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From: psmith@lemming.wellfleet.com (Paul D. Smith)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.development.system,comp.unix.bsd.386bsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc,comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,comp.os.linux.advocacy
Subject: Re: Historic Opportunity facing Free Unix (was Re: The Lai/Baker paper, benchmarks, and the world of free UNIX)
Followup-To: gnu.misc.discuss,comp.os.linux.advocacy
Date: 18 Apr 1996 00:39:40 -0400
Organization: Bay Networks, Inc. / Billerica, MA
Lines: 36
Message-ID: <p5d9562lir.fsf@lemming.wellfleet.com>
References: <NELSON.96Apr15010553@ns.crynwr.com>
<Pine.3.91.960417210610.23800C-100000@galactica.cs.odu.edu>
Reply-To: psmith@wellfleet.com
NNTP-Posting-Host: lemming.wellfleet.com
In-reply-to: Ragnar's message of Wed, 17 Apr 1996 21:13:51 -0400
To: Ragnar <bowden@cs.odu.edu>
X-Newsreader: Gnus v5.1
Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.os.linux.development.system:21523 comp.unix.bsd.386bsd.misc:627 comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc:3247 comp.unix.bsd.netbsd.misc:3065 comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:17469 comp.os.linux.advocacy:45827
%% Ragnar <bowden@cs.odu.edu> writes:
r> Next we move on to the fact that linux is not UNIX, is not even
r> an os, it's a kernel.
When people say "Linux" here, they're usually talking about one of the
distributions. These all come with almost everything any FreeBSD does,
and a lot of things it doesn't. This is a strawman.
r> Then we move into the GPL, where you can't use it in anything
r> propriteary EVER, and you have to make the source available long
r> after what you gave away is no longer valid, and is most likely
r> long obsolete.
What does this have to do with Linux? There's nothing that REQUIRES you
to put your application under the GPL just because you use Linux (except
possibly if you work on kernel code; this is a tricky area).
If you don't like the GPL, don't use it. No need for hysteria.
The second part of the sentence is true only in one particular case, and
is trivially avoided (provide the source with the distribution, and you
have fulfilled all your obligations--no need to keep it around). Again,
if you don't like these terms, then don't use the GPL.
This is another strawman.
Followups redirected.
--
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Paul D. Smith <psmith@baynetworks.com> Network Management Development
Senior Software Engineer Bay Networks, Inc.
-----------------------------------------------==<http://www.baynetworks.com/>-
"Please remain calm...I may be mad, but I am a professional." --Mad Scientist
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These are my opinions--Bay Networks takes no responsibility for them.