A lengthy debate that began with a suggestion to dual license the Linux kernel under the GPLv2 and the GPLv3 continues on the Linux Kernel Mailing List. Throughout the ongoing thread Linux creator Linus Torvalds has spoken out on the GPLv2, the upcoming GPLv3, the BSD license, Tivo, the Free Software Foundation, and much more. During the discussion, he was asked we he chose the GPLv2 over the BSD license when he's obviously not a big fan of the FSF.
To view parent comment, click here.
To read all comments associated with this story, please click here.
Member since:2007-02-17
If I buy a device that I cannot modify then it is no different to me to a proprietary device.
TiVO, OTOH, are getting their core software for "free", without paying any "price" for it. Why should TiVo profit from the work of FOSS programmers, but get away with not passing FOSS freedoms on to TiVo customers?
That is patently unfair (and what is more it violates the license under which TiVo can legally use the software). I don't know why people cannot understand that.
Edited 2007-06-17 12:33
Member since:2006-02-16
People generally isnt buying TiVO for FOSS freedoms, they are buying TiVO for the service TiVO offers...what GNU-fanatics are demanding, is rights to remove the service out of the box...and while that is ideologically all nice and dandy, corporate wise TiVo would be out of business in a month.
Member since:2006-03-12
"That is patently unfair (and what is more it violates the license under which TiVo can legally use the software). I don't know why people cannot understand that."
You should read the thread its a long and painful one Linus is not at his best, and Alan Cox has to rope him in a few times.
A lot of the argument is about the fact that what Tivo does is *legal* at least in GPL2, which everyone excepts. The argument becomes about what the spirit of the original GPL2 always was and whether what Tivo did right by Linux. Linus says it is; Alan Cox says it isn't.
Edited 2007-06-17 15:35
Member since:2006-03-14
That is patently unfair (and what is more it violates the license under which TiVo can legally use the software). I don't know why people cannot understand that.
Tivo is paying the same price everyone pays to play. They give back the improvements they make to the code they use. Tivo is NOT violating the license. Even RMS would agree with that. Tivo is making it hard to run the software on their hardware, but the GPL did not even try to make such a restriction.
Member since:
2006-03-14
their hardware. And they have that right, because the Hardware *ISN'T*
covered by the GPL.
The moment i buy a tivo the hardware is mine and i can and will do whatever i want with it. The only right tivo has is to withdraw any waranty.
Tivo makes their hardware difficult to hack, and that is how they designed it. They do not want you to hack it. Yes it is yours, but really, if you buy a Tivo, do not expect it to be hacker friendly. I don't know why people cannot understand that.
The Tivo was never meant to be a general purpose computing device. It was meant to be an appliance running Linux. The fact that they go to such great lengths to make it "unhackable" should prove the point. The only "sin" Tivo has committed is to leave it not completely hack proff. Because if it was completely hack proof, suddenly there would be no prblem. for instance, if they had supplied it on a ROM, with exactly the same software, then RMS would not have a problem with it. Or so the claim goes.
Edited 2007-06-17 12:25