is GPL3 a sign of the beast?

[Lennart Sorensen]

On Tue, Feb 13, 2007 at 10:45:12PM -0500, Colin McGregor wrote:
> Yes and no. Define free? For Stallman the answer is
> free means you can get the source code and do what you
> want with that source code, all other issues are
> secondary (including cost, so Stallman doesn't object
> to someone changing $$$ for a piece of code).

But the GPL3 is adding new things you can't do with the source that you
could do before while still letting other people do the same thing with
the source with your changes.  The GPL3 is trying to control the
hardware on which the code is run rather than just the code, which I
personally don't think it has any business getting involved with, even
though I don't personally like what tivo and such are doing with their
hardware.  I just won't buy that hardware.  The patent stuff and other
new stuff in GPL3 seems fine, but the anti DRM hardware stance is just a
bad idea.  Wrong place to for that battle.

> Well, you seem to assume there must be just one
> kernel, at the risk of starting an argument let me ask
> (even through I don't want to hear answers):
> 
> - What is the best editor, vi or emacs?
> - What is the best desktop, Gnome or KDE?
> - Which is the best word processor, OpenOffice or
> AbiWord?

Does there have to be only one libc?  I have seen very good arguments
that the current GPL3 draft WILL cause a fork in gnu libc.

> and so on it goes. A year from now we MIGHT be asking:
> 
> - What is the best GPL'ed OS, GNU/Linux or Solaris?

Well sun seems to have picked GPL v2 for Java (not v2 or later).  I
highly doubt they would go for GPL v3 for solaris if they ever decide to
stop using their own license for it.

> Two years from now (after the destruction in lawsuits
> of a certain firm) we MIGHT be asking:
> 
> - What is the best GPL'ed OS, GNU/Linux, Solaris, or
> Novell/IBM/Red Hat/Autozone/DaimlerChrysler Unixware?

Certainly won't be unixware. :)

> then sitting back and toasting marshmallows on the
> resulting flame war :-) . Regardless, there can be
> more than one legitimate answer to the question "What
> is the best...".
> 
> My view is I am very happy where I am with GNU/Linux,
> but if (BIG IF) someone comes up with something
> better, I will consider switching...

Keeping an open mind for something better is always a good idea.

--
Len Sorensen
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