Theo de Raadt wrote:
> I recognize that writeup about the Atheros / Linux / SFLC story is a
> bit complex, so I wrote a very simple explanation to someone, and they
> liked it's clarity so much that they asked me to post it for everyone.
> Here it is (with a few more changes)
>
> -----
> starting premise:
>
> you can already use the code as it is
>
> steps taken:
>
> 1. pester developer for a year to get it under another license.
> - get told no, repeatedly
>
> 2. climb over ethical fence
>
> 3. remove his license
> - get caught, look a bit stupid
>
> 4. wrap his license with your own
> - get caught, look really stupid
>
> 5. assert copyright under author's license, without original work
> - get caught, look even more stupid
>
> Right now the wireless linux developers -- aided by an entire team of
> evidently unskilled lawyers -- are at step 5, and we don't know what
> will happen next. We wait, to see what will happen.
>
> Reyk can take them to court over this, but he must do it before the
> year 2047.
As you indicated in a previous posting, this does seem to point a
way to accomplish the long-desired goal of a BSD-licensed compiler
set, doesn't it? Heck, using this process, I can become a coder!
src/, here I come!
Not sure why anyone is surprised here. They have long demonstrated
their (re)definitions of commonly used words and phrases. GNUspeak:
"Open Source is THE WAY!" (unless, of course, there's a binary blob
around, which is more than sufficient)
"Give back to the community!" (which really means, "I'm the community,
gimme, gimme, gimme!")
"Free as in Freedom!" (but "Free as in no monetary charge" beats
the hell out of taking a stand)
"Respect our license!" (your license is not worth the bits its stored
in)
GPL is the way! It's our way, we'll make it your way, too.
"Theo's a loud-mouthed jerk!" ("but we'll happily benefit from his
work, while we pretend to be the nice guys")
"Hardware vendors should respect alternative OSs!" (Ok, they support
mine, that's good enough)
"OS Diversity is good!" (but "My distro's bigger than yours!" Damn,
guys, if that's the goal, Windows wins, everyone else is a loser)
Not that certain other "free" software people are all that much
different from the Linux fannerds.
Free software: It's all about the price.
The rest of the talk about "freedom", etc. is just trying to keep
them from looking like cheap, greedy bastards.
At least for an awful lot of 'em.
Nick.
