Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2001 21:45:33 -0700 From: arch@hub.freebsd.org To: arch@hub.freebsd.org Subject: (FWD) Re: nvi maintainer? Message-ID: <20010708214532.C90759@hub.freebsd.org>
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----- Forwarded message from Mike Smith <msmith@freebsd.org> -----
Date: Sun, 08 Jul 2001 21:26:07 -0700
> >> As I said, this comes up every 4-6 months, I make the same offer,
> >> it gets discussed, and it dies for another few months. :-)
> >
> > The sticking point with this is that FreeBSD is not just a "free OS";
> > it's commonly reused in non-free contexts, and it's an important concern
> > to us that this should continue to be possible.
>
> Yes, but is it a concern that people be able to use it in non-FreeBSD
> contexts?
What counts as a "FreeBSD context"? If someone recycles code from
FreeBSD into a product, like, say Apple into Darwin, is this still a
"FreeBSD context"? When they sell it as OS X, is that still a "FreeBSD
context"?
Looking at it from your point of view, I'd have to say that it isn't, and
that's the rub.
> I'm happy to allow any FreeBSD use -- what you're protecting here is
> the ability of a downstream vendor to extract a single piece of the
> code and use it independently of FreeBSD, and I don't understand why
> that's important to you.
Because this is one of the things that FreeBSD offers the rest of the
world; not just a complete operating system, but an excellent source of
tested, maintained software that can be reused in any context, for any
purpose. While we stick to that as part of our goals, we can't
compromise our license criteria.
--
... every activity meets with opposition, everyone who acts has his
rivals and unfortunately opponents also. But not because people want
to be opponents, rather because the tasks and relationships force
people to take different points of view. [Dr. Fritz Todt]
V I C T O R Y N O T V E N G E A N C E
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