Date: Fri, 23 Jul 1999 07:36:23 -0500 (CDT) From: "Paul T. Root" <proot@iaces.com> To: hybrid@pearlmagik.com (Robert LaThanh) Cc: freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: FreeBSD. FreeBSD & Linux. FreeBSD & me. Message-ID: <199907231236.HAA03443@iaces.com> In-Reply-To: <37985E8F.C4D8375D@pearlmagik.com> from Robert LaThanh at "Jul 23, 99 05:22:39 am"
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In a previous message, Robert LaThanh said: > Section 1.3 of the FreeBSD FAQ, "What are the goals of FreeBSD?" says > the following: > "... the GNU General Public License (GPL) or GNU Library General Public > License (LGPL) comes with slightly more strings attached, [...]. Due to > the additional complexities that can evolve in the commercial use of GPL > software, we do, however, endeavor to replace such software with > submissions under the more relaxed BSD copyright whenever possible." > > I thought that GNU was less restrictive. From what I've read, GNU > software can be modified and redistributed without restriction. They > mention that BSD has restrictions such as that one must include the BSD > license. What are the differences between the definitions of GNU's and > BSD's "Free software"? It's more restrictive because, whatever you right under the GPL (and that means for Linux) is automatically bound by the GPL and therefore, not your intellectual property. You *MUST* release the source code to anyone you provide executables to. > Lately Linux, a GNU OS, has seen tremendous publicity and increase in > users/usage. What does this mean for FreeBSD's future? Tivo, a new > interactive-TV-esque product from Phillips, uses Linux. FreeBSD is > established in some of the largest applications such as cdrom.com (and > I've heard that Microsoft has used it on some of its servers), but is > there a threat that Linux will overcome the established performance and > reliability of FreeBSD and essentially take FreeBSD's place? Hotmail started with FreeBSD, I don't think that's still true. Microsoft now owns Hotmail. FreeBSD is used by the Nokia Firewall-1 product. There is always the chance that Linux may ecilpse FreeBSD in performance and reliability. So what, use what you feel does the best job for you. There are so many variables (including, what the administrator and user base knows best) that a check sheet of features is virtually meaningless. > I know there's a lot of questions in there, I hope they can all be > answered. I've used FreeBSD on-and-off for almost two years now. I am > disappointed when I see Linux and not FreeBSD on store shelves. Having > used both, I prefer FreeBSD, but I'm becoming skeptical about the future > of FreeBSD. I see Linux on shelves at least a partial product of the rabid bullying that early Linux adopters had. Back in 93-94, every Linux user I meet would practically call you a complete idiot if you didn't run Linux. They were bullies and turned me off of Linux without ever trying it. Obviously, that has changed, and was probably an apperition anyway, but it still proves a point. I hope FreeBSD gains more acceptance do to it's quality, not to some (bullying) marketing blitz. Unfortunately, Microsoft has proved that Marketing, not technical merit directs our industry. Paul. -- No pig should go sky diving during monsoon For this isn't really the norm. But should a fat swine try to soar like a loon, So what? Any pork in a storm. No pig should go sky diving during monsoon, It's risky enough when the weather is fine. But to have a pig soar when the monsoon doth roar Cast even more perils before swine. To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message
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