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SCO ready to clean out Linux users for $1399 per CPU (Register)SCO ready to clean out Linux users for $1399 per CPU (Register)Posted Aug 5, 2003 23:18 UTC (Tue) by coriordan (guest, #7544)In reply to: SCO ready to clean out Linux users for $1399 per CPU (Register) by rknop Parent article: SCO ready to clean out Linux users for $1399 per CPU (Register) It's not this big a deal. Linux is a great kernel but it's no the only one. Robert Millan is currently porting Debian to the FreeBSD kernel. You'll have all the apps your used to, running with glibc, compiled with gcc, etc. Just a different kernel, most users would never notice. I'm not saying we ditch the Linux developers but we're partly to blame for this situation, we made Linux a Jesus nut for our GNU systems. If we stop being completely dependent on Linux, cases like this won't affect us. Would SCO have started this whole fiasco if our GNU systems were kernel-independant a year ago? Ciaran O'Riordan
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SCO ready to clean out Linux users for $1399 per CPU (Register) Posted Aug 5, 2003 23:25 UTC (Tue) by rknop (guest, #66) [Link] Kernel choice would be a great thing.On the other hand, the huge focus on Linux has given Linux a lot of device drivers. How good is the FreeBSD device driver support? For instance, are there DRI modules for the FreeBSD kernel that work with XFree86 4 and (say) Radeon cards? Also, though the GNU project may not like it, "Linux" is what has received the name recognition amongst the general world. A huge amount of ground will be lost if we have to generalize that and explain that we're generalizing it. -Rob
SCO ready to clean out Linux users for $1399 per CPU (Register) Posted Aug 5, 2003 23:47 UTC (Tue) by coriordan (guest, #7544) [Link] > the huge focus on Linux has given Linux a lot of device driversIt's certainly an important point but the Linux and FreeBSD guys can at least look at eachothers code. (when the drivers are free software) > "Linux" is what has received the name recognition The importance of the term "GNU/Linux" is not an all or nothing issue, it's the more the merrier. If people don't hear about the GNU project, we are more likely to end up with 80% proprietary "Linux" OSs in ten years time. Back near square one. > A huge amount of ground will be lost if we have to generalize There's no point getting the message to a larger audience if we distort the message in the process. Do we want free software, studyable file formats, and usable protocols? or do we want people to run Linux-based OSs? How hard it is to get the message across doesn't mean we should change the message. Ciaran O'Riordan
SCO ready to clean out Linux users for $1399 per CPU (Register) Posted Aug 6, 2003 0:11 UTC (Wed) by trutkin (guest, #3919) [Link] Well, no. The Linux guys can look at the BSD code, but the BSD guys can't look at the Linux code. License issues. Let's not start a flame war though.
SCO ready to clean out Linux users for $1399 per CPU (Register) Posted Aug 6, 2003 0:24 UTC (Wed) by coriordan (guest, #7544) [Link] > the BSD guys can't look at the Linux codeCopyright covers copying, not looking. From looking, comes knowledge and understanding, these are also beyond the scope of copyright.
SCO ready to clean out Linux users for $1399 per CPU (Register) Posted Aug 6, 2003 2:22 UTC (Wed) by Ross (subscriber, #4065) [Link] Looking at and copying are different things. But let's not start a flame war ;)
SCO ready to clean out Linux users for $1399 per CPU (Register) Posted Aug 6, 2003 0:32 UTC (Wed) by DaveK (subscriber, #2531) [Link] > It's certainly an important point but the Linux and FreeBSD guys can at least look at> eachothers code. (when the drivers are free software) Better that the BSD guys don't look inside Linux. They might look at the code that SCO contests - especially if they don't know where it is, and at this point they become contaminated, and any work they undertake thereafter would become a potentially contestable 'derived work', and the cycle repeats. but IANAL.
SCO ready to clean out Linux users for $1399 per CPU (Register) Posted Aug 8, 2003 0:04 UTC (Fri) by daenzer (✭ supporter ✭, #7050) [Link] > For instance, are there DRI modules for the FreeBSD kernel that work with> XFree86 4 and (say) Radeon cards? Yes, as well as with most other DRI supported cards. :) The DRM as shipped with XFree86 4.3 works on FreeBSD, the one in current DRI CVS on NetBSD as well, and I believe there are patches for OpenBSD. Most of the hardware-dependent code is shared between OSs.
BSD may be no safer Posted Aug 5, 2003 23:31 UTC (Tue) by corbet (editor, #1) [Link] Don't forget that SCO has cast its glance towards BSD more than once. If there were to be a mass exodus towards a BSD kernel, I don't doubt that SCO would discover something it "owns" there too...
SCO ready to clean out Linux users for $1399 per CPU (Register) Posted Aug 6, 2003 0:11 UTC (Wed) by zonker (guest, #7867) [Link] You'll have all the apps your used to, running with glibc, compiled with gcc, etc. Just a different kernel, most users would never notice.If you're talking about users who are running uniprocessor systems, you're probably right. But a big part of commercial acceptance for Linux is its ability to run on SMP systems -- moving to the FreeBSD kernel isn't going to work for companies who are deploying Linux on SMP boxes. It's nice that the Debian folks are providing that alternative for users who want to run a BSD kernel, but it isn't going to solve the problem for a whole host of users and companies who have hardware that's not supported by FreeBSD... I've got two dual-CPU boxes and an old Dell PowerEdge with four Pentium Pro CPUs -- I'm not too anxious to install an OS that can't make use of SMP.
SCO ready to clean out Linux users for $1399 per CPU (Register) Posted Aug 6, 2003 0:31 UTC (Wed) by coriordan (guest, #7544) [Link] FreeBSD's kernel has SMP. It's in the stock kernel since 5.0.http://people.freebsd.org/~fsmp/SMP/SMP.html I don't know how it compares to Linux, probably not as good but more users brings more development.
SCO ready to clean out Linux users for $1399 per CPU (Register) Posted Aug 6, 2003 0:47 UTC (Wed) by smoogen (subscriber, #97) [Link] And SCO wont be suing everyone for using BSD kernels and sowing the same fear uncertainty and doubt that SCO doesnt own the ideas behind FreeBSD... The rights that SCO 'owns' are to the hole AT&T OS.. that would be ls, rm, mv, etc etc etc.Running to another kernel will only delay the lawsuits for a week or two.
SCO ready to clean out Linux users for $1399 per CPU (Register) Posted Aug 6, 2003 7:56 UTC (Wed) by pointwood (guest, #2814) [Link] Quite interesting!Choice is good :)
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