Mark Shuttleworth is trying to entice OpenSUSE developers to join Ubuntu. "Novell's decision to go to great lengths to circumvent the patent framework clearly articulated in the GPL has sent shockwaves through the community. If you are an OpenSUSE developer who is concerned about the long term consequences of this pact, you may be interested in some of the events happening next week as part of the Ubuntu Open Week."
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Member since:2006-08-22
"People who continually contravene the will of those GPL developers are no better than pirates who steal Microsoft software."
Exactly. All we are asking for is : respect the license. You don't like it ? don't use it. We don't care about software pirats and warez adepts.
I'm sure the kind of people trying to desperatly find a loophole in the GPL are the same kind of people that would really enjoy to use Microsoft Office 2012 UltraProfessional Edition Warez Gold Silver.
Member since:2005-07-06
Except the GPL developers work is not being stolen, damaged, or lessened. The GPLed work is still protected in every way as delineated by the GPL v2 license. The nv driver has not been broken due to the offer, nor has the kernel been made inoperable.
Nvidia and ATI believe that the method by which they are making drivers available is within the scope of the GPL and I and many others happen to agree. They are not "contravening" the GPL license they are trying to legally interoperate with it.
Saying that NVidia releasing free as in beer drivers for Linux but not releasing the source is no better than someone knowingly stealing commercial software is highly dubious.
You are free not to use the drivers but to say that offering drivers is the equivalent to illegal distribution of commercial software? I have no basis for common ground with you and leave you to your opinion. Good day.
EDIT: For the record, I do not use the blob drivers. I made a conscious decision that I did not want to rely on an unknown piece of code running at the kernel level in my systems. Since I do not game nor do I do grahics work the Intel chipsets are sufficient for my 3d needs. Where I have Nvidia or ATI chipsets I make due with the open source drivers. This was my decision to make, not yours. If the kernel developers wish to object and refuse to allow the binary drivers it is within their right to take them to court. FSF would be quite capable of handling the case I think. Since ther has not been a legal objection to the providing of the drivers this can be taken as a tacit, if unliked, allowance for distribution.
Edited 2006-11-25 19:17
Member since:2006-10-24
"Except the GPL developers work is not being stolen, damaged, or lessened. The GPLed work is still protected in every way as delineated by the GPL v2 license. The nv driver has not been broken due to the offer, nor has the kernel been made inoperable."
That's just your opinion, and not that of all legal minds or even of all developers that choose this license. I'm sure many pirates who steal MS software have many such rationalizations about their deeds too... MS doesn't need the money.. MS is evil anyway.. etc etc..
"Nvidia and ATI believe that the method by which they are making drivers available is within the scope of the GPL and I and many others happen to agree. They are not "contravening" the GPL license they are trying to legally interoperate with it. "
Well they seem to have found a way to work around the GPL, but by many accounts not in the spirit of it. But the question becomes much more murky when someone tries to distribute the combined work; Nvidia and ATI have avoided this issue by not distributing the combined work themselves.
"Saying that NVidia releasing free as in beer drivers for Linux but not releasing the source is no better than someone knowingly stealing commercial software is highly dubious."
To the extent that they are profiting (selling more cards etc) on the backs of developers who do not want them using THEIR software they are every bit as bad as the pirates who profit by using MS software against the license of its owner..
"You are free not to use the drivers but to say that offering drivers is the equivalent to illegal distribution of commercial software? I have no basis for common ground with you and leave you to your opinion."
You miss the very point of my post. Everyone is free to do as they wish, but there are legal and moral guidelines one should follow in making appropriate choices.
Cheers.
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Member since:
2006-10-24
As others have already said in this thread, the use or non-use of proprietary binary modules is NOT just a question of consumer choice. It's also about the choice of license made by developers. Many developers choose the GPL specifically because they believe it does not allow this type of use.
They believe that such use degrades overall freedom.
Even though some people (talking about you NotParker ;o) ) believe that this in itself is a horrible restriction on freedom, that's a debate for another day.
Your own logic above which grants ATI and Nvidia every right to protect their work and not release GPL compatible modules, should be extended to the authors of GPL software who wish to protect their work in their own way.
People who continually contravene the will of those GPL developers are no better than pirates who steal Microsoft software.