*BSD News Article 88348


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From: "John S. Dyson" <dyson@freebsd.org>
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc,comp.unix.bsd.misc
Subject: Re: Linux vs BSD
Date: Thu, 06 Feb 1997 18:26:33 -0500
Organization: John S. Dyson's home machine
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Evan Leibovitch wrote:
> 
> In article <5d81k0$8j4@cynic.portal.ca>,
>         Curt Sampson <cjs@cynic.portal.ca> wrote:

> 
> >All the GNU licence does is prevent a certain type
> >of commercial exploitation, which is at best neutral, and at worst
> >a handicap.
> 
> Handicap to whom?
>
The developers who apply the technologies in Linux, piece by piece
or as a whole, incorporated into finished product.  This is a problem
when Linux has to be substantially modified to work for that
application.  It is very likely that the IP will be encumbered
under the GPL.  That is a HUGE negative for Linux, sorry...

On the desktop, FreeBSD can run most Linux applications, and in
fact is pretty much a bug-for-bug emulation.  Linux is not
generally overly encumbered for 3rd party developers, however
the LGPL *could* make their lives a little more difficult due
to the need to dynamically link (you know, the library of the
month problem), or to offer link packages (which isn't a real
problem, just yet another problem.)

As far as 3rd party product, Linux's license terms aren't any
worse (or much, if any better) than NT or SCO.

> 
> If FreeBSD is less handicapped than Linux in terms of commercial
> explotation potential, someone forgot to tell the exploiters.
> 
FreeBSD has more exploitation potential, but Linux is being
used more on the desktop.  Frankly, we are vastly better accepted
and trusted in our market than Linux is...  (BTW, I sure hope
that the exploiters are supplying link kits or don't have problems
with the library-of-the-month problem.)

(BTW, most all of those commercial exploits of Linux, are also
 potential exploits of FreeBSD -- isn't it cool!!!)  I buy
 software meant for Linux and use it -- and it runs great!!!

 Kind of (Win 3.1 is to Win NT) is like (Linux is to FreeBSD).

John