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Features for hire?


I have been kicking around an idea that I'd like some feedback on.

The Cygwin/XFree86 project is at the point where it is nearly a replacement
for the commercial X Servers for Microsoft Windows.  There remain only a few
features that need to be implemented in order for most businesses to find
Cygwin/XFree86 a  viable alternative to the commercial X Servers out there:

1) Mutliple windows support.

2) Real PseudoColor support for TrueColor visuals.

3) Automatic ability to use Windows fonts in X.

4) A compact (Cygwin-free) X Server for displaying remote clients only.

5) A complete native GDI server.


Features like these can take a lot of time to implement properly.  Though
features like these are nice, I think that business and goverment users would
see the most benefit from such features.  With that in mind, I've been
thinking about setting up a small limited liability company and posting
proposals for developing certain features along a specified timeline for a
certain fee.

For example, suppose that the lack of dream-feature Y is preventing a business
from using Cygwin/XFree86 instead of the commercial X Server ``SuperDuper-X''
and that SuperDuper-X costs $200 per desktop.  It seems logical to me that
said business would find it beneficial to pay, say, $500-$2000 for the
implementation of feature Y by a certain deadline (rather than when it just
happens to be developed).  The source code would be released, of course, but
said business would get feature Y now, when they need it, and they would be
able to stop paying $200 per desktop for SuperDuper-X.

Part of my motivation for proposing this is that I know we have tons of
business and government users out there to whom $500-$2000 is nothing.  To me,
on the other hand, $500-$2000 is 5-20% of my current debt for various things
(car repairs, engagement rings, computer parts, student loans, etc.).  I have
just been thinking that if there are businesses out there that would be
willing to pay $500-$2000 for a feature, then I should certainly be setup to
accept that money.  However, if no businesses are seriously interested in this
then it would be a waste of my time to file the necessary documents to
establish a proper business for handling contract feature development

Note: I would not stop working on Cygwin/XFree86 for free in my spare time.

Here is the feedback that I would like:

1) Would your company be interested or not interested in this?  I want both
positive and negative responses so that I can gauge a percentage of business
and goverment users out there that are interested.

2) Is your business averse to open source feature development contracts?  Or,
do you think that presenting the contract on the basis of, ``spend $500-$2000
and save $200 per desktop'', would make it pretty easy to get approval?


I am really anxious to read your responses.


Thanks,

Harold Hunt


P.S.  I do things properly.  I would put one link on the Cygwin/XFree86 site
to any site that offers to develop features for a fee.  I would not host any
company related material on the Cygwin/XFree86 site.  However, I would feel
justified to point business users in the direction of a proposal for the
development of a certain feature if they ask about when that feature will be
implemented.


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