Why would they care if you change the code? [LWN.net]

Why would they care if you change the code?

Posted Oct 5, 2006 23:11 UTC (Thu) by svkelley (guest, #37299)
In reply to: Why would they care if you change the code? by sepreece
Parent article: Busy busy busybox

Well said. And when companies go elsewhere, Linux loses.

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Why would they care if you change the code?

Posted Oct 7, 2006 14:35 UTC (Sat) by nim-nim (subscriber, #34454) [Link]

Think it will fare any better if DRM is generalized?

Hint:
1. any general-purpose computer nowadays is multimedia-capable
2. media companies want to control all the devices able to play their stuff

Why would they care if you change the code?

Posted Oct 9, 2006 14:18 UTC (Mon) by malor (subscriber, #2973) [Link]

I'm not sure whether or not this was sarcastic, but if a company doesn't choose Linux in its DRM-locked product, what does Linux lose, exactly?

You are willing to sacrifice your freedom for a few points of *market share*? WTF are you thinking? The whole point of an open source operating system is to be free, except when freedom would result in a few less locked-down systems running it?

Yes, requiring DRM keys will reduce Linux's market share. But the whole point of a free-software operating system is that market share doesn't matter. It's irrelevant. You're giving away the one thing in the whole deal that really matters for a shiny but meaningless bauble.

I'll give you three beads and a blanket for Manhattan. Deal?