Alan McKinnon <alan.mckinnon <at> gmail.com> writes:
> Seeing as Linus himself has stated that he has absolutely no intention > of changing the license on the kernel, your idea is unworkable. My idea is not to mess with either the GPL2/3 applications nor the gplv2 kernel. What ever is under the "Gentoo" umbrella could conceivably be changed to a BSD style license. In those areas where it cannot then just leave it GPLed or code around the GPL until it is minimized. I could easily see a FPGA partioned into a multi processor system, with published GPL code on one core and code under a new, Entrepreneurial license on a different part of the FPGA cores. In fact, one could network two x86 machines, one running as a GPL linux system and the other running Entrepreneurial code from a different license, as a development platform. In my opinion we are on the verge of truly distributed computing where Open Source GPL(ed) systems and devices will integrate with old fashion (closed source) products, in a rapid fashion. The Gentoo devs could get out in front of the revolution, and spawn lots of Entrepreneurs, or they can follow MS and leave the GPL shackles around their necks. (I sure hope they do not try to cross the river).... The point I was trying to may (and not really a hard sell but just to illuminate moving gentoo into more of an "Entrepreneur distro") would be to build the future of Gentoo (or a fork) on a better license model than GPL. GPL has worked reasonable well, but things have changed quit a lot. It's time for folks to leverage Open Source to make money. You want to live on Massa's Farm, that's your choice. I have tasted (economic) freedom and it drives me mad how the masses of folks just 'get in line' with what they hear over the loud speakers...... Oh well, I'm done with this issue. I don't think I can help, lifting the (Gentoo) devs nor the greater Gentoo user base out of economic despair , if folks do not agree with moving to a different licensing scheme, for the unique work that characterizes and surrounds Gentoo. GPL is a vow of poverty, IMHO. It sure will be interesting to see where Daniel and the trustees take/leave the distro........ My guess is Daniel has seen, smelled and maybe lightly tasted the flavors of economic success, and some influential folks and poked him in the ribs and said (pissst, isn't gentoo your prodigy? take that puppy public and cash in.....) just a hunch, James -- gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org mailing list
