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Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.advocacy,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
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From: poulosio@netcom.com (Mad Max)
Subject: Re: GPL (was Re: Linux vs FreeBSD)
Message-ID: <poulosioDJnqHG.IoA@netcom.com>
Followup-To: comp.os.linux.advocacy,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Organization: Troll Busters Ltd. Melbourne VIC.
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL1]
References: <489kuu$rbo@pelican.cs.ucla.edu> <DJ6IJE.78D@nntpa.cb.att.com> <4a54u5$jj5@josie.abo.fi> <4ahtib$ckq@helena.mt.net> <4alpl5$a39@klaava.helsinki.fi> <4amjau$np@crl.crl.com> <adtDJn6J0.CHv@netcom.com>
Date: Sat, 16 Dec 1995 02:20:04 GMT
Lines: 88
Sender: poulosio@netcom7.netcom.com
Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.os.linux.advocacy:30382 comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:10495
Anthony D. Tribelli (adt@netcom.com) wrote:
: Greg Herlein (gherlein@crl.com) wrote:
: : Geesh, this guy must be cringing - I think I'd crawl in a hole and not come
: : out if Linus himself flamed *me* for being ignorant.
: It is more likely that someone is laughing at you for believing Linus
: actually made the post. Could have been him, probably wasn't IMHO.
In My Pompous Opinion(tm) it looks like Linus did make the post. Here's a
copy, headers and all:
---begin copy---
From netcom.com!ix.netcom.com!howland.reston.ans.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!news.kei.com!nntp.coast.net!news00.sunet.se!sunic!news99.sunet.se!news.funet.fi!news.helsinki.fi!not-for-mail Fri Dec 15 18:11:37 1995
Xref: netcom.com comp.os.linux.advocacy:40175 comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:12842
Path: netcom.com!ix.netcom.com!howland.reston.ans.net!newsfeed.internetmci.com!news.kei.com!nntp.coast.net!news00.sunet.se!sunic!news99.sunet.se!news.funet.fi!news.helsinki.fi!not-for-mail
From: torvalds@cc.Helsinki.FI (Linus Torvalds)
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.advocacy,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: GPL (was Re: Linux vs FreeBSD)
Date: 13 Dec 1995 07:51:33 +0200
Organization: University of Helsinki
Lines: 39
Sender: torvalds@cc.helsinki.fi
Distribution: comp
Message-ID: <4alpl5$a39@klaava.helsinki.fi>
References: <489kuu$rbo@pelican.cs.ucla.edu> <DJ6IJE.78D@nntpa.cb.att.com> <4a54u5$jj5@josie.abo.fi> <4ahtib$ckq@helena.mt.net>
NNTP-Posting-Host: klaava.helsinki.fi
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
[ sorry for those people reading this in bsd.misc, but this is
crossposted to linux.advocacy too.. ]
In article <4ahtib$ckq@helena.mt.net>,
Nate Williams <nate@sneezy.sri.com> wrote:
>
>This one's been answered, but the GPL requires that if *YOU* distribute
>binaries of GPL software *YOU* are required to distribute the source code
>for up to 3 years.
Incorrect. Either you can't read, or you just enjoy spreading fud and
misinformation (the latter is perfectly ok, as this _is_ an advocacy
group, but for the same reason I'm also allowed to flame you royally for
being such a jerk).
If you distribute binaries of GPL'd code, you have no such obligation at
all, _assuming_ you also distribute the source with the binaries. There
is no 3-year rule in that case at all, so the _only_ overhead of
distributing GPL'd binaries is that you have to distribute the source in
the same package.
Now, nobody in his right mind uses floppies for software distribution
any more, so I don't really see the reason for whining about the size of
sources. You can easily fit sources on a CD (or two - CD costs can't be
high if people actually make money off selling 4-CD distributions for
$25 USD). And that releases you of all future obligations..
Essentially, your argument above is totally bogus, and I hereby declare
it null and void.
[ Now, the argument that some people don't want to distribute sources in
the _first_place_ is another matter, but that's even easier to handle:
don't use a GPL'd base. If you don't want to distribute sources, why
do you think you have any right to use the work of other people? Write
your own code from scratch, and _then_ do a binary-only distribution ]
Hitler, Hitler, HITLER. End of thread.
Linus
---end file---
If you suspect a forgery occured, check the headers. You might avoid
being proven wrong.
Not only that, I used my newsreader to send Linus a letter about SCSI
cards by going to this post shown above. Another thing, some ISPs will
slip in a Sender: header that the user can't change, specifically to
deter forgers. That header is in the Linus post, and if you look at the
headers of mine, Netcom does the same thing.
I am satisfied that Linus did post that article.
--
"When I collect two solar masses of AOL Disks, I will use them to detonate
the Sun" Web Page URL: ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/po/poulosio/poulosio.html
The Surgeon General Has Determined That MS-DOG is More Addictive Than
Nicotine.