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GNU/Busybox ?!?

GNU/Busybox ?!?

Posted Mar 22, 2007 10:59 UTC (Thu) by NigelK (guest, #42083)
In reply to: GNU/Busybox ?!? by anselm
Parent article: The road to freedom in the embedded world

Yep. It was only when people started using GPL code in products that RMS didn't approve of that the spin changed and the GPL was all about users rather than code.

Certainly in the projects I'm involved with, it's all about the code rather than "freedom".


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GNU/Busybox ?!?

Posted Mar 22, 2007 11:30 UTC (Thu) by anselm (subscriber, #2796) [Link]

The GPL can't really be »all about users« when it explicitly says that it does not regulate use of the code but modification and distribution (in original or modified form). The closest most »users« come to exploiting their GPL freedoms is when they pass complete Linux CDs on to their buddies (which is a good thing, to be sure), but to really make use of the freedoms the GPL gives you, you need to be a programmer. Which, to the FSF, used to be fine, because on ITS, everybody was a programmer! It is only with today's easily available PCs etc. that the gap between »users« and »programmers« has become so obvious.

In fact, the main paradigm shift with GPLv3 is that it tries to branch out into regulating what may be done with the code (e.g., don't build a DRM system with secret keys) rather than to the code (e.g., change it, pass it on). It is understandable that many people do not buy this.

Anselm

GNU/Busybox ?!?

Posted Mar 29, 2007 18:40 UTC (Thu) by TRauMa (guest, #16483) [Link]

The GPL can't be all about users if it doesn't impose restrictions on users? Huh? I think you get it completely backwards here, the GPL imposes restrictions on distributors to ensure the freedom of the users.

GNU/Busybox ?!?

Posted Mar 22, 2007 18:09 UTC (Thu) by nix (subscriber, #2304) [Link]

Read the GNU Manifesto. It has *always* been about the users, from day 1. (It doesn't require that users be programmers in order to benefit: non-programmer users can hire programmers if the software is free, which is not an option otherwise.)

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