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On Fri, Feb 02, 2001 at 12:08:28PM -0700, Bill Anderson wrote: |
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> And without Linux, one could easily argue that GNU would not be in it's |
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> present form either. GNU has grown and thrived due to the use of the Linux |
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> kernel. Should not, then, by identical argument, GNU be called Linux/GNU? |
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> You can't make the claim that Linux would not be around if it were not for |
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> GNU, without realizing that GNU is in the same basic predicament. |
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Bill, I think you've hit the nail on the head. This is my general theory and I |
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can't help but believe that RMS's "GNU/Linux" stance is motivated by jealousy. |
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I guess I can relate; it is typical geek behavior for someone such as RMS to |
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give 1001 logical-sounding and somewhat technical reasons as to why he needs a |
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hug. If RMS and the GNU developers need a hug, I'm happy to give them one, but |
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I wish they'd just acknowledge the fact that it's an emotional need, rather |
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than something that they've earned due to divine moral laws that only they seem |
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to understand. The thing that bugs me about their approach is that when they |
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try to explain how they should be given credit, it makes it appear as if there |
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is a hidden clause to the GNU license -- that we must worship RMS as God. It |
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turns the efforts of the GNU project from an admirable selfless act into one |
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motivated by pride. Ironically, their approach seems to generate just the |
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opposite sentiment than the one they were trying to artificially illicit in the |
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first place. |
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|
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But Steven had a totally valid question that I sidestepped -- how is Gentoo |
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Linux going to address this whole licensing issue? I've talked with Achim |
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privately, and we will begin recording the license(s) of all packages in the |
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ebuild, probably in a similar format to the DEPEND variables. This |
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functionality will be integrated into the next version of Portage, and will |
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allow people who aren't comfortable with certain licenses to instruct ebuild |
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not to build those particular packages. Those who are interested can then |
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enhance our Portage tree to provide GNU or non-GNU (or "X" or "non-X") versions |
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of various packages, as they desire. |
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|
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The philosophy underlying this decision is that Gentoo Linux shouldn't be |
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"Daniel's personal distro". Instead, Gentoo Linux should be an operating |
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system that can be customized to the needs and concerns of its users. Since we |
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can easily cater to this particular concern, it makes sense to do so rather |
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than impose my will upon all those who disagree with me. |
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|
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Also, on a related note, there are some packages that we can't legally |
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distribute as binaries. These packages won't be available as packages, |
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but will be available as ebuilds so that everyone can build them on their |
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local machine. |
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|
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> Ogg is way cool :) |
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|
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I used ogg in the olden days, but I'm using shorten 3.2 for lossless audio |
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compression now. It would be nice to add ogg to Portage, and this would be |
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a nice way to get familiar with the Portage system. Any takers? |
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|
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Best Regards, |
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|
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-- |
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Daniel Robbins <drobbins@g.o> |
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President/CEO http://www.gentoo.org |
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Gentoo Technologies, Inc. |