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Kororaa Accused of Violating GPL

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the penguin-is-confused dept.

AlanS2002 writes "The Kororaa Project, a pre-configured binary install method for Gentoo Linux which bundles nVidia's and ATI binary drivers in its Kororaa Xgl Live CD , has put its Live CD on hold after being accused of violating the GPL. The issue appears to be the distribution of the Linux Kernel and nVidia's/ATI binary drivers together. When the binary drivers are built the GPL'ed code is included in the binary result, which is a violation."

9 of 843 comments (clear)

  1. Re:All the more reason... by EraseEraseMe · · Score: 1, Troll

    Freedom through obfuscation, I don't think so.

    --
    "Anybody who tells me I can't use a program because it's not open source, go suck on rms. I'm not interested." (LT 2004)
  2. proof that the GPL is too invasive by GoatPigSheep · · Score: 0, Troll

    Here is one of the most impressive example of linux in action, the koraraa live cd, which literally blew me away with it's 3d-accelerated UI, being put on hold due to the "open-source spirit".

    Maybe if it was easier to install video drivers in linux in the first place that they could be made "reasonably independant of each other". How the hell are you supposed to make a live cd that seperates the video drivers from the rest of the OS ? What's more important to linux, the "open-source spirit" that prevents you from distributing one hell of an impressive Live CD, or a wider adoption of linux due to it's advanced technology (windows won't have a fully 3d accelerated UI untill some time next year, linux beat them to it).

    Seriously does anyone except open-souce zealots (who are preventing a wider adoption of linux), really care that these drivers are not open-source. Companies like ATI and Nvidia basically survive on their trade-secrets and it would not be reasonable to ask either of these companies to put their IP in jeapordy just so we could have a fully open-source video drivers. We should be grateful they provide closed-source drivers to us AT ALL.

    Just when I thought linux was about to blow away Windows this happens.. it's a real sagme. The keroraa liveCD was one of the best examples of a beautiful looking linux.

    --
    GoatPigSheep, the 3 most important food groups
    1. Re:proof that the GPL is too invasive by NetRAVEN5000 · · Score: 0, Troll
      "Companies like ATI and Nvidia basically survive on their trade-secrets and it would not be reasonable to ask either of these companies to put their IP in jeapordy just so we could have a fully open-source video drivers."

      The entire existence of Linux was built on the idea of open-source, and you think that it will be better with closed-source drivers?

      Look at closed-source OSes. What do you see? It's all Windows. Some might say that there are other people here too, and they would be WRONG in many cases. Apple's got Darwin, Sun's got OpenSolaris. Novell's got SuSE.

      Look at open-source now. People and companies are switching to open-source. Why? Because after all these years, it's proven itself to be better.

      To say that accepting closed-source software will help Linux is wrong. People are already switching without us accepting closed-source, and accepting closed-source is one more step in the direction of being more like the closed-source OS we all left.

      Why did you even switch from Windows? Because Linux was better, right? Well, it didn't get that way by magic.

      "Companies like ATI and Nvidia basically survive on their trade-secrets"

      And? What trade secrets would they be giving away?

      The drivers simply communicate with the card. Any trade-secrets would be in the card, not the drivers.

      3DFX used to make open-source drivers. Their cards worked *wonderfully* with Linux. They went out of business, but that's because nVidia had better quality VIDEO CARDS AND GPUS - it had nothing to do with their drivers.

      --
      www.linuxpenguin.net
  3. Re:rules are rules... by mrsbrisby · · Score: 0, Troll

    GPL shooting the "good guys" this time

    Which "good guys" are you referring to?

    The people who got suckered into buying video cards from people who don't want their business? Or the people who want to make sure their rights are protected from evildoers who usurp "Open Source" code on a regular basis?

    It seems to me that NVidia and ATI don't want KOROAA to work with their graphics cards, and the maintainer just didn't know that. Oh well...

  4. Just ignore GPL nazis. by zymano · · Score: 1, Troll

    Loading up modules shouldn't violate anything.

    The GPL is stupid in this regard.

  5. He who trades... by Jack+Action · · Score: 0, Troll

    To paraphrase an eminent American scientist:

    He who trades freedom for convenience will have neither.

    Case and point: Redmond.

  6. Re:OSS license zealots biting OSS in the ass by linvir · · Score: 0, Troll

    Just as a budding GNAA troll must go on a spirit quest for the sacred frosty piss, so the would-be GNU/Zealot must successfully wave his finger via email at least once. I can just imagine the little grasshopper sat in #GNU on Freenode, jacking off to the praise he received for this stunt.

  7. lighten up, it's only a game... by J.+Random+Luser · · Score: 0, Troll
    While I applaud your effort to make linux easier to use, I urge you to play be the same rules (GPL) as everyone else is playing by.

    Which also goes to show why Linux is not ready for the desktop, and can't make a sound business case.
  8. Re:There's more restricition in BSD by Dis*abstraction · · Score: 1, Troll

    Yes, but BSD-type coders don't see that as a problem, because--frankly?--the BSD mentality is fundamentally more generous than the borderline paranoia disguised as "freedom" the GPL wishes to force upon the rest of the world. People who don't mind their work being used by others have attained a Zen state of enlightenment; they don't see it as "stealing" for the simple reason that this was their intent all along. People who license their code under the GPL, on the other hand, are generally insecure crybabies.

    --
    Bonsai Kitten: TNG