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Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.anu.edu.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!nntp.coast.net!news.kei.com!newsfeed.internetmci.com!in1.uu.net!EU.net!cph-1.news.DK.net!dkuug!dknet!icl.icl.dk!sw0198!seunet!news2.swip.net!mn6.swip.net!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!sunic!news99.sunet.se!news.uni-c.dk!kroete2!not-for-mail From: erik@kroete2.freinet.de (Erik Corry) Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.advocacy,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,comp.unix.advocacy,comp.unix.misc Subject: Re: Linux vs FreeBSD Followup-To: comp.os.linux.advocacy,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,comp.unix.advocacy,comp.unix.misc Date: Sun, 3 Dec 1995 23:40:55 GMT Organization: Home Lines: 27 Sender: news@kroete2.freinet.de (news) Message-ID: <DJ1B47.83F@kroete2.freinet.de> References: <489kuu$rbo@pelican.cs.ucla.edu> <49o2n2$t4e@daffy.anetsrvcs.uwrf.edu> <49osrd$ptg@times.tfs.com> <49pb5g$di8@agate.berkeley.edu> <49s93l$a6@dyson.iquest.net> NNTP-Posting-Host: arhppp20.uni-c.dk X-Newsreader: TIN [UNIX 1.3 950515BETA PL0] Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.os.linux.advocacy:29072 comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:9745 comp.unix.advocacy:11685 comp.unix.misc:19799 John S. Dyson (root@dyson.iquest.net) wrote: : Linus owns Linux and through his generosity, you can use it -- isn't : that nice of him?. I'm wondering what you mean by this. Linus does not own all the copyright in the Linux kernel, and certainly not in a complete Linux system. He has no way of regretting his generosity and withdrawing permission to use old versions. He couldn't even do it for future versions without replacing vast amounts of code written by others, or getting their permission. What Linus could do is withdraw from Linux development altogether. That wouldn't kill Linux, but it would be a heavy blow. Or he could go mad and start releasing really bad code. That would be even worse, but I think in both cases Linux could move to a FreeBSD-style core team type system, or a new 1-person core team might appear. The Linux distribution creators would probably have a lot of influence in this case. Linus also can't prevent anyone creating a core team now, grabbing the Linux kernel sources and developing using a similar system to FreeBSD. But if anyone did that they would have to be pretty damn good to compete with Linus, and to persuade other developers to send their work to them, rather than to Linus. -- Erik Corry ehcorry@inet.uni-c.dk