eddie said:
No I do not "know" that FSF policies are nuisance and you have not convinced me otherwise as yet. They don't want to use binary drivers, Microsoft fonts, win32codecs, MP3 and DVD decoders...THIS IS WHY they want hardware vendors to open their drivers. If they don't do it...fine...no one can force them. If you feel this is stupidity...then you are entitled to have your opinion.
Why is it so hard to swallow the truth? If you are using proprietary, patented and commercial software to enhance you Linux *experience*, you are in violation of the *ideology*. And I think it should be upto the hardware vendors to choose between closed source or open source model for their drivers. FSF/GNU guys have no say in this case.
eddie said:
I am using Patented hardware but none of these manufacturers force me to not try and open them. Governments have open policies. Time for someone to look at RTI act. What kind of information do you want from Banks? I don't see them hiding anything. If you are using any of their service, you have full right to know what you are using, how you are using it and how they constituted it. Go and talk to your bank manager...he will enlighten you. My own little secrets doesn't effect anyone's lives but mine so no one knows them.
As far as Microsoft is concerned, if I am paying for something then I should have a right to know what I am buying and how it is effecting me. If I don't know it then I do not accept it. Also please don't put words in my mouth...I never said anything about Microsoft being evil. That is just your own thought.
You still have little clue about Reverse Engineering and patents. You think Intel will let you go with a RE'ed copy product of their x86 architecture? Dream on! Same goes for graphics, chipset and other vendors. Home appliances are no different at all! It's your *annoying* ignorance at play. Get informed.
Governments do have secret policies, and RTI has nothing to do with them. You cannot go about crying that the Government isn't telling if they'll vote for or against the Iran case. You cannot request any military information through RTI. Have you been sleeping?
As for the banks - ah sure, they do not have any secrets at all. That's why they won't disclose others' information to you? That's why the Swiss banks exist at all? And, that's why people go on crying when banks sell their personal information to others?
Just like your personal little secrets are your own, a company's trade secrets, intellectual properties and patents are not public properties. Their assets are none of your business. Why should they spend millions and then distribute in charity?
eddie said:
...and that is why I am not speaking against them.
I am just supporting FSF *supporters'* choice. Is that too hard to understand?
Yes, it is. You're in violation of their ideology, yet you support those who adore the same? It's called hypocrisy or duality; and I'm not flaming. It's common sense.
eddie said:
Does the statement in bold make any sense to you? It did not make sense to me at least...
You say that RE in case of mod chips is illegal and then you come up to say that RE in case of software is not a crime? Are you trying to say that something illegal is not crime? Wow!!!
Also please don't quote things from Wikipedia. It is written by users who have cypher knowledge about patent rules and before you jump the gun...yes my sister is a lawyer so keep the holster closed. Also, did you go and read the EULA of Windows XP Pro before coming to paste wikipedia stuff?
If it doesn't make any sense to you, it's not my problem. I have already stated that RE is both legal and illegal, depending on the target and practise. Not all software prevent RE'ing and not all hardware allow it. The definition of "legal or illegal" changes as we cross national boundaries. So, what's illegal in USA is perfectly legal in EU, in many cases. You clearly have little knowledge about it.
Don't bring your sister in here. She may well be a lawyer and have little clue about software patents at the same time. It's like insisiting that a local physician knows all about the whole medical field.
Windows XP EULA doesn't have anything to do with this discussion. If you don't agree with their EULA, simply don't use the software. There is a reason why I've switched to Solaris.
eddie said:
Linux kernel does not have "several" RE'd drivers. You posted only two links and it looks like only the tg3 driver is RE'd. That too because the original driver was under GPL. If the original developer had restricted RE then the driver would not have been in official tree just like how ACX1xx didn't make it.
One or several - what difference does it make? It's like a man claiming he is still innocent for he has committed only one murder. Tainted is tainted. Why does RMS call Linux kernel "partially non-free"? Isn't that like "a little pregnant"? He is defensive because there are no choices. If he had Hurd ready for production, he would have opened fire against Linux and Linus by now.
"Only one taint" and "partially non-free". GNU sure is a *great* ideology.
eddie said:
Did you even read my previous post? What is the meaning of "your own RMS"? Should I start calling Bill Gates as your own? Please post in respectable language else I very well know how to flame people and have a very decent asbestos suit with me
You cannot compare RMS with Bill Gates. I praise RMS for Emacs and GCC, but loathe him for stupid stubborn attitude. I'm not in any liaison with Bill Gates in any way. He is a brilliant businessman though.
Care to point where my language was impolite in any way? Calling RMS "your own" is not demeaning. It shows how you adore his GPL so much.
By the way, lose that asbestos suit fast, for you would die of cancer faster than I could point my flamethrower at you. [Statuary Warning]
eddie said:
Proprietary 3d drivers? I got XGL and AIGLX to work fine with my 915 integrated graphics...no problems. XGL's success is not dependent on just those 3D drivers. As far as Ubuntu is concerned...if its success is there "because" of non-free wireless firmware then why has Freespire not taken over the market share? AFAIK they ship more non-free stuff then any other distro. I don't see them making any strides further.
Well, I wasn't aware that nVIDIA users were boycotting their products because of non-free drivers. Thanks for telling me that Ubuntu forums are littered with XGL problems and success stories with i915 driver. O' yeah?
Freespire never had the money for free shipping in first place. Besides, Ubuntu inherited a better (Debian) system to build upon and I'm not denying that. We'll see if GNUisance ever makes it to the Top-10 in DistroWatch list.
eddie said:
...free and under OSS license. Don't forget that. If they would have wanted to just work for free...they would have worked with copyrights. Open Source is the most important point here.
That's because GPL was the only viable license available at the time most Linux developers started contributing. Same goes for most of the GNU software too. But, it's not like *BSDs don't attract free developers. They're producing better quality and stable software under BSD license, which IMHO, is more "free" than GPL.
eddie said:
Since you have read it throughly...please quote the parts where GPL is not "as free" for its "users".
Sun's CDDL has provisions for taking into account the IP and various other legal things. BSD allows you to tinker with sources and not release them to public. GPL, in the name of freedom, is the most restricting in this regard.
__________
GNUrag said:
Which we are not interested in talking about.
Ahem, "we"? I raised the point to settle down the issue of "success" and populatiry of Linux, and it served me well.
GNUrag said:
You neglected the community bit. Commercial UNIXen didnt have that huge worldwide community touch. Linux succeeded because it was made by people, and made for people, and incidentally people happened to use cheap intel hardware.
No denying here. Agreed!
GNUrag said:
And who has the responsibility to go convince hardware vendours to open specifications? You are surely not going to do that.. And wont let FSF do that either.
There is no need to. If Windows and other systems can survive, and do well with closed binary drivers, Linux is not special. If binary blobs bother them so much, they're free to RE the drivers as long as no laws are violated.
GNUrag said:
that's known fact - RMS is not such a big fan of Linux kernel. FSF has intentions to make their own kernel (weather Hurd will ever boot is another topic of discussion).
Agreed!
GNUrag said:
Yeah, its not free if you think from the mindset of making a proprietary fork and become filthy rich out of it. Yes, FOSS doesnt give freedom to steal community work and make a commercial white elephant of it... You take code from community, you ought to give it back.
While we talk, two big commercial Linux vendors - RedHat and Novell, are uncertain of their future. If they get out of Linux business, because of some foretold consequences, the *community* will be left crying in dirt. The non-commercial, community-driven idea may sound like a perfect political idelogy to teenagers, it's not the best model of development and certainly not a key to survival in IT industry for a long run.
No commercial Linux = No hired and paid developers = Significant loss for community
BSD license doesn't ask for contribution. Is it not a free license at all? Definitions and explanations are entirely subjective. "Mandatory to submit code back to community" may look like freedom to one, and restriction to another.