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Date:      Sun, 30 Aug 2020 11:04:52 +0300
From:      Mehmet Erol Sanliturk <m.e.sanliturk@gmail.com>
To:        "Steve O'Hara-Smith" <steve@sohara.org>
Cc:        FreeBSD Questions Mailing List <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
Subject:   Re: diff is a little diff -- erent
Message-ID:  <CAOgwaMuT_Z7HsUN_SE7Na%2BKMfBmD=HA4A3S1U3FLnY98yC_GAw@mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To: <20200830082621.b38ce63f5c97b580f843503a@sohara.org>
References:  <alpine.BSF.2.00.2008260122071.73252@bucksport.safeport.com> <20200826094948.333c67b0.freebsd@edvax.de> <alpine.BSF.2.00.2008261131320.73252@bucksport.safeport.com> <CAOgwaMv4ofq6oPbmN9RznPquPn-v3sKzbxkgLaRht1RxdcEbpw@mail.gmail.com> <alpine.BSF.2.00.2008261223340.73252@bucksport.safeport.com> <CAOgwaMtWcNkXe1n%2BDG9Xmv8uWnHEs0VrTM2OpgwMBGULLxs--A@mail.gmail.com> <20200829171622180444664@bob.proulx.com> <CAOgwaMvtnO4Rhbi9j9tiX36uL6PzW0ekXQL%2BQXkw_senLTfLKQ@mail.gmail.com> <20200830082621.b38ce63f5c97b580f843503a@sohara.org>

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On Sun, Aug 30, 2020 at 10:26 AM Steve O'Hara-Smith <steve@sohara.org>
wrote:

> On Sun, 30 Aug 2020 09:57:48 +0300
> Mehmet Erol Sanliturk <m.e.sanliturk@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > There is NOT a rule in the GPL that  a GPL based operating system is no=
t
> > allowed to run a
> > closed source software  as long as the closed source software does NOT
> use
> > a GPL licensed part .
> >
> > The main point is that requirement .
>
>         Indeed the crux is modifying code released under GPL, if you do
> that then the modifications must be released under GPL even if the
> modifications are much larger than the original code. At least that's my
> understanding but when it matters always consult a specialist lawyer.
>
> --
> Steve O'Hara-Smith <steve@sohara.org>
> _______________________________________________
>
>

You are right .

Please see

"
https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/v4.18/process/license-rules.html
Linux kernel licensing rules

The Linux Kernel is provided under the terms of the GNU General Public
License version 2 only (GPL-2.0), as provided in
LICENSES/preferred/GPL-2.0, with an explicit syscall exception described in
LICENSES/exceptions/Linux-syscall-note, as described in the COPYING file.

This documentation file provides a description of how each source file
should be annotated to make its license clear and unambiguous. It doesn=E2=
=80=99t
replace the Kernel=E2=80=99s license.

"

and please notice

"
with an explicit syscall exception described in
LICENSES/exceptions/Linux-syscall-note
"


The above exception is allowing to run closed source software in the Linux
operating system .

The routines are used ( when a syscall is issued ) by the operating system
, not the issue generated program , even in that case closed source program
is depending on a GPL licensed part . If there is not any exception to the
GPL license usage like the above mentioned , the closed source program
should be open sourced .


For the FreeBSD case :

If there are GPL parts in the base system , no one can use ( FreeBSD
operating system base ) as a part of
any proprietary ( closed source ) system which is not an acceptable
situation for companies attempting to produce a commercial product
depending on FreeBSD base system .

This means it is likely that they will not need to support the FreeBSD
project .
Money is not raining on to commercial companies like water rains .

( I am NOT affiliated into  ANY commercial company or activity . Only it is
necessary to think how they are operating in their environment . )


Mehmet Erol Sanliturk



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