Fedora - DELL ?

[Les Mikesell]

Ingemar Nilsson wrote:
> 
>> Perhaps their work would have gone into something less restricted and
>> helped people in many more ways like apache and java have.
> 
> Dream on. I think it is obvious that a lot of people like the GPL and its
> effects. If it wouldn't be available, there is no guarantee that they would
> end up with the BSDs instead. Actually, they probably wouldn't.

I realize it is impossible to know for sure about most of the 
contributors because they don't have a choice - but in fact I'd guess 
that a lot of the code now GPL'd came from work started under a BSD-ish 
license.  Once the GPL is applied there is no way back. In some cases 
the GPL is applied to prevent competition against the author's product 
which is also released under a commercial license so I guess that part 
is better than no free release at all.

>> If someone gives you something that isn't what you want, how grateful
>> can you be?
> 
> If GPL software isn't what you want, what on earth are you doing on this
> list?

I'm pragmatic... I put up with Microsoft and Apple's restrictions on 
code I use from them and I put up with the GPL restrictions in the 
places where GPL code is usable.  That doesn't mean I 'want' any of 
those restrictions.

>> and its code can't even be used to help improve those other OS's.
> 
> Spontaneously, I'd guess that some (or even many) of the developers of code
> licensed under the GPL might not want their code to end up in Windows only
> for the benefit of Microsoft.

It doesn't just benefit Microsoft.  Working, tested, interoperable code 
benefits everyone who uses it and everyone who interacts with it from 
other systems.  And in the *bsd case, the same code is available to 
anyone else who wants to lower the bar to compete with Microsoft by 
adding their own improvements or combining with existing products.

> If they wouldn't mind, why did they choose
> the GPL?

If you do anything with existing GPL code you don't have a choice about 
your own contribution.

 > That's right, they wanted the GPL and its effects.

Someone did.  The rest are just being affected.

> Who are you to demand that people relicense their code for free under some
> unrestricted license such as the BSD license?

I'm not demanding anything - just pointing out the obvious.

-- 
   Les Mikesell
     lesmikesell at gmail.com