Why is Fedora not a Free GNU/Linux distributions?

[Matthew Saltzman]

On Sun, 2008-07-20 at 17:21 -0700, Gordon Messmer wrote:
> Les Mikesell wrote:
> > Mikkel L. Ellertson wrote:
> >>>
> >> Maybe that is because you are looking at it as a developer, and not
> as 
> >> an end user. It is the freedom of the end users that is being
> preserved.
> > 
> > No, that is exactly backwards.  Since the GPL only prohibits 
> > redistribution
> 
> The GPL does not prohibit redistribution.  Copyright law does that.

The method by which redistribution is restricted is merely a
distraction.  The fact that the GPL disdains to permit redistribution
under broader terms than it does is intentional on the part of the GPL's
authors and at least some of its adopters.

The dispute is over whether those terms are the best ones for the
promotion of FOSS.


> The GPL does not, in fact, prohibit much of anything.  It is a
> license 
> that allows redistribution under specific terms.
> 
> 
-- 
                Matthew Saltzman

Clemson University Math Sciences
mjs AT clemson DOT edu
http://www.math.clemson.edu/~mjs