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Is Sveasoft Violating the GPL?
Ron Harwood writes "First, Linksys was violating the GPL by not releasing their source for their Linux implementation on the WRT54G wireless router and WAP54G access point. When this was rectified, third party firmware started showing up. Well, now it looks like Sveasoft (one of the third party developers) has decided to restrict access to their modified source code to subscribers - that also will need to pay $49 for a CD rather than being able to download it." The thread summary at DSLReports only makes it clear that this is all very complicated.
I'll probably get modded down as a troll for this...
Just because something is open source, doesn't mean it's free as in free beer. They're offering the source at a cost; you still have access to the source, just at a price. This doesn't violate the GPL license.
What's wrong is that you open-source hippies expect everything to be free and downloadable. Under the GPL, I could take the Linux kernel and re-write most of it and make my own OS and charge $699 (pun intended) for the software and source, which would be fine and dandy, because I'm still making the source available.
Of course, if you're Microsoft, just let the source code blow out of the window...
1) If Sveasoft know that you are redistributing their "limited" firmware they kick you off and cancel your account.
2) If you make public in their forums that someone else was kicked off, then you get kicked off to and your post deleted.
3) You may not say good things about companies that Sveasoft people dont like. Or you get kicked off. And your post deleted.
4) If you complain about this or that firmware breking your router and tell them that you are writing a better one in base of a Satori/Samadhi/Alchemy or what else... gues what?, you get kicked off and your post deleted.
I think this f*king bastar*ds are becoming rich and they are violating the GPL when not releasing the source code and punishing good fella customers that reveal or redistribute firmware.
Man, they are more greedy than RIAA!!
I want to see the thay when Fedora guys send a hitman because of me duplicating the CD's go give them to my friends.
Remember, even though it is a firmware, it is just another Distro. It's linux, it has the freedom in its soul.
(Uhmm... hear that, i think it is a Hitman sended by Sveasoft).
PS: I will inform you if i get kicked off.
"First they ignore you, then they mock you, then they attack you, and then you win"
First the cluless engineers ignore companies with their "lets reinvent the wheel!" FSF, then they mock corporations who provide solutions for reasonable costs, then they attack (with words and allegations of impropriatary behavior), then... >:-)
You kids really need to learn - the GPL has no place in the software industry.
It's his site and as a paying subscriber I'm glad he bans whining assholes like you.
You seem to be the greedy one, actually--expecting Sveasoft to pay the hosting and admin costs associated with letting hordes of anonymous douchebags fill up his forums with crap.