On 12-09-02 10:15 PM, Hans-Peter Diettrich wrote:
GNU software was born when the previously free Unix source code was
swallowed by a AT&T, and many *developers* needed a new base (OS, tools,
libraries...) for their own work. These agreed to contribute to
community projects, for free and by open source code, while retaining
the right to live from their own programs, built for that environment by
using the therefore available tools. So it's a free personal decision
how to make private or company projects available to the public.
DoDi
A not so minor historical note. Unix never was or is free. Unix was
developed at Bell Labs which was the R&D arm of AT&T. At the time, as a
regulated monopoly, AT&T could not sell the software and as a result,
made it available to educational institutions without charge. The
software was free as in free beer but the copyrights belonged to AT&T.
The University of California (at Berkley) produced a version of Unix
(BSD -- Berkley Software Distribution) that eventually was free of all
AT&T copyrights. AT&T Unix has never been "open Source". Just look at
the recent SCO squabble over the ownership of the Unix copyrights. AT&T
did licence Unix to several compainies. AIX is one example of a non free
derivative. On the other hand BSD Unix and all its derivatives are "open
source" being the original BSD Licence.
--
TRUTH in her dress finds facts too tight.
In fiction she moves with ease.
Stray Birds by Rabindranath Tagore
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