lkml.org 
[lkml]   [1998]   [Dec]   [20]   [last100]   RSS Feed
Views: [wrap][no wrap]   [headers]  [forward] 
 
Messages in this thread
/
Date
From
SubjectRe: Article: IBM wants to "clean up the license" of Linux
On Sun, 20 Dec 1998, D.A. Harris wrote:

> It wouldn't surprise me to see more of this occur. Especially when you
> have propietary hardware manufacturers that write the drivers and interfaces
> for their hardware when want to interface with Linux, and not release
> openly the source to what they perceive as a major source of their income.
> Granted it will more likely happen with more specialized, high end hardware,
> unless it is the case where it is just too easy to install and use, to not
> buy, as with OSS.

Actually, I have to disagree with you. As a matter of fact, I think that
vendors should warm to the idea of open source drivers. Would you ever PAY
for a driver for some hardware you just bought? No, I wouldn't. An open
source driver released for Linux would be a great starting point for the
FreeBSD guys to pick up and hack their own version -- less work for the
manufacturer. My opinion is this... UNIX software has traditionally been
largely "open source" (I hate all these buzzwords... "innovate", IT, "open
source"). Windows software has (almost) always been binary only. Why?
(Other than monetary issues) Because your average Windows/DOS user
wouldn't have the slightest idea what to do with a makefile. Not to
mention the lack of widely available FREE compilers for DOS. Since there
is no "standard development" compiler, how can you be certain that
software developed under Borland tools will build with another compiler,
etc. A massive source of headaches for software developers. Where UNIX has
had a strong common thread (gcc and other GNU tools or the respective
vendor-supplied tools) which propelled it towards an open source model,
Windows/DOS lacked these tools and has spent the last fifteen-odd years
becoming firmly convinced that binary is the only way to go.

So you can see that even if open source in in our opinions inherently
better, it has not been a viable option for the Windows/DOS platform. UNIX
users are generally both more capable and comfortable when dealing with
source code instead of binaries. Unfortunately since they say between
80-90% of all computers run the traditionally binary-only platforms, we
won't see much movement towards open source unless we can either
irrevocably prove that open source is better for all platforms or become a
much larger player. Linux is just moving up from being a pinch-hitter to
the starting lineup (Sorry for the baseball analogy, but hey I'm
American).


Comments on the GPL discussion:

From the GPL 2:

Each version is given a distinguishing version number. If the
Program specifies a version number of this License which applies
to it and "any later version", you have the option of following
the terms and conditions either of that version or of any later
version published by the Free Software Foundation. If the Program
does not specify a version number of this License, you may choose
any version ever published by the Free Software Foundation.

What this tells me is that if you are working on continuously updated
software it would be in your best interest to release under a specific
version of the GPL. That would prevent any earler or later version from
applying. If Linus is afraid of IBM or someone else bribing or bullying
the FSF into releasing a weakened GPL 3, he can simply change the license
to GPL 2 only. And since Linux development is constant, he could change
the license to GPL 3 at any time he wanted. The only time it would benefit
you to specify "any later version" would be if you were releasing software
and letting it sit without planning on updating it or the license (which
hopefully will never happen with Linux).


WM


-
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@vger.rutgers.edu
Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/

\
 
 \ /
  Last update: 2005-03-22 13:46    [W:0.032 / U:0.304 seconds]
©2003-2020 Jasper Spaans|hosted at Digital Ocean and TransIP|Read the blog|Advertise on this site