I have, it seems, taken away everybody's 6-year support, and they're not happy | Hacker News Reader

I have, it seems, taken away everybody's 6-year support, and they're not happy

social.kernel.org

35 pointsVinnl15 comments

IME, there's very little in life people feel as entitled to as something they'd previously been getting for free.

Well, sure, but I don't think that's an unreasonable point of view. It's why it's a mistake to offer anything for free up front with the idea of monetizing it later. Doing that is a kind of bait-and-switch.

If monetization is in the plans, then that needs to be made clear from day 1. Don't offer it for free. Offer it for a stated price and waive the price as part of a trial or evaluation period instead.

It's about setting the right expectations from the very start.

The current LTS versions of the kernel will still be getting 6 years of support. It's not like someone reversed support schedules, so I don't see the issue.

In fact, maybe keep down the entitlement? No Linux user or developer has signed a contract with the kernel team that entitles them to LTS support on kernel releases.

Well, sure, I don't disagree at all. I wasn't commenting on the kernel support period itself. I was pushing back on the idea that when people start using something at no cost, they're somehow wrong for being upset if a cost is introduced once they've come to depend on it.

If people want longer support, they can step in and offer financial or other support.

No, they'll silently switch to any other embedded OS, which is more stable, more secure, and 100x smaller. Or just run it baremetal

Absolutely, who isn't aware of the lush jungle of embedded operating systems with such widespread support as Linux. /s

There's always Windows CE hehe

My Dreamcast has been my one and only PC for decades!

Nothing lasts forever. The old code has technical debt and has to retire one day for newer code. Just reinstall the new OS when they work he bygs out of it.

This is not always possible. I don't even mind the big corps being in this position - they can pay for people who will support their old version if needed. But there will be people with consumer devices left on versions released with their weird SoC which could potentially get at least some updates through the LTS channels. (Many are not even targeting LTS, but that's a separate issue) I'm really curious how this will play out considering the EU's appetite for regulation around long term support for consumer electronics.

> But there will be people with consumer devices left on versions released with their weird SoC which could potentially get at least some updates through the LTS channels.

How does this remotely affect the status quo? Device vendors don't even deem it necessary to supply OTA updates for LTS releases of the kernel for non-flagships, much less the entire 6 year range.

Adding to this, I don't know of any end user device that has ever taken advantage of the benefits posed by LTS releases of the kernel.

It's right there in the comment... "(Many are not even targeting LTS, but that's a separate issue)"

Does this mean that subscription pricing for items that incorporate computers is inevitable?

No. The purchase price can incorporate the expected support cost. This is what is already happening for almost every product today. What do you think funds the warranty repair for the first year?

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