[3328] in linux-net channel archive
Re: Binary Driver Issues
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Todd Graham Lewis)
Wed Jun 19 05:15:53 1996
To: submit-linux-dev-net@ratatosk.yggdrasil.com
From: Todd Graham Lewis <tlewis@mindspring.com>
Date: Tue, 18 Jun 1996 19:38:46 -0400
In-Reply-To: <96Jun18.145137edt.106822-7187+5614@vger.rutgers.edu>
On Tue, 18 Jun 1996, Mike Kilburn wrote:
> You see you have two standards. It ok for you to *use* free software to
> sell routers without spending a dime on development of them but you wont
> let anyone have your extentions that you developed. This is what the GPL
> is to prevent.
(bzzzzt.) Wrong.
RMS wrote emacs. He gave away the source. Gosling took the source and
started selling Gosling emacs. RMS wrote the GPL to prevent this.
Is etinc selling "et-Unix" that is identical or based on Linux? Heck, no.
They are _trying_ to allow Linux customers to use their product. They
are trying to do so in such a manner that they don't give their secrets away.
This is perfectably allowable under the GPL. Whose code are they
"stealing"? No one's. They are trying to write their own code, and
develop their own products, in such a way that they can afford fast cars
and lose women. If I were them, I would do exactly the same thing.
Is Caldera's port of Word Perfect a violation of the GPL? It uses Linux,
and there's no source release. For goodness' sake, by your rationale
Netscape would have been violating the GPL by releasing Netscape for Linux!
Netscape helped Linux by releasing their product.
Caldera helped Linux by releasing their product.
etinc is _trying_ to help Linux by releasing their product.
Given Linux's network performance as contrasted to BSD's, we should be
thankful that Dennis, etc., are as dedicated to Linux as they are. If it
weren't for the etinc's, the Caldera's, and the Netscape's of the world,
Linux would be a much less fun os to use.
Free software is the same as it ever was; if you don't like his cards and
his drivers, then make your own and give them away.
You should think about that the next time you go spouting off like a bozo
about the spirit of free software.
_____________________________________________________________________
Todd Graham Lewis Core Engineering Mindspring Enterprises
tlewis@mindspring.com (Standard Disclaimers) (800) 719 4664, x2804
