Comments on: Linux in Japan? http://blog.herlein.com/2009/09/linux-in-japan/ - the musings of Greg Herlein Thu, 12 Aug 2010 16:41:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: gherlein http://blog.herlein.com/2009/09/linux-in-japan/comment-page-1/#comment-19 gherlein Fri, 11 Sep 2009 04:44:57 +0000 http://blog.herlein.com/?p=61#comment-19 Hey Ed, I hope you are right. The folks hosting me are also Linux developers, but like you they do mostly embedded stuff. I'm glad to see that Ubuntu is getting traction. I'm quite impressed by Japanese Engineers and I think they can add a lot to Linux - if they get a a chance to use it and don't fall into the Microsoft trap. Hey Ed, I hope you are right. The folks hosting me are also Linux developers, but like you they do mostly embedded stuff. I’m glad to see that Ubuntu is getting traction. I’m quite impressed by Japanese Engineers and I think they can add a lot to Linux – if they get a a chance to use it and don’t fall into the Microsoft trap.

]]> By: Ed Okerson http://blog.herlein.com/2009/09/linux-in-japan/comment-page-1/#comment-18 Ed Okerson Fri, 11 Sep 2009 02:59:07 +0000 http://blog.herlein.com/?p=61#comment-18 Greg, Did you also look at the last link? The span of time between the first link and now, plus the fact that there is now Japanese Ubuntu available seems to indicate that the Linux demand in Japan is building about like it is here. How many people in the U.S. were actively using Linux on the desktop 10 years ago? How many more are now that Ubuntu has come along? TurboLinux has been around in Japan for quite a while, since 2002, building a commercial Japanese distribution. I doubt if the Linux user percentages are much different in Japan than they are here. There are several processor vendors in Japan (Hitachi, Renesas, etc) that are actively supporting Linux and have paid kernel developers on staff, I know some of them personally. Even Nokia is doing Linux development in Japan. It really isn't that grim. Greg, Did you also look at the last link? The span of time between the first link and now, plus the fact that there is now Japanese Ubuntu available seems to indicate that the Linux demand in Japan is building about like it is here. How many people in the U.S. were actively using Linux on the desktop 10 years ago? How many more are now that Ubuntu has come along? TurboLinux has been around in Japan for quite a while, since 2002, building a commercial Japanese distribution. I doubt if the Linux user percentages are much different in Japan than they are here. There are several processor vendors in Japan (Hitachi, Renesas, etc) that are actively supporting Linux and have paid kernel developers on staff, I know some of them personally. Even Nokia is doing Linux development in Japan. It really isn’t that grim.

]]> By: gherlein http://blog.herlein.com/2009/09/linux-in-japan/comment-page-1/#comment-12 gherlein Thu, 10 Sep 2009 04:25:53 +0000 http://blog.herlein.com/?p=61#comment-12 Ed, I looked at the LinuxFocus link - but it was from 1999! A decade ago. I don't blame Linux (you know me better than that). The issue is that Microsoft has made an ecosystem that's more palatable to Japanese businesses by having a windowing system that has native language support for Japanese. This creates a huge initial advantage. Until a company speeds up that effort for Linux we have to wait for volunteers to do it, and that is going to take time. I do agree that things are changing. Firefox renders Japanese sites fine - but the menu for Firefox is likely still in English, and that's a barrier for most business users in Japan. I figured this post would generate some comment. I'm glad it has! Ed, I looked at the LinuxFocus link – but it was from 1999! A decade ago. I don’t blame Linux (you know me better than that). The issue is that Microsoft has made an ecosystem that’s more palatable to Japanese businesses by having a windowing system that has native language support for Japanese. This creates a huge initial advantage. Until a company speeds up that effort for Linux we have to wait for volunteers to do it, and that is going to take time. I do agree that things are changing.

Firefox renders Japanese sites fine – but the menu for Firefox is likely still in English, and that’s a barrier for most business users in Japan.

I figured this post would generate some comment. I’m glad it has!

]]> By: Ed Okerson http://blog.herlein.com/2009/09/linux-in-japan/comment-page-1/#comment-11 Ed Okerson Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:15:08 +0000 http://blog.herlein.com/?p=61#comment-11 Greg, Your Japanese host was obviously mis-informed. As a Linux kernel developer with a Japanese wife, I know better. A simple google search turned up lots of info on Japanese Linux Distributions, including this one: http://www.linuxfocus.org/English/July1999/article83.html In fact, I bet your standard Firefox browser will auto-detect Japanese web sites and show them just fine, try it out by going to this site: http://www.akihabaranews.com/jp/ As with most things, it isn't Linux that is the problem. More likely it is a lack of application translations that create the issue here, that will only be fixed when more Japanese get involved in open source projects and help translate menus, etc. But it is happening: http://www.ubuntulinux.jp/ Greg,

Your Japanese host was obviously mis-informed. As a Linux kernel developer with a Japanese wife, I know better. A simple google search turned up lots of info on Japanese Linux Distributions, including this one:

http://www.linuxfocus.org/English/July1999/article83.html

In fact, I bet your standard Firefox browser will auto-detect Japanese web sites and show them just fine, try it out by going to this site:

http://www.akihabaranews.com/jp/

As with most things, it isn’t Linux that is the problem. More likely it is a lack of application translations that create the issue here, that will only be fixed when more Japanese get involved in open source projects and help translate menus, etc. But it is happening:

http://www.ubuntulinux.jp/

]]> By: koishi http://blog.herlein.com/2009/09/linux-in-japan/comment-page-1/#comment-10 koishi Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:38:19 +0000 http://blog.herlein.com/?p=61#comment-10 Japanese environment on Linux is much better than before. Many developers in Japan have no difficulty using Linux. However, laypeople don't even know of Red Hat and Ubuntu. What Microsoft has done for over ten years is to dominate the market together with some major computer manufacturers. What has the Linux community done in this period? Seems nothing to people on the street. Japanese environment on Linux is much better than before. Many developers in Japan have no difficulty using Linux. However, laypeople don’t even know of Red Hat and Ubuntu. What Microsoft has done for over ten years is to dominate the market together with some major computer manufacturers. What has the Linux community done in this period? Seems nothing to people on the street.

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