Date: Mon, 22 Mar 1999 15:44:13 -0700 From: Brett Glass <brett@lariat.org> To: Bill Fumerola <billf@chc-chimes.com> Cc: advocacy@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: BeOS and the GPL (Was: Netscape browser) Message-ID: <4.2.0.32.19990322150433.00aa99e0@localhost> In-Reply-To: <Pine.HPP.3.96.990322154530.10524D-100000@hp9000.chc-chimes .com> References: <4.2.0.32.19990322132103.03f66150@localhost>
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At 03:46 PM 3/22/99 -0500, Bill Fumerola wrote: >On Mon, 22 Mar 1999, Brett Glass wrote: > >> (*) Yes, you know and I know that BeOS uses only the LILO loader and some >> Linux device drivers. But recently, Be has been touting this as a way >> of trying to leverage Linux's flash-in-the-pan popularity. > >Doesn't that mean that BeOS would have to include the source + >modifications with BeOS? > >Not to start another argument, but... We don't need to have that argument; it's already been had! (In fact, it may still be going on somewhere on Slashdot.) Here's a summary of events as I understand them to have happened. BeOS has always come with a bunch of GPLed code. Most of this exists as separate utilities (as it does in FreeBSD). However, according to Be's newsletter at http://www.be.com/aboutbe/benewsletter/volume_II/Issue18.html Be linked some GPLed code directly into the BeOS 3.0 kernel. Not recognizing the viral nature of the GPL, it believe that releasing just the source files which contained the GPLed code was sufficient to satisfy the GPL. When the newsletter was posted, however, a whole bunch of Stallmanites cried, "Gotcha! You linked the GPLed code in, so now you have to reveal ALL the source code of BeOS 3.0!" Be refused to do so. Instead, it removed the GPLed code from the kernel and replaced it with original code. It kept the Linux device drivers (which are dynamically loaded modules) and the loader (a derivative of LILO and also a separate program). It published the source to these. A few of the Linux faithful are still claiming that Be must release all of its source due to this accidental misstep. That's the story as it stands. I'll leave editorial comments to others.... --Brett To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-advocacy" in the body of the message
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