Linux Format - UK (2020-03)

Mozilla lays off 70 people

Mozilla had hoped to make money through service

subscriptions, but that didn’t happen.

ORGANISATIONS

OPINION

FILESYSTEMS

inus Torvalds, the somewhat

outspoken (we hadn’t noticed – Ed)

creator of Linux, has taken to a

mailing list (http://bit.ly/LXF260LinusZFS)

to moan about the ZFS filesystem, saying,

“Don’t use ZFS. It’s that simple. It was always

more of a buzzword than anything else, I feel,

and the licensing issues just make it a non-

starter for me.”

The licencing issues Torvalds is referring

to is the fact that ZFS uses Common

Development and Distribution License (CDDL)

1.0, while the Linux kernel is licensed under the

GNU General Public License (GPL) 2.0 – and

these are not fully compatible with each other.

If ZFS is included with the Linux kernel, this

would mean that it is a derivative work of the

original Linux kernel.

Linus Torvalds has again voiced his dislike of the

ZFS filesystem but not all agree...

t seems that Mozilla is having a tough

time at the moment, with news that the

company behind the Firefox web

browser has laid off 70 people – a considerable

amount considering it employs around 1,

people worldwide.

Back in 2018, Mozilla generated $429 million

from deals with search engines. Companies like

Google, Yahoo and Yandex pay Mozilla to have

their search engines included as the default

search engine in Firefox. Mozilla had been hoping

to reduce the dependency on these deals, which

accounts for around 90% of the company’s

revenue, because Firefox’s market share

continues to fall and those deals could become

less lucrative in the future.

The company had planned to bolster its

revenue with subscription services, such as the

Firefox Private Network service (https://fpn.

firefox.com) and other products including file

transfer software and password managers, but

these have failed to earn the company the kind of

money it was hoping for. As TechCrunch reports

(http://bit.ly/LXF260MozillaTC), Mozilla

Recently we had a

lovely email, which hopefully

you’ll have the pleasure of

reading next issue, from a

computing veteran. He talked

about the revolutionary

innovations he had seen over

the course of his career, from

punchcards to personal

computers, and wondered

why we don’t see such

revolutions anymore.

CPU clock speeds and

misrepresentations of

Moore’s law are commonly

used to support this

argument (our dear reader

did not use these and that is

why we like him). This got

me to thinking, are all

improvements really

incremental now, or do

they just seem that way?

Let’s take Linux as a sort of

microcosm here.

Linux journalists would

dearly love if every new

release of a distro was packed

with revolutionary and shiny

features, but these days we

often have to settle for new

themes, bigger version

numbers and confusing

statements about client side

decoration. It’s often argued

that actually this is good, it

shows our distros have

stabilised and only need

refinements. A less heard

argument is that behind the

scenes there are all kinds of

exciting changes, you just

don’t understand them

because you weren’t involved

with them or low level

coding isn’t your jam.

Jonni Bidwell

is the much misused and abused

Technical Editor on Linux Format

What seems to be particularly troubling for

Torvalds is Oracle’s involvement with the ZFS

filesystem. “Considering Oracle’s litigious nature,”

Torvalds explains to the mailing list, “and the

questions over licensing, there’s no way I can feel

safe in [merging ZFS code into the kernel].”

Will Torvalds ever feel comfortable with ZFS in

Linux? “There is no way I can merge any of the

ZFS efforts until I get an official letter from Oracle

that is signed by their main legal counsel or

preferably by Larry Ellison himself that says that

yes, it’s ok to do so and treat the end result as

GPL’d.” So probably not, then.

If distros do go ahead and implement ZFS, as

Canonical has done with Ubuntu 19.10, then

Torvalds states, “They are on their own. I can’t

maintain it, and I can not be bound by other

people’s kernel changes.”

Torvalds: don’t use ZFS

SILENT

RUNNINGS

L

I

interim CEO Mitchell Baker sent an internal

memo, stating, “You may recall that we expected

to be earning revenue in 2019 and 2020 from

new subscription products as well as higher

revenue from sources outside of search. This

did not happen.”

Baker reveals that Mozilla underestimated

“how long it would take to build and ship new,

revenue-generating products.” This has led to

Mozilla being more conservative over its 2020

revenue projections, as well as taking the

regrettable step of reducing its headcount.

While the Mozilla Corporation is laying off 70

people, it is continuing the Mozilla innovation

fund, pledging $43 million to build new products.

The Mozilla Corporation employed around 1,000 people, but

has since laid off 70.

http://www.techradar.com/pro/linux March 2020 LXF260 7

NEWSDESK

Mozilla lays off 70 people

Mozillahadhopedtomakemoneythroughservice

subscriptions,butthatdidn’thappen.

ORGANISATIONS

OPINION

FILESYSTEMS

inusTorvalds,thesomewhat
outspoken(wehadn’tnoticed– Ed)
creatorofLinux,hastakentoa
mailinglist(http://bit.ly/LXF260LinusZFS)
tomoanabouttheZFSfilesystem,saying,
“Don’tuseZFS.It’sthatsimple.It wasalways
moreofa buzzwordthananythingelse,I feel,
andthelicensingissuesjustmakeit a non-
starterforme.”
ThelicencingissuesTorvaldsisreferring
toisthefactthatZFSusesCommon
DevelopmentandDistributionLicense(CDDL)
1.0,whiletheLinuxkernelislicensedunderthe
GNUGeneralPublicLicense(GPL)2.0– and
thesearenotfullycompatiblewitheachother.
If ZFSisincludedwiththeLinuxkernel,this
wouldmeanthatit isa derivativeworkofthe
originalLinuxkernel.

LinusTorvaldshasagainvoicedhisdislikeofthe

ZFSfilesystembutnotallagree...

t seemsthatMozillaishavinga tough
timeatthemoment,withnewsthatthe
companybehindtheFirefoxweb
browserhaslaidoff 70 people– a considerable
amountconsideringit employsaround1,
peopleworldwide.
Backin2018,Mozillagenerated$429million
fromdealswithsearchengines.Companieslike
Google,YahooandYandexpayMozillatohave
theirsearchenginesincludedasthedefault
searchengineinFirefox. Mozillahadbeenhoping
toreducethedependencyonthesedeals,which
accountsforaround90%ofthecompany’s
revenue,becauseFirefox’smarketshare
continuestofallandthosedealscouldbecome
lesslucrativeinthefuture.
Thecompanyhadplannedtobolsterits
revenuewithsubscriptionservices,suchasthe
FirefoxPrivateNetworkservice(https://fpn.
firefox.com) andotherproductsincludingfile
transfersoftwareandpasswordmanagers,but
thesehavefailedtoearnthecompanythekindof
moneyit washopingfor.AsTechCrunchreports
(http://bit.ly/LXF260MozillaTC), Mozilla

Recentlywehada

lovelyemail,whichhopefully

you’llhavethepleasureof

readingnextissue,froma

computingveteran.Hetalked

abouttherevolutionary

innovationshehadseenover

thecourseofhiscareer,from

punchcardstopersonal

computers,andwondered

whywedon’tseesuch

revolutionsanymore.

CPUclockspeedsand

misrepresentationsof

Moore’slawarecommonly

usedtosupportthis

argument(ourdearreader

didnotusetheseandthatis

whywelikehim).Thisgot

metothinking,areall

improvementsreally

incrementalnow,ordo

theyjustseemthatway?

Let’stakeLinuxasa sortof

microcosmhere.

Linuxjournalistswould

dearlyloveif everynew

releaseofa distrowaspacked

withrevolutionaryandshiny

features,butthesedayswe

oftenhavetosettlefornew

themes,biggerversion

numbersandconfusing

statementsaboutclientside

decoration.It’softenargued

thatactuallythisisgood,it

showsourdistroshave

stabilisedandonlyneed

refinements.A lessheard

argumentisthatbehindthe

scenesthereareallkindsof

excitingchanges,youjust

don’tunderstandthem

becauseyouweren’tinvolved

withthemorlowlevel

codingisn’tyourjam.

JonniBidwell

isthemuchmisusedandabused

TechnicalEditoronLinuxFormat

Whatseemstobeparticularlytroublingfor

TorvaldsisOracle’sinvolvementwiththeZFS

filesystem.“ConsideringOracle’slitigiousnature,”

Torvaldsexplainstothemailinglist,“andthe

questionsoverlicensing,there’snowayI canfeel

safein[mergingZFScodeintothekernel].”

WillTorvaldseverfeelcomfortablewithZFSin

Linux?“ThereisnowayI canmergeanyofthe

ZFSeffortsuntilI getanofficialletterfromOracle

thatissignedbytheirmainlegalcounselor

preferablybyLarryEllisonhimselfthatsaysthat

yes,it’soktodosoandtreattheendresultas

GPL’d.”Soprobablynot,then.

If distrosdogoaheadandimplementZFS,as

CanonicalhasdonewithUbuntu19.10,then

Torvaldsstates,“Theyareontheirown.I can’t

maintainit,andI cannotbeboundbyother

people’skernelchanges.”

Torvalds: don’t use ZFS

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interimCEOMitchellBakersentaninternal

memo,stating,“Youmayrecallthatweexpected

tobeearningrevenuein 2019 and 2020 from

newsubscriptionproductsaswellashigher

revenuefromsourcesoutsideofsearch.This

didnothappen.”

BakerrevealsthatMozillaunderestimated

“howlongit wouldtaketobuildandshipnew,

revenue-generatingproducts.”Thishasledto

Mozillabeingmoreconservativeoverits 2020

revenueprojections,aswellastakingthe

regrettablestepofreducingitsheadcount.

WhiletheMozillaCorporationislayingoff 70

people,it iscontinuingtheMozillainnovation

fund,pledging$43milliontobuildnewproducts.

TheMozillaCorporationemployedaround1,000people,but

hassincelaidoff70.

http://www.techradar.com/pro/linux March 2020 LXF260 7

NEWSDESK