*BSD News Article 93108


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From: Tim Daneliuk <tundra@netsinc.com>
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: Framemaker for FreeBSD?
Date: Tue, 08 Apr 1997 09:56:39 -0500
Organization: Nets Inc.
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Peter M. Chen wrote:
> 
> Anybody know if Framemaker has been ported to FreeBSD (or Linux, and can
> be emulated on FreeBSD)?  Or is there some other desktop publishing
> system that runs on a free Unix (besides LaTeX and troff)?
> 
> If not, I wonder how much work it would be to port this from a commercial
> Unix platform (e.g. Solaris, HP/UX, Digital Unix, etc.).  Can someone who
> has experience porting a large, graphically-intensive application comment
> on the pitfalls and difficulties?
> 
> I also wonder if Adobe would allow some outsider to port Framemaker for them
> with the appropriate non-disclosure agreement.  Doing the porting work for
> the companies could be a potent method for getting more commercial applications
> up and running on the free Unixes.  But I may just be naive about the
> difficulty and legal problems.
> 
> Pete


My guess is that the port is not the issue.  The question is probably
whether
there would be enough sales revenue to justify the cost of providing a
support structure for the product.  In most software vendors' 
universes, the
cost to provide support for their products (telephone/email/fax support,
updates, patches, etc.), even when they charge a fee, is staggering.
 
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			"Tundra" Tim Daneliuk
		    System Architect, Nets Inc.
		      email: tundra@netsinc.com
		       Voice/FAX: 847.827.1706
			 Pager: 630.223.0266
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