Fedora Freedom and linux-libre

[Andrew Haley]

Les Mikesell wrote:
> Andrew Haley wrote:
>>
>>>> I've explained that the GPL prevents me from sharing original work
>>>> that links to both GPL and non-GPL libraries.
>>> And I've explained that it doesn't, and asked you to cite the passage
>>> of the GPL that prevents you from doing it.  You haven't bothered to
>>> do it, and instead decided to keep insisting in this nonsensical
>>> claim. 
>>
>> Actually, he did reply to that, but perhaps you didn't see it.
>>
>> He had an unfree program (the wattcp library) and GNU tar and
>> discovered that he wasn't allowed to ship a program that linked
>> these two together.  He then said, gloriously, "please don't try
>> to say the problem was cause by those other licenses -
>> they did not prevent anyone else from getting copies..."  :-)
>>
>> OK Les, I promise not to say it.  However...
> 
> I'm not sure what you are trying to imply here.  I could redistribute
> copies of the other two components - but that's irrelevant since anyone
> could get them in source anyway (they were only unfree in the reverse
> way that the GPL redefines free to mean restricted).

Err, one library according to you, was unfree in the sense that you weren't
allowed to change it in any way; to enhance it, or to fix bugs.

> I could have
> redistributed the combination if I had started with the original pdtar
> instead of gnutar.

You could, but if what you said was true, you still wouldn't be able to
fix bugs in one of the libraries.  And if, to you, free software is that
which is free (as in beer) but you aren't allowed to fix bugs, then
you're welcome to it.

Andrew.