Re: Dangerous precedent being set - possible serious violation of the GPL
On Tue, 7 Dec 1999, Joey Hess wrote:
> Caspian wrote:
> > In most cases, I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that those who "buy" modern
> > commercial GNU/Linux dists (which are often laced with tons of non-free
> > code, usually-- as in the case of Red Hat-- completely unsegregated from
> > free code, and often part of the base system)
>
> 99.9% FUD. Red Hat includes exactly one non-free component that I know of:
I think that FUD is deserved, when directed against those who have been--
and will continue to be-- leading the GNU/Linux world away from a priority
on freedom and quality, and towards a priority on money...
> netscape. They're doing a lot better now than they were 2 years ago. (Though
> I still don't condone them weaseling netscape in there.)
Red Hat Linux:
* Sells Red Hat Motif (non-free-- in fact, binary only)
* Sells multiple Red Hat variants with various "secure" programs (e.g. SSL
Web servers) included-- almost all of which are almost certainly
non-free (can someone confirm this?)
* Does not segregate free from non-free (as Debian does)
* Has ads for non-free, highly proprietary, *expensive* binary-only
programs on its site (e.g. Code Warrior "for Red Hat Linux")
* Does not discourage people from naming their programs "<X> for Red Hat
Linux", showing that they are going to do nothing to convince people
that no, Red Hat is -not- the only GNU/Linux dist out there, and no,
you shouldn't target your programs -only- at Red Hat (I've seen many
programs nowadays that will work just fine with the versions of libs--
particularly glib and gtk+-- included with the latest version of Red
Hat, but CHOKE on slink, which, while it's not the newest thing in the
world, should certainly be able to run any new program out there.
However, there's a growing attitude that "well, if you don't have the
latest Red Hat, too bad." Red Hat is not seeking to educate their
customers on this issue-- showing that their priority is not to make the
GNU/Linux world a better and more open place, but to make their pockets
fuller.
>
> --
> see shy jo
>
--
= Jon "Caspian" Blank, right-brained computer programmer at large =
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