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FreeBSD 16 Retires the Last of Its GPL Code from Its Base System

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Re: FreeBSD 16 Retires the Last of Its GPL Code from Its Base System

#61

Post by rbanffy »

bigfishrunning wrote: post #60
JackSlateur wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would that have been a bad thing ? Between a proprietary OS on which we cannot do anything and an opensource-based OS on which we cannot do anything .. I'd argue that making the company paying the bill would be more healthy

The two arguments against that 1) People writing BSD licensed software want people to use it, and don't really care about any reciprocal contribution (or else they would write copyleft-licensed software) 2) "the company" never pays the bill. It is always passed to their customers in one way or another.

> don't really care about any reciprocal contribution (or else they would write copyleft-licensed software)

Also don’t care about their users having the same rights they enjoyed getting software written by someone else (for free!) and making some changes before their customers could pay to use it.

Re: FreeBSD 16 Retires the Last of Its GPL Code from Its Base System

#62

Post by bigfishrunning »

rbanffy wrote: post #61
bigfishrunning wrote: post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The two arguments against that 1) People writing BSD licensed software want people to use it, and don't really care about any reciprocal contribution (or else they would write copyleft-licensed software) 2) "the company" never pays the bill. It is always passed to their customers in one way or another.

> don't really care about any reciprocal contribution (or else they would write copyleft-licensed software) Also don’t care about their users having the same rights they enjoyed getting software written by someone else (for free!) and making some changes before their customers could pay to use it.

Yes! if they did care about that, they'd use some copy-left license.

Re: FreeBSD 16 Retires the Last of Its GPL Code from Its Base System

#63

Post by riedel »

vmilner wrote: post #54
riedel wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am not really sure if I can follow. FreeBSD despite its title never had something to do with Free Software. BSD has a different history and it's "own licence". Being more consistent in its licence is a good thing particularly in contrast to Linux FreeBSD is a full distribution with user land. I would even think that you can without much problem publish a GPL version of FreeBSD if you like. I think you might have to…

> FreeBSD despite its title never had something to do with Free Software The FSF disagree: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html#FreeBSD

I don't think FSF would disagree. As I said most parts are fully GPL compatible licenced. However, my comment was about the ideology/philosophical background.

> “Open source” is something different: it has a very different philosophy based on different values. Its practical definition is different too, but nearly all open source programs are in fact free. [0]

I would say that FreeBSD is the prototypical open source OS.

[0] https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html

Re: FreeBSD 16 Retires the Last of Its GPL Code from Its Base System

#64

Post by JackSlateur »

bigfishrunning wrote: post #60
JackSlateur wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Would that have been a bad thing ? Between a proprietary OS on which we cannot do anything and an opensource-based OS on which we cannot do anything .. I'd argue that making the company paying the bill would be more healthy

The two arguments against that 1) People writing BSD licensed software want people to use it, and don't really care about any reciprocal contribution (or else they would write copyleft-licensed software) 2) "the company" never pays the bill. It is always passed to their customers in one way or another.

Yes

If we think a bit more, that may help the customers: companies like Sony would have to choice between either implement their own OS (increased cost, increase end product prices) or use opensource software

The topic would become a competitive (dis)advantage, not just a random topic for legal people

My take is that BSD-like licences are bad for humankind, but as a short-sighted person with no impact whatsover, it does not matter

Re: FreeBSD 16 Retires the Last of Its GPL Code from Its Base System

#65

Post by jazzyjackson »

akimbostrawman wrote: post #57
jazzyjackson wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

RMS may have coined free software as a term and legal construct via licensing but he wasn’t the first to give software away for free

>but he wasn’t the first to give software away for free They never claimed he was and it's irrelevant because free software has nothing to do with "giving software away for free" https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.en.html

Yea sounds like a marketing problem to try and take ownership of how a common word is used

Re: FreeBSD 16 Retires the Last of Its GPL Code from Its Base System

#66

Post by apple4ever »

caminanteblanco wrote: post #37
matheusmoreira wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not a suggestion, it's a fact. BSD is permissive open source software, not copyleft free software.

Copyleft has never been a hard requirement for free software. If anything I feel like it stands against the deeper philosophy of given no restrictions on usage to the end user. I understand that's not the RMS-take, but he's not the only voice in this community.

Agreed, in fact I don't think copyleft software is free software.
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