Dear Community,
as promised, here is a short update on what has been reached and where we’re going.
The echo from the Community is very impressive. Mandriva Linux still has its supporters and fans, but I also felt your disappointment over the years and the lack of information during the past months certainly is a key to explain why many of you felt left alone with nobody holding the steering wheel. This was never the case. We have had probably the most turbulent times that Mandriva SA ever experienced and I’m happy that this is over for now. I could unfortunately not communicate accordingly as this may have compromised our future. The moves to solve the difficulties were really like walking on eggs, with every announcement potentially being fatal for the issue of the negotiations.
The difficult situation we have experienced has many different reasons which I can’t and will not disclose here, as some are covered by non-disclosure agreements and some other related to the past and we all know that the past cannot be changed. My duty is to take the past into account and try not to make the same mistakes. This is far from easy, considering that we are a commercial company with paid employees who rely on the operations to live and shareholders who finance the company every month and want to see the results. The main reason why Mandriva SA regulary had difficulties is that, in the past, the elementary rule of revenue covering costs has not been respected. This has to be changed, there are ways to achieve this goal, but it means that we must find alternative ways to work and promote the products that have a chance right now on the market.
The Mandriva Linux project has the right to be given a space in which it may expand and the contributors and afficionados a place where they can express their talents. We are precisely working on this right now and during the next two weeks. We will announce the direction we intend to give to the project during the third week of May. It makes no doubt that it’ll be difficult to satisfy each an every expectation and wish, as they’re many of them and some are not compatible with the other, but we’ll try to achieve what can be useful and most promising for the community and, with it, the Mandriva Linux project. Stay tuned and do not hesitate to use the
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email address in the meantime. We’re still listening and also answer to the numerous emails received!
