Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2001 14:30:08 +0100 From: Rahul Siddharthan <rsidd@physics.iisc.ernet.in> To: Nik Clayton <nik@FreeBSD.ORG> Cc: Mike Smith <msmith@FreeBSD.ORG>, The Hermit Hacker <scrappy@hub.org>, freebsd-chat@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Open Source Development Laboratory ... Message-ID: <20010126143008.P68002@lpt.ens.fr> In-Reply-To: <20010125224940.A1127@canyon.nothing-going-on.org>; from nik@FreeBSD.ORG on Thu, Jan 25, 2001 at 10:49:40PM %2B0000 References: <Pine.BSF.4.31.0101250612030.578-100000@thelab.hub.org> <200101252029.f0PKTf801281@mass.dis.org> <20010125224940.A1127@canyon.nothing-going-on.org>
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Nik Clayton said on Jan 25, 2001 at 22:49:40: > On Thu, Jan 25, 2001 at 12:29:41PM -0800, Mike Smith wrote: > > > > > > Is this something that FreeBSD/BSDi are/is looking at becoming a member > > > of, or is this something that is purely a Linux thing? > > > > > > http://www.techweb.com/wire/story/TWB20010123S0019 > > > > It's purely a Linux thing. BSDi tried to get involved in a couple of > > that sort of thing, and I've been putting my oar in where I could, but > > the combined lack of manpower and lack of funding has prettymuch left us > > out in the cold. 8( > > Seconded. From what I can tell, this is purely so that the companies > involved can find an effective way of making money from Linux. Anything > that makes that possibility seem more remote (say, the publicising of a > more stable, robust, and scalable free alternative to Linux) is > completely anathema to them. As well as the BSDi efforts from the US > I've been approaching the players from the European side, to no effect. This is slightly offtopic, but since this is -chat... Though my first serious unix experience was with linux, at this point of time I much prefer FreeBSD as an operating system to use and maintain. However, at this point of time it seems to me that the name "linux" is becoming associated with much more than an operating system, much more than "open source software" even: linux (like GNU, but without the extremist connotations GNU has acquired) is becoming a symbol for openness, freedom from corporate monopolies, and general user rights. To take a few examples: (1) The UCITA, the DMCA, and other such recent US laws and proposals; also the issue of EULA's on shrinkwrapped software, and whether people may get refunds for unused Microsoft operating systems. The linux sites have been full of discussion, and have spurred some concrete action, on such things. I see hardly any mention of such issues on BSD sites or mailing lists. (2) The DVD DeCSS case. The ability to play DVDs is as important to the BSD's as to linux, and I think some of the defendants in that case were actually using BSD systems. But nearly all the "activism" seems to come out of the linux camp. Recently I read of an amicus curiae brief (http://cryptome.org/mpaa-v-2600-bac.htm) signed by, among others, Marvin Minsky, Brian Kernighan, and (on the linux/GNU side) RMS and Andy Hertzfeld (Eazel). Previously, other well-known linux people like Alan Cox have spoken about and made contributions to this case. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't think a single well-known BSD person has said anything in public about this case, either way. (3) The question of software patents in Europe. I've seen this as part of some signatures, and so on, on FreeBSD lists, but that's about it. The petition against it is housed at http://petition.eurolinux.org. (4) The question of open content licenses for other things like books, music and so on. There are several more. It's funny that though all the above look (superficially, at least) like "linux against big business" fights, and the BSDs like to advertise their business-friendliness, the big businesses are flocking to linux rather than to BSD. Moreover, nearly all the desktop/userland software activity is taking place on linux, and getting ported to BSD from there. And nearly all of it is under the GPL or other licenses more restrictive than the BSD license. I think what matters here is mindshare. Linux has it not because it's a better or more user-friendly OS, but because the community focuses itself on many more issues than merely programming. Alan Cox has said, for instance, that he works on linux rather than BSD partly because the focus of the linux community is more on the end-user (or something to that effect). I also find it interesting that linux sites like lwn.net and linuxtoday.com have plenty of BSD coverage these days, while BSD sites hardly have a mention of linux in them. In short, if linux is getting too heavily associated with "open source" these days, I think it's because the phrase "open source" is getting associated with much more than operating systems these days. The "linux community" is in the thick of all parts of the action. The BSD community is worried only about who has the "better" operating system. Most people don't really care about the operating system, if it satisfies some minimal requirements of stability and reliability, which linux quite definitely does. So it's no surprise to me that so many "open source" efforts end up being mainly linux things... Rahul. To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-chat" in the body of the message
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