[kwlug-disc] Permissive vs copyleft licenses

[Mikalai Birukou]

>
>     > For the GPL, I agree wholeheartedly.
>     > But when it comes to that darn GNU bot...well...no :P
>
>     What is the GNU bot?
>
>
> I'd just like to interject for a moment. What you’re referring to as 
> Linux, is in fact, GNU/Linux, or as I’ve recently taken to calling it, 
> GNU plus Linux. Linux is not an operating system unto itself, but 
> rather another free component of a fully functioning GNU system made 
> useful by the GNU corelibs, shell utilities and vital system 
> components comprising a full OS as defined by POSIX. Many computer 
> users run a modified version of the GNU system every day, without 
> realizing it. Through a peculiar turn of events, the version of GNU 
> which is widely used today is often called “Linux”, and many of its 
> users are not aware that it is basically the GNU system, developed by 
> the GNU Project. There really is a Linux, and these people are using 
> it, but it is just a part of the system they use. Linux is the kernel: 
> the program in the system that allocates the machine’s resources to 
> the other programs that you run. The kernel is an essential part of an 
> operating system, but useless by itself; it can only function in the 
> context of a complete operating system. Linux is normally used in 
> combination with the GNU operating system: the whole system is 
> basically GNU with Linux added, or GNU/Linux. All the so-called 
> “Linux” distributions are really distributions of GNU/Linux.

The whole comment about how much GPL is in FreeBSD desktop, might be 
read as GNU/FreeBSD. Seriously.


In light of upcoming celebration that marks not only a start of new 
year, but also the end of 2020, in light of this I suggest the following 
story to ponder.

1) Initially there were almost no computers.

2) Then Copyright came when digital universe started to appear. 
Copyrights in the wilderness.

3) Then RMS stakes out Copyleft, starts building a little cabin in the 
wilderness.

4) Decades later! Now decades later, deep pockets are PR-ing for 
permissive licenses, i.e. more permissive than Copyright's "all rights 
reserved". Before that it was all about IP. A needle has moved! In a few 
more decades.

And here is a Christmas song to go with the story: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhcY6uUsStA

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