clarkie.mg's Journal: Voila's translation of J. le Marois' chat with JDN.

[Edited translation]

Jdnet Chat of Wednesday , October 17, 2001

" Our fall in stock exchange(scholarship) is completely disconnected from the reality of the company "

MandrakeSoft's economic model, listing on the Stock Exchange, robustness of the free software, Linux and the general public, the role of the big builders in the ecosystem of the free... One hour was not of excess to allow Jacques Le Marois, founder and CEO of MandrakeSoft to answer the questions put on the occasion of this Cat. Report.

JDNet caht
  Guest: Jacques Le Marois, CEO of MandrakeSoft

Date: on Wednesday , October 17, 18h-19h05
Number of composed questions: 201
Number of reserved questions: 44

    Jacques Le Marois : Hello everybody. Thanks to the Newspaper of the Net to have invited me to answer your questions.

18. 00
  Has the notion of "free" a reality in the world of the company?
    The free is more and more massively used in the company, on one hand by the young already user computer specialists of free software. And on the other hand by the computer responsibles who estimate the total cost of the solutions of base of free software with regard to solutions of type Windows.

  Who differentiates you exactly of Microsoft or Oracle?
    The difference is that our solutions are on base of free software and our own developments are in free license ( GPL). What offers a perpetuity for our users as for their computer solutions, because they have access directly to the code source.

  Hello, at the moment 95 % of pc are equipped with Windows, in these next years what percentage of the market do you think of acquiring?
    Linux 99 %, and Linux Mandrake between 20 and 30 %.

  Is there a free office automation continuation(suite) capable of competing with Ms Office?
    Open Office, derived of Star Office, will be a comparable complete solution completely of Microsoft Office. Already Star Office is massively used in the world Linux.

  The future of Mandrake is of this(they) to move closer to a typical builder HP, IBM?
    We already have strong partnerships with HP. The computer manufacturers are additional of MandrakeSoft because they offer of the hard and the services of integration which allow to offer complete solutions of companies.

  That engages to mandrake?
    That depends on which type of post(post office). At the moment one engages especially in the services which relate.

  With what customers' types do you work?
    In the first one we have customers wholesalers for the broadcasting(distribution) of our packagés products. And otherwise big companies or administrations which beyond the product wish of the support, the advice(council) or the forming(training). For example the MACIF, the Ministry of Culture, the Air Force...

  To be in stock exchange(scholarship), that changes the daily?
    To be in stock exchange(scholarship), yes one should much more take into account its communication.

  50 % in stock exchange(scholarship) in 2 months, what to say to reassure the shareholders?
    It is worse. It is 50 % in 10 days. But it is completely disconnected from the realities of the market and the company. It is the problem of the weak liquidity of the free market where a single shareholder can very easily make fall(flop) the class(course) with a small volume of actions. It is what happened recently.

  Why did the new American staff leave the vessel mandrake?
    It is rather the opposite. MandrakeSoft took drastic measures of reorganization and centring of the company which passed by the departure of a whole series of top managers.

  That do you think of the French landscape of the persons receiving benefits Linux? Fiddle or professionalism?
    It(he) is going to have certainly there a consolidation of the market. The big groups prefer to have interlocutors with a critical size. Otherwise these small companies(societies) concentrate a great deal of talents but have a problem of size which makes them vulnerable in the competition of big traditional service companies.

18. 15

  What differences between a distribution MandrakeSoft and a Redhat or a SuSe?
    There are no fundamental differences, as a motorcar made by Renault, Peugeot and Wolkswagen the same parts manufacturers have the same basic constituents(component) and often. Between versions of Linux it is the same thing(matter), the major constituents(components) are the same. On the other hand an user of one of these products is going to find you 1000 differences and advantages in aid of his favorite version.

  Please , think you not that the fact of including certain unstable software as gcc 2.96 can slow down the use in a professionel environment(middle)?
    GCC 2.96 is much more stable and more standard than the other GCC. There are explanations on Internet pages which explain very well why.

  Mac OSX support the comparison with the other distributions Linux, and does mandrake?
    Mac's OSX problem is that it is a system owner. It does not so benefit from advantages of the free software and its standardization.

  Is it really in the interet of Linux to run(roam) after the general public?
    Linux has never run(roamed) after the general public. Linux meets the needs of his(her) users, and it turns out that for 4 years there are many users who come from world Windows, and who are used to a certain comfort. Where from the projects as KDE, Gnome or GIMP make(do) by these users / developers, and the efforts of MandrakeSoft to facilitate the custom(usage) of Linux.

  HP goes to buy mandrake?
    It is not in the agenda.

  With all these distrib, one goes up in the wall side compatibility of applis, no?
    Not because on one hand RedHat + MandrakeSoft is more than 60 % of the market. And on the other hand all the versions of convergent Linux towards the project Standard Linux Bases.

  You are going to do how Microsoft does and diversify by taking out games and computer material?
    It is in our medium-term projects.

  How many volunteers are contributeurs exclusive of mandrake?
    There is between 1000 and 2000 persons on our mailing lists of contributeurs (translation, tests, Cooker project, produced firewall and porterages).

  Is it serious to base its R&D on volunteers?
    On one hand, we integrate software managed in projects, type the pit(core) Linux, XFree, Apache and KDE, whose developers are employees of companies(societies). And on the other hand our own projects of development are make(do) by employees with the assistance(audience) external of contributeurs.

  Of funny rumours circulate on the project Gnome? You have information?
    No.

  Hello, and the new attacks of virus in environment Linux, What do you think of it ?
    There is no virus under Linux contrary to Windows ( 40 000 viruses). On the other hand there were some worms ( verse) attacking(affecting) faults of safety(security) already known and arranging correctives.

18. 30

  You have did it(he) adorn a passion for the genealogy, which are your project?
    Before MandrakeSoft, I participated in the creation of a genealogical service which is called GeneaNet (http://www.geneanet.org).

  What is your opinion on the eventuality of patents software in Europe and on " the affair " W3C(business W3C)?
    Patents software represent a great danger for the industry of the software, and more particularly for the free software. We work actively on an awareness of the dangers which it represents. Concerning the W3C, thanks to the mobilization of the Internet community, it seems on the right track.

  Why you do not develop certain applications mandrakesoft in product, example: phpnuke?
    The applications are packagées in available RPM in Linux Mandrake "multi-manners". As if to making(doing) turnkey products, we began with a solution of safety(security) and we shall make(do) the other products of this type for the future.

  Redhat is not it becoming Microsoft of the free?
    No, thanks to the model of the free, they can never lock the market as Microsoft. On the other hand it is true that certifications and partnerships with big actors of the data processing represent a competitive way towards big companies.

  Mandrake is not it becoming in the free software what Bull was for the data processing?
    MandrakeSoft managed in three years to be imperative himself among the three versions of Linux the most used to the world. What places us in a strong position for for the future contrary to actors as Caldera and TurboLinux.

  Forever Microsoft: You lost a lot of money(silver) last year and lose it even this year. You raised 4,3 million euros during your registration. How , please , plan to be held financially?
    A part(party) of this money(silver) allowed to invest(surround) in successful products and users' very important base. The short-term objective is to reach(affect) the profitability quickly by developing incomes on this users' base.

  Please , dream you of operations of growth external? (Microsoft:)?
    Yes, we envisage any acquisition which would allow us to strengthen our commercial offers to our users.

  What is the percentage of your CA realized via the services?
    For the moment, 15 %. Eventually, this figure should rise to 30-40 %.

  How do you think of being able to gain(win) some money(silver) on the particular users?
    At present, it is a profitable activity. A fraction of our users buys us packagés products, with textbooks(manual workers) and support, what is enough to balance the development cost. It is the activity in the course of development for the professional market that is not still profitable.

18. 45

  I I etonne to me of a speech also gpl while you become more and more professional... Has to see your offer pro, your offer service and the partenrait which you put enplace with trading companies?
    Our own codes are GPL with a process of opened development. Companies wish complete solutions, for which we answer with partnerships ad' hoc free or not free.

  The installation of mandrake is more and more easy, but I have less of probleme of config on a mandrake 7.2 that on one 8.1 the simplicity would be conversely proportional it in the performence of the systeme?
    In Mandrake there is possibility of choosing interfaces light as IceWM either KDE who becomes more and more friendly but more and more heavy.

  Hello Jacques, what is your politics(policy) of international developpement?
    We came back from the politics(policy) " recruitment of top managers and accelerated spending(expenditure) ". We have a pragmatic approach which is to create commercial offers products and profitable services at once in the countries where we have a base users important. In certain countries we shall make(do) local partnerships.

  Further to a discussion with the responsible dsi for the ministere of the defense, their position is clearly the Microsoft choice contrary that asserts the world Linux, that you do think of it?
    Recently a general declared that it was an error, and there is a whole debate within these ministries. We are confident as for their inevitable exit.

  Do you help big publishers(editors) to carry(wear) their applis Linux?
    No. It is not our profession.

  How much sell you of limp mdk by version?
    Between 100 000 and 200 000 boxes.

. Do you Believe that an interface as KDE can really compete With Windows one day?
    Yes.

  Technically, for what novelties to wait in your distrib?
    Please go on our Web site...

  Do you participate in the project LSB which aims to standardize the platform Linux?
    Yes. We participate actively.

  Think of going out applications others than operational systems?
    We take out turnkey complete solutions which associate a OS with applications. For example it is the case of Mandrake Security Firewall a part of the applications of which was developed by MandrakeSoft.

  Is what several actors can coexist on your profession. The link(coming together) among Red Hat and Mandrake is it not inevitable at the risk of seeing one of both companies(societies) dying?
    Yes, several actors can coexist thanks to the model of the free. The users of Linux do not like monopolies. There is of the place for several actors of varied size as in the motorcar. The recent crisis is essentially a crisis of abuse of financing and too fast growth.

  At the rate of the exits(releases) of the differentes version of Linux (Mandrake or not), please , think you not that the users are going 'to grow tired' and possibly of turning to the others free OS / Other distribution?
    Those that do not hold this rhythm of releases disappeared from the market.

  I land maybe, but that means what exactly Mandrake?
    That has no particular meaning. That depends on our interlocutors: for some it is Linux, the others an alcaloïde plant, a magician, a small wall, etc. But more and more it is MandrakeSoft.

19. 00

    Jacques Le Marois : Goodbye and thanks to all to have participated!
( Champagne!)

[ Editorial staff, JDNet]