Sun's Schwartz Speaks Out on Linux, SCO (eWeek) [LWN.net]

Sun's Schwartz Speaks Out on Linux, SCO (eWeek)

Posted Sep 20, 2003 0:40 UTC (Sat) by tjc (guest, #137)
In reply to: Sun's Schwartz Speaks Out on Linux, SCO (eWeek) by captrb
Parent article: Sun's Schwartz Speaks Out on Linux, SCO (eWeek)

You know what? Solaris IS more stable.

Well, maybe. Solaris does scale better, but the user space tools are old and crappy. To be fair, I haven't used Solaris for several years, but last time I did they shipped ancient versions of Unix tools like lex and yacc. I had to install a bunch of GNU software to get anything useful done. In fact, I don't know anyone who uses Solaris without installing a bunch of GNU software. They probably even ship it now, or they should.

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Sun's Schwartz Speaks Out on Linux, SCO (eWeek)

Posted Sep 20, 2003 2:13 UTC (Sat) by rfunk (subscriber, #4054) [Link]

In fact, I don't know anyone who uses Solaris without installing a bunch of GNU software. They probably even ship it now, or they should.

Yup, at least they shipped it with Solaris 8, which is the last one I glanced at.

Sun's Schwartz Speaks Out on Linux, SCO (eWeek)

Posted Sep 20, 2003 7:08 UTC (Sat) by mattdm (subscriber, #18) [Link]

How do they get around the "unless that component itself accompanies the executable" exception-to-the-system-libs-exception in the GPL? Or do they just ignore that?

Sun's Schwartz Speaks Out on Linux, SCO (eWeek)

Posted Sep 20, 2003 16:57 UTC (Sat) by rfunk (subscriber, #4054) [Link]

You mean this:

For an executable work, complete source code means all the source code for all modules it contains, plus any associated interface definition files, plus the scripts used to control compilation and installation of the executable. However, as a special exception, the source code distributed need not include anything that is normally distributed (in either source or binary form) with the major components (compiler, kernel, and so on) of the operating system on which the executable runs, unless that component itself accompanies the executable.

I don't see that the exception or the exception to the exception even come into play here. Look at the definition of "complete source code". The Solaris 8 free software CD has all the source code and build/install scripts, since it has the source tarballs that everyone distributes. I'm not clear on the "interface definition files", but I think that's also covered the same way, or else by the Solaris header files.

And in case that's wrong, they distribute the free software somewhat separately. The Solaris 8 CDs are in a little plastic "Solaris 8" binder, and the free software CDs ("Software Companion" and "Star Office 5.1") are in a separate "Bonus Software" binder.

Whether it qualifies as "accompanies" for those two things to be distributed in the same box is not for me to judge.

I don't know what they did in Solaris 9.