No Desktop Linux for You!

Those of us who use Linux on our desktops understand that it is a great desktop OS. In this capacity it is perfectly capable of meeting the needs of most people. There are however, two major factors which prevent it from becoming a viable alternative for average people in the US. Both also represent a certain corruption of the US political system. I'm referring to software patents and the 'Digital Millennium Copyright Act' (DMCA).

People use their computers to browse the web, send and receive email, word processing, catalog and re-touch pictures etc... Linux and the applications included with most distributions are capable of doing these things and doing them well. Today people have come to expect multimedia capabilities with their computers. This is the dilemma which Linux faces in the US. Particularly with commercial DVDs. Not because GNU/Linux apps aren't capable of playing these encrypted discs but because they are prevented from doing so by the DMCA. In particular DeCSS which was created through reverse engineering by Norwegian Jon Johansen. (otherwise known as "DVD Jon")

The DMCA is a bad law which was passed after heavy lobbying by big media and proprietary software companies. The DMCA prevents circumvention of copy-protection and this is why the use of DeCSS is technically illegal in the US. Common sense and a basic idea of right and wrong would dictate that people should be allowed to view legally purchased content. The MPAA doesn't see it this way. Which is why they sought to prosecute Jon Johansen in Norway. After two attempts the judge in the case asserted that since Johansen had legally purchased his DVDs he had a right to watch them even if that required circumvention of the CSS encryption. Johansen was aquitted of all charges.

While other nations are more concerned with consumer protections in some respects, the use of DeCSS in the US remains illegal. To deal with this, Linux distributors in the US do not include DeCSS and do not offer it in their repositories. Although DeCSS can be easily downloaded from repositories outside of the US. Novell goes one step further by purposely crippling xine libraries in openSUSE to prevent the playback of encrypted DVDs even with the DeCSS library installed. Canonical now sells proprietary DVD software for use with Ubuntu. This puts Linux at a disadvantage in that Windows includes this capability. DVD software for windows is also generally included with the purchase of a DVD-ROM.

We must also consider the case of the ubiquitous iPod. OSX and Windows users have the option of installing iTunes. This software doesn't exist for use on Linux. With Linux, iPod compatibility is a moving target. Because of the popularity of the iPod, developers of free music players/managers have worked for iPod compatibility only to see it broken by the next firmware update from the most closed software/hardware company on the planet.

Today, the average consumer expects multimedia capabilities 'out-of-the-box'. (or at least easily obtainable) Today GNU/Linux is artificially handicapped by the DMCA putting the operating system at a disadvantage when compared to other OSs with respect to multimedia capabilities. Of course the freedom of GNU/Linux vastly out weighs this disadvantage but most people are not aware of Free Software's existence nor it's ideals. They just want it to work.

This dilemma is not easily solved in the US. We could push for bad laws such as the DMCA to be changed or repealed, but with powerful, big-money lobbies pressuring Congress this would be an exercise in futility. Another option (and one already taken by some) is to use DeCSS to watch legally purchased content as a matter civil disobedience and fight it out in court if it comes to that. Until this problem is solved, GNU/Linux will not become mainstream. Which brings us to a point of contention for many in the free software community.

Many in the 'community' are not concerned with whether or not Linux becomes 'mainstream'. Some even have an aversion to the idea. Mainstream adoption of Linux is important. With wider adoption comes wider awareness and increased advocacy. This is vital when faced with proprietary vendors who seek to destroy the 'threat' of Free Software by any and all means necessary. (including corruption of our legislative process)

In part 2 we'll discuss software patents...