[K12OSN] needed: recommendations for Linux flavor with ongoing support

[Les Mikesell]

On Fri, 2007-01-05 at 11:28 -0800, Robert Arkiletian wrote:

> Can't argue with that. Unfortunately, I think software patents have
> become the opposite of what they were initially intended to do, which
> was to foster innovation.

I agree completely, but I'm not young enough to expect them to
go away in my lifetime. Nor do I see much of a trend in that
direction. So, unless someone buys a patent and releases it
for free redistribution, nothing covered can be legally combined
with anything covered by the GPL since it permits distribution
only if the 'work as a whole' has no additional restrictions.

> I believe the main reason M$ did
> this deal was to try to reduce Redhat sales by creating FUD that only
> SuSE is safe. 

Of course - but the cash works out in Novell's favor.  

> It's simple divide and conquer. Time will tell if it was
> a good move for Novell.

It will be more a matter of unwarranted hysterical reactions if it
has any effect at all on Novell or Linux in general.

> > And some don't care how much it hurts because they are fanatics and
> > it's not their problem.  Meanwhile, everyone keeps using Windows.
> >

> Yes, some can get very passionate about FOSS/GPL and that has probably
> hurt us. I speak from experience. I totally see your point though. In
> order to gain critical mass we need to bend the rules a bit, but does
> that put us on a slippery slope?

I don't think the GPL can be bent.  What we need is a clear definition
of what that 'work as a whole' means in the legal sense.  Linus was
widely quoted long ago as saying that binary kernel modules were OK,
and I think the current popularity grew partly from that.  Now he is
waffling about it.  If a GPL'd kernel isn't going to be usable for
everything we need, there are other choices.

> Okay maybe it's not an apples to apples comparison. ;)
> In any case, I too am seeing more and more Apple notebooks around. I
> hope Apple keeps gaining market share. I wonder, now that MacOSX runs
> on x86 arch, if Apple will ever sell their OS to someone like say
> Dell?
> This thread has become completely off topic for k12osn but it is very
> interesting. Nice debate Les.

While I don't object to buying OSX and the bundle of licensed products
it includes for myself, I hate to give up on a freely available OS
being able to do all the equivalent things for anyone who can't
afford to pay.  It just seems bizarre (but predictable) that the driver
that Nvidia would like to give away can't be included and that the
license that calls itself free prevents it.

-- 
  Les Mikesell
   les at futuresouce.com