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XFree86 4.4 Released

puriots0 writes "XFree86 version 4.4 is finally out! Grab it while it's still hot, if you don't mind the recent licensing changes... And if you don't care about the license, but the maintainers of your distribution do, this might be the only way to get it for the moment." The XFree86 people seem very eager to claim that the new license is nothing bad; see their FAQ. However, people who have reviewed it, such as RMS and Branden Robinson, think differently. It looks as if the XFree86 people have a short timespan to either rethink their license changes or be dropped from every/almost every Linux distribution in favor of a forked codebase.

17 of 531 comments (clear)

  1. FP! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    FP!

    -sw

  2. I Hate Texas by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Who else agrees?

    The southern states of the US are populated by inbred fucks.

    I want to kill them all.

    Anyone with me?

  3. yeah lets go drop X from our distros by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    because we all know theres another fucking option

  4. It's sad ... by GNUALMAFUERTE · · Score: -1, Troll

    We should, more than ever, show that we are a community, to show that we have similar goals and we are not going to spread living people on their own. If we don't show stability, people won't think that Free Software is more than just a hobby.
    This license diversity just confuses people; and it's not really necesary, As long as it's free software, you shouldn't care.
    Just use the GPL, if you think it's to protective, use the lesser, that is why it's there.

    --
    WTF am I doing replying to an AC at 5 A.M on a Friday night?
    1. Re:It's sad ... by MooKore+2004 · · Score: 1, Troll

      Wrong. You don't have to GPL your code if your licence is GPL compatible. Thats Why LGPL and other licences can co-exist with the gpl.

  5. Re:From the FAQ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    I hate Texas. I hate the Southern States of the US. Tbey are the social fuckups that are out of step with Western Culture.

    These inbred fucks and their bullshit bible-belt are what's holding America back. If we could just kill all these bastards and repopulate teh South with smart people from California and New York, all would be good.

    Bush is a prime example. A bitch who needs to b killed. I hope he is killed violently.

  6. Re:I've said it before and I'll say it again by MooKore+2004 · · Score: 1, Troll

    Have you ever tried urpmi? Its like emerge but without the compiling, I don't find that Mandrakes pakage system "kinda sucks" after discovering this tool!

  7. Re:From the FAQ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Americans are the best developers in the world.

    So that's why the American software industry is in free fall because Indian coders can do the same things for a tenth of the price. I should have guessed it was because you were so good.

    It's obvious, though, when you think about it. All the best programmers are American. Like Linus Torvalds, the ex-football player who went on to start the famous all-American Linux operating system, for example.

  8. Re:When Announcing A New Version Of Something by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    No torrents. Not being able to get this licene encumbred piece of shit is a good thing!

  9. Re:From the FAQ by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    The license used is the counter-GPL, it is also viral but allows non-GPL code to be added whereas the GPL is viral and prevents non-GPL code from being added. To clarify the distinction between the ideological and the purely practical. The ideological group is the primary affected group by this license, rather than acknowledge the primary value of this to the support of continued production of necessary software, offense is taken. The purely practical acknowledge that in-house improvements can be made with code they have licensed from commercial sources, allowing for a perhaps improved version of the software.

  10. For reals tho by JohnwheeleR · · Score: -1, Troll

    Open source and GPL in general are an easy model to adopt when banding together to protest the unethical practices of Microsoft, but why give software away for free ALWAYS and FOREVER? Maybe you are a follower? Maybe you want to grow a long beard and be dirty? Does it REALLY make sense?

  11. Re:Which major Distros are using 4.4? by ebbomega · · Score: 0, Troll

    Um. Smoke much crack?

    Unless you know of any major distros that have been released in the last week without freezing their packages, I'd imagine the answer to your question would be NONE.

    --
    Karma: Non-Heinous
  12. Re:So they stick to the new license... by k_head · · Score: 1, Troll

    Nice troll congratulations. You got modded up too, nice job.

    "The FSF doesn't like the new license and begins telling people that it is incompatible with the GPL. Does that mean they are right? "

    Yes. Even the X people agree, so the the openbsd people.

    "Does the GPL mean whatever the FSF decides it means that week? "

    Nice troll, I'll give you a 9 for this. You will actually fool people for thinking that this has something to do with changes to the GPL. Of course you knwo that's not the case but a briliant use of misdirection.

    "Or, in a country governed by the rule of law, does it mean no more and no less that what it be proven to mean in court? I don't know about you, but I tend to believe the latter"

    Another brilliant misdirection. You know full well this nothing to do with the law. Another 9.

    "More importantly, what exactly is the FSF supThe law which so venerate so much gives the FSF the right to sue people who violate their license. I doubt it will come to that but the FSF has the right to sue and they have shown willingness in the past to sue.

    "Do they have the money"

    Yes they do. They also have the ability to raise funds if they need it.

    "let alone the ability convince a court that the suit isn't frivilous?"

    Easy. Show the license, show where the license has been breached, collect damages. If the license is deemed void amend the suit to one of copyright violations and collect even more money.

    "More importantly, can they afford the ill will that would result?"

    The people who already hate them (you, MS, SCO etc) will continue to hate them no matter what. The OSS community will hail as heroes for enforcing the GPL.

    "I personally don't understand why XFree considers this change so important, but neither do I see it as a harmful one"

    They can do whatever they want. If the FSF says it's incompatible with the GPL then the distros won't include it. Every action has consequences.

    "Isn't that something that RMS has been whining about for years with his GNU/Linux nonsense? He "corrects" people for calling Linux Linux every chance he gets. In fact I read an article where the author claimed that RMS refused to give an interview unless the article used his preferred terminology."

    Great touch. End your post with a personal attack on RMS. I think that got you the +5 more then anything else.

    People should bookmark your post. One of the all time great trolls.

    --
    The best way to support the US war effort is to continue buying American products.
  13. Re:Just Wondering If This Is What Dawes et al. Wan by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    You stupid jerk, you have absolutely no fucking idea on the issue. What you say is completely wrong.

  14. Re:Some clarifications (but you're wrong) by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    > GPL-compatibility was not the only "justification for the new license"

    Mod parent: "-1 argues-against-something-the-parent-post-didnt-say "

    Parent post said that GPL compatibility was cited as *a* justification, not *the* justification. (and in your post you confirm that what the parent said is actually true - but you then go on to argue against some figment of your imagination.

  15. From a CTO Point of View by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    This is why Linux will fail.

    you guys sound like a bunch of whining cry babies.

  16. Interesting: GNU/K{Free,Net}BSD support. by cant_get_a_good_nick · · Score: 0, Troll

    I saw this in the release notes.

    Pseudo-intelligent comment:
    Interesting. My impression of the GNU/*BSDs were that they were an exercise to prove GNU software was more important than Linux. As such GPL licensing issues are critical. I'm surprised they'll accept 4.4 because of licensing issues.

    Flammable comment:
    I'm sure all 6 of the general users that run KFreeBSD will be very happy.