the recorded details of the PowerPoint presentation at Google's Analyst Day) onto Google's own servers. Of course, there's already an extension that does that already (GDrive for IE, GSpace for Firefox), but I just wanted to ask a question about Google to the Linux community at LJ.
It is already known that Google's servers run on Linux x86 (Linux being a good choice for servers, of course). With the most recent rumour about their "Windows killer" Linux-based GoogleOS (also known as Google Envision), Google made it known that it did have its own OS (a customized version of Ubuntu, they said), but that it was made for internal use exclusively. Alot of people already know that Google's video format is based upon the VLC Player; and Google announced in October a partnership with Sun Microsystems, which is the main distributor and overseer for OpenOffice.org (the premiere Office suite on most Linux distributions, and now the much-rumoured basis for Google's own Web-based office suite). Finally, Google is the main subsidizer for Mozilla's funding and hosts the default Firefox homepage and search engine; and Google also uses the Jabber/XMPP protocol as the basis for Google Talk (not to mention that they open-sourced "libjingle", the VoIP format for that same IM engine).
And now it seeks to provide secure, unlimited storage for user-submitted files?
Now I think I can probably say and mean this in earnest:
When you use Google, you are using Linux.
_____________________________________
Seriously, when you use Google, Gmail, GDrive/GSpace, Google Video, Gtalk, or anything of that sort, all of which are running on Linux x86 distributed server farms, you are literally using Linux, no matter if you yourself are using WinXP (except that you are but a part of the cash/content cow that Google is milking) or Mac OS X (which doesn't give nearly as much).
I expect that, with every other Linux distribution out there, Google will be a prime user of Gnash (GNU's Flash Player Project) once/whenever it goes beta, since it will be one less link of (proprietary, closed-source) dependency to another third-party company. Plus, it just announced a switch from Intel to AMD (a microprocessor company that has long been friendly with FOSS developers, and has also cooperated with the FSF's top-priority OpenBIOS endeavor) chips for their servers, further solidifying the fact that Google makes the most extensive use of free and open source software, albeit within closed quarters.
So, IMO, now I understand why they're not receptive to the idea of Linux portings of Google desktop apps: 1) There are already Linux equivalents, and 2) They're not a software company, and is only making software for Windows because its a cash cow that can be milked of data which will help them in making profits, all of which are centered around their only main goal: to search and aggregate the world's information and make it available to any/everyone (yes, even PRC citizens, although not as much). They wouldn't receive much profit or benefit from Linux portings of software, anyway.
And finally, folks have long heard rumour after rumour of the GoogleOS/Envision. But its like Google, by virtue of being a search engine, has ascended above the barriers of hardware and even *software*: you can fully Google with nothing more than a web browser and an Internet connection, no matter your OS of choice or use. Google, by itself, is the ultimate "computer" AND "free/opensource OS", and increasingly more so with the coming of GDrive.
So...yeah. Just wanted to share that, thanks.
It is already known that Google's servers run on Linux x86 (Linux being a good choice for servers, of course). With the most recent rumour about their "Windows killer" Linux-based GoogleOS (also known as Google Envision), Google made it known that it did have its own OS (a customized version of Ubuntu, they said), but that it was made for internal use exclusively. Alot of people already know that Google's video format is based upon the VLC Player; and Google announced in October a partnership with Sun Microsystems, which is the main distributor and overseer for OpenOffice.org (the premiere Office suite on most Linux distributions, and now the much-rumoured basis for Google's own Web-based office suite). Finally, Google is the main subsidizer for Mozilla's funding and hosts the default Firefox homepage and search engine; and Google also uses the Jabber/XMPP protocol as the basis for Google Talk (not to mention that they open-sourced "libjingle", the VoIP format for that same IM engine).
And now it seeks to provide secure, unlimited storage for user-submitted files?
Now I think I can probably say and mean this in earnest:
When you use Google, you are using Linux.
_____________________________________
Seriously, when you use Google, Gmail, GDrive/GSpace, Google Video, Gtalk, or anything of that sort, all of which are running on Linux x86 distributed server farms, you are literally using Linux, no matter if you yourself are using WinXP (except that you are but a part of the cash/content cow that Google is milking) or Mac OS X (which doesn't give nearly as much).
I expect that, with every other Linux distribution out there, Google will be a prime user of Gnash (GNU's Flash Player Project) once/whenever it goes beta, since it will be one less link of (proprietary, closed-source) dependency to another third-party company. Plus, it just announced a switch from Intel to AMD (a microprocessor company that has long been friendly with FOSS developers, and has also cooperated with the FSF's top-priority OpenBIOS endeavor) chips for their servers, further solidifying the fact that Google makes the most extensive use of free and open source software, albeit within closed quarters.
So, IMO, now I understand why they're not receptive to the idea of Linux portings of Google desktop apps: 1) There are already Linux equivalents, and 2) They're not a software company, and is only making software for Windows because its a cash cow that can be milked of data which will help them in making profits, all of which are centered around their only main goal: to search and aggregate the world's information and make it available to any/everyone (yes, even PRC citizens, although not as much). They wouldn't receive much profit or benefit from Linux portings of software, anyway.
And finally, folks have long heard rumour after rumour of the GoogleOS/Envision. But its like Google, by virtue of being a search engine, has ascended above the barriers of hardware and even *software*: you can fully Google with nothing more than a web browser and an Internet connection, no matter your OS of choice or use. Google, by itself, is the ultimate "computer" AND "free/opensource OS", and increasingly more so with the coming of GDrive.
So...yeah. Just wanted to share that, thanks.
