GPL Causing Problems for Derivative Linux Distros

NewsForge (Also owned by VA) is reporting on a recent discovery by Warren Woodford about how the GPL could affect derivative Linux distributions. This could make life difficult for those small distros that are being maintained by one or two people in their spare time due to the high amount of work it creates. From the article: "Woodford does supply the source code for MEPIS' reconfigured kernel in a Debian source-package. His mistake seems to have been the assumption that, so long as the source code was available somewhere, he did not have to provide it himself if he hadn't modified it. While he has not contacted any other distributions, he suspects that he is far from the only one to make this assumption. 'We, like 10,000 other people, probably, believed we were covered by the safe harbor of having an upstream distribution available online,' Woodford says. 'I think, of the 500 distributions tracked by DistroWatch, probably 450 of them are in trouble right now per this position.'"

Comments

We need a GPL police to enforce the GPL

[Serveert]

Requirements for being in this police force include an aversion to shaving, showering and doing laundry. Punishment will involve rubbing the face of violators with the dirtiest beard in the police force.

I have an idea

[Ethan Allison]

Why don't we completely rewrite the kernel from scratch and license it under something else?

Wait, I've heard that idea before somewhere...

Re:So what?

[Bluesman]

>Nobody in their right mind is going to rely on a software project that is somebody's hobby.

Best. Irony. Ever.

Re:Applies to other GPL software as well

[LiquidCoooled]

Please don't send the black helicopters.

Here in England, the helicopters are navy blue with pinstripes ;)

Re:So what?

[Fjornir]

Mod it overrated. Then come in with your other account and mod it insightful.

Re:How did this get modded up?

[s4m7]

I imagine if some asks you for directions to the corner store you just tell them to fuck off and by a map.

Naw man, the American way is to tell them to fuck off unless they want to buy a map from me.

Re:I wonder what reasonable is?

[Anonymous Coward]

This is a good way to make a little extra poclet money. Make a minimally-modified "vanity" distro of (GNU/)Linux and advertise it on your website. Wait for the FSF to come knocking. Then charge $100 for the source.