Jason,

You state:

>First off buddy, it's LINUX. There is no 'E'. You are wrong about OpenSource development. If you would read up on it, you would find that there is always a central group that manages the development so that you don't have n versions of the app. There is always a set of standards developed before the app is started.
As for the Linux operating system, all of the distributions have a common kernel. That's what linux is. It is a kernel, not a collection of programs. The different distributions are merely different packages of applications with a common kernel, and yes, some install things in different locations, but all have the same base. That is why you can compile the source to a program on any distribution. Welcome the makefile.
No, I can't imagine going into a corporation that has no standards, but that has nothing to do with linux. You are uneducated on the Linux topic. Do some research, then come back.
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While I agree that OpenSource has a lot of things under control, to say that "There is always a set of standards developed before the app is started" is misinformation at best. Standards are still mostly work-in-progress, which is why each distribution has its own installation and configuration utilities. Different distros partition items like /etc, /usr, /opt, etc. differently (I just helped out a friend at LinuxCare analyze 7+ distros), and some distros even make changes to kernel code to add enhancements like better SMP processing, etc. Now, all of these changes are open for use by everyone else, but Thomas's worry of a lot of computers having varied configs is not something that can be completely disregarded -- it is a very real concern for ALL platforms.

How many Windows machines are configed exactly the same? Where I work we have Win95, Win98, Win NT, and some Win2000, all running various Netware clients, etc. etc. It is just as much of a pain as anything, and is even more frustrating, since one would think the MS flavors would behave at least _somewhat_ similarly. I think config issues are a problem everywhere, and it takes a well-thought-out plan to deliver standard solutions to every desktop in a company.

I think that Linux has a leg up because it is working on more standards every day, and every enhancement folks come up with are instantly available to anyone else. It is up to us to deliver a standard package to all users.

Joe Kaufman