Novell and Microsoft recently entered into an agreement regarding software patents (really?) that betrays the rest of the Free Software community, including the very people who wrote Novell's own system, for Novell's sole financial beneift, according to Bruce Perens. Join Perens in signing an open letter to Novell's CEO Ron Hovsepian. "As the agreement stands today, it betrays the authors of the software you re-market and their users worldwide for Novell's sole commercial benefit."
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Member since:2006-09-24
Member since:2005-08-26
So, what do you think CUSTOMERS will say when they see the developers having a pissfest about something that the customers see as a good thing?
The developers chose the license to release their code under, and now they get pissed about something that doesn't in any way violate the license?
Don't like it? Don't use the license in the first place.
And don't expect GPLv3 to solve any problems either. If you want any "solutions" to your perceived problems, you'll need changes in law, and you're sure as hell not going to see that.
Back to the original issue. How many developers are actually among those that are pissed by this deal vs those who don't give a shit or see the deal as a good thing? I see a few people that are very vocal about it, but they do not in any way represent all developers.
Member since:2005-07-11
So all the non-Novell employed Linux developers are going to re-release all their software under a modified GPL license that includes a "can't be used by Novell or as a part of OpenSUSE" clause?
As long as there are developers employed at Novell, and as long as their are customers buying Novell products, what anybody else things doesn't matter.
AFAICT, no one has broken any part of the GPL, so Novell can continue to use the bits that others put out there.
Member since:2006-01-06
Member since:
2005-08-26
But there are MANY who are upset at Novell's move. And those MANY are the ones Novell needs for support else Novell will be having to support a whole lot of forks once major projects stop supporting SUSE.
And how many are MANY?
0.1% of the market? 0.2%?
Out of current and future potential customers, I'll bet the absolute majority are not upset at it.