> > If there was no kernel, the GNU operating system would > not have gone > > anywhere > > It would have completed it eventually, or someone else > would have > developed another kernel that would work with GNU. ATM we > have at > least 4. > > > without the GNU tools, where would Linux be? > > Who knows? It might not even have come to existence, since > it was > developed making extensive use of GNU software, and it > depended > heavily on GNU software to be usable since its inception, > and nobody > ever tried to change that. > > > An analogy for the GPL would be the farmer who > receives the gift of > > a GPL cow from a neighbour. The cow is completely > free, but all of > > the milk from the cow must be given away for free, and > all of the > > cow's calves, and the calves' calves, yea, > even unto the thousandth > > generation, shall be given away for free. > > If the cow is completely free in the same sense as in the > GPL, then it > can't have been given as a gift, Why can't it be given as a gift, you are free to do whatever you want with the cow. If you decide to let the cow eat hay and have calves, the calves that you have can be shared with thy neighbor. This is what the GPL enforces. The neighbor needs milk, he can milk your cow. Remember the cow is licensed under the GPL. > > for gift amounts to > ownership, which > is slavery rather than freedom. Yes you are a slave of the GPL, you have the freedom to do anything with the cow, provided that you follow the license completely. > I perceive an > overloaded-word fallacy > here: using 'free' with two very distinct senses, > one that tries to > bring the subject closer to the Free Software free, while > all others > have to do with cost. The cost in monetary terms means that the program is free*, but there are strings attached. IF you improve the program and make it more robust, you can't keep it to yourself you must share back. I would see real life examples like a teacher and a student. A teacher teaches a student many wonderful things say in mathematics. That student learns and goes to higher and higher levels eventually earning a Ph.D. The teacher is just a high school teacher, but was the teacher of the student. The student comes up with a very famous equation or proves a Theorem that has never been proven before. If the student uses the GPL, he has to credit all of his teachers including the one that taught him in high school. The student proved the Theorem himself and he does acknowledge all of the teachers that he had. All of the teachers can claim that they wrote the Theorem also because they are protected under the GNU/GPL umbrella :) Is that any justice to the student, who worked all the way up and did his/her homework? So users and developers are slaves of the GPL? Will we need to see an Abraham Lincoln Emancipation Proclamation of the GPL? Here's an attempt to emancipate the GPL to free the slaves Four score and seven years ago, our four GPL fathers brought upon us a free operating system combining the GNU tools with the linux kernel, that no software, ... Four score and seven years ago our FSF/GPL fathers brought forth on this continent, a new license, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that not all softwares are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that name(Linux), or any name(GNU/Linux) so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their time so that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work(GNU without Linux kernel) which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this FSF, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that software of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the GNU earth. > > > Now what kind of use is such a cow? > > You can eat it. You can use its pieces to build other > objects and > sell them. And you can expect to get more "free" > cows from the > neighbor, so you could run a business until the neighbor > realizes what > you're doing and realizes he can do that himself, and > kills his own > "free" cows. The neighbor only put one cow under the GPL license and he gave it to you. You can do anything with the cow, except that which is not permitted under copyright law. > There's a fable about a farmer > who kills the goose that > laid golden eggs somewhere. <humor please forgive me in advance if found offensive> < added a GNU before the word elephant to make it relevant to the thread > http://www.celtic-catholic-church.org/extras/elephant-jokes.html Q How do you kill a blue GNU elephant? A Shoot it with a blue GNU elephant gun. Q How do you kill a red GNU elephant? A Strangle it till it turns blue, then shoot it with a blue GNU elephant gun. Q How do you kill a green GNU elephant? A Tell it a dirty joke until it blushes and turns red, then strangle it until it turns blue, then shoot it with a blue GNU elephant gun. Q How do you kill a yellow GNU elephant? A What are you talking about? There are no yellow GNU elephants! </humor> > > Of course none of this bears any significant resemblance > with the way > the GPL works. > > > This is quite interesting and the points are very well > stated. > > Yep. Clever use of fallacies and dependence on public > ignorance and > gullibility :-) > > -- -- fedora-list mailing list fedora-list@xxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe: https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/fedora-list
