The GPL Impedes Linux More Than It Helps? 386
Anonymous Coward writes "Linux ought to be even more successful than it is. On ZDNet, Paul Murphy ponders the reasons why. For one thing: The GPL impedes Linux more than it helps. Licensing issues, coupled with patent and copyright FUD, have caused developers and VCs to think twice before committing to Linux. Murphy also suspects that desktop Linux is stuck on stupid." From the post: "Basically, legal issues, or the threat of legal issues, caused some key applications developers to back off Linux while the general negativism of Linux marketing caused many of the individuals whose innovations should have been driving Linux adoption to hang fire until MacOS X and Solaris for x86 under the CDDL came along."
Actually (Score:4, Informative)
True to an extent... (Score:2, Informative)
Re:linus on GPL (Score:5, Informative)
Yes, saying things like "Making Linux GPL'd was definitely the best thing I ever did." [sw.com.sg] is almost hostile.
Re:True to an extent... (Score:5, Informative)
That's absolutely wrong. The GPL allows you to modify and to use GPLed code in any way you please. What the GPL does not give you is the right to give the GPLed code to someone else without giving that person the same rights you got.
Re:Who needs Linux when you have OSX? (Score:3, Informative)
I understand this. I got a powerbook last January or February. At first I was amazed at the eye-candy
Anyway, as the year has worn on, I'm liking OSX less and less. I've played with Tiger on other people's computers, but I don't see any improvement - just gimicks. These annoyances really start to add up -- I suppose it's time to check and see if the trackpad issues have been resolved yet. That's the only thing that's held me back.
Re:You're right, and it's a good licence (Score:4, Informative)
Not to mention, most BSD systems use a heavy amount of GPL code these days
Really? Care to show me where this "heavy amount" is at?
What would your favorite BSD look like without any of it?
Well, this for one: http://www.openbsd.com/ [openbsd.com]
What would Linux look like without non-GPL code? You'd have no OpenSSH, no Apache, no PostgreSQL, and no X.
I can't tell you how many times I've heard that argument before from the anti-BSD folks. Again, care to show me an example of where this actually happened?
Re:Linux and GPL (Score:5, Informative)
Curious.. (Score:4, Informative)