BUG: GNU takeover.

[Alan Grimes]

om

=(

I have been thinking about this for a few days and I have decided to
report the inclusion of GRUB, as GRUB, in the GNU project as a bug, one
that I find extremely frustrating. My frustration regarding this subject
is to the point that I am about to go running through the streets
screaming... Well not exactly those actions but I am at that level of
frustration. 

Now I suspect you are about to hit the delete button. We are the high
and noble free software foundation. We deliver free software to the
masses. Freedom to everyone to download, modify, and use.

Well my perspective on the situation is the reverse. I see a general and
useful project being commendered and perverted to serve RMS's agenda.
The difference between the FSF/GNU project and Microsoft is that
Microsoft doesn't preach freedom while locking users into a very narrow
technology base. They may be evil but they are still above hypocracy.
Free software tends to be exemplary. I have seen freeware and even Open
Source freeware such as freePascal (which I intend to use in my OS),
that can rival or beat any closed source package in existance. I
currently use the free XOS Loader, and it has been nothing but a
pleasure to use. And then I see the GNU project which, in my mind, has
come to be absolutly synonymous with shit. I would even say that a
software package sucks to the extent it relies on GNU software.

I have not seen one GNU package that can be said to be more than a few
fractions better than INTERCAL.

Okay, maybe I have let myself get a little carried away with my rantings
against the GNU software project, though none of them are undeserved. If
I could have things my way I would find a multiboot compliant loader
that I could use to make a bootdisk for my OS and not even bother with
the GNU project or any of its products at all. I wouldn't care that the
"Grand Unified Booter" had been anexed by a single family of operating
systems. If it were renamed to "The GNU Bootstrap Loader" I wouldn't
even snort at the irony. 

As it stands, the grand unified booter can only be downloaded onto a
system that supports unix-style long file names. It can only be
decompressed with Tar/Gzip. (Which are nominally available for DOS but
are horrendously destructive in their behavior on that system). 

It can only be compiled with GCC/Binutils, which I have found through
painful experience can't be made to run with any reasonable ammount of
effort on the user-aware Be Operating System. (The more an OS is aware
of its user, the less it is supported by GNU software). 

In short, GNU GRUB is saying to me: You can use me for free but only if
you install Linux/BSD/HURD on your system. 

Is that supposed to make me feel more free? 
WOO HOOO! I get to choose between three suckey OSes!!! =P 

For GRUB to be GRUB, It absolutly cannot be biased towards (or against)
any reasonably common OS.

Let me offer you a truce: Provide for me a GRUB binary that users can
*EASILY* install onto DOS disks with DOS or windows 9x, that will
PAINLESSLY load my prototype OS immage, to the extent I can produce a
good immage, and I will promise not to troll this list -- too much. =P

If you have any questions about what OS I use, read my e-mail headers. 

-- 
Waiting for a typical DOS application to crash is like waiting for hell
to freeze over.
http://users.erols.com/alangrimes/  <my website.