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Linux Kernel Developers' Position on GPLv3
diegocgteleline.es writes "A group of 29 Linux kernel developers have recently come together and produced a position statement on GPLv3 (PDF, txt) explaining why, essentially, they don't like it. 'The three key objections noted in section 5 are individually and collectively sufficient reason for us to reject the current license proposal ... we foresee the release of GPLv3 portends the Balkanization of the entire Open Source Universe upon which we rely'. They've also run a GPLv3 poll."
Good job Linus deleted the 'or a later version at your discretion' clause really, isn't it?
Otherwise in 10 years time it would be licensed under a GPLv10 license, where contributors have to give up their paid jobs, move to Stallman's compound in Waco and donate all their cheetos to the communal food store next to his Sparc station.
echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
By summer it was all gone...now shesmovedon. --
"Linux kernel developers have always been shortsighted when it comes to freedom."
Forcing a specific morality is not freedom any more than overthrowing one tyrant and replacing it with another is introducing democracy.
Then again, I love BSD licensing because in my opinion it is the free-est. It doesn't try to force a specific belief onto anyone, yet I haven't seen anyone hobbled by its lack of forward thinking yet. Freedom isn't demanding a social utopia, it is showing the light and the right way to go about things and hope others come to the same conclusion. Not everyone will -- it is human nature. However, there is less potential for the leaders to become corrupt when they cannot force the belief.
Ultimately, I think RMS has become corrupt with his own beliefs and if offered the power, would force others to follow his thinking. This is the case with v3. And this is where the most forward thinking is to take away the freedom from choice and demand people be allowed to make mistakes. V3 demands 100% adherence to the faith. V2 asks kindly that you remain faithful. BSD tells you that the faithful will remain devout but the choice is entirely yours.
What Stallman is trying to do is to prevent hardware from running GPL'd software if the hardware prevents its owner from running versions of the software that have been modified. Although I'm for free software as in speech, I think trying to use the software license to control what a hardware manufacturer does is inappropriate and overstepping.
If a manufacturer creates hardware that limits a person's ability to modify the software that runs on it then let the market forces apply pressure. There won't be the plethora of open source software from the community to run on it and that will give an advantage to products that do allow the community to add to the product's value.
The race isn't always to the swift... but that's the way to bet!
"Why fix it then?"
It is getting broken. The current actions of certain companies to use the freedom of GPL code without passing on that same freedom to recepients of that code, through the use of, for example, DRM hardware detecting and preventing modification of the code, essentially is an example of 'broken'.
Anyone vaguely familiar with the history of the FSF and RMS can recall one of the origin stories of the FSF, involving RMS recieving a buggy printer driver he wasnt allowed to fix due to its proprietary nature and closed source. Had he recieved the source, but then the printer had refused to use the updated drivers, nobody can reasonably come to any other conclusion than that DRM restrictions on the running of GPL code would be just as disallowed in GPL v2.
The changes are exactly in line with the FSF reasoning, like it or not, and a natural evolution of the GPL to cope with new issues. Anyone more concerned with the freedom of those wanting to restrict others has a perfectly good selection of BSD type licenses to use. For those deliberatly and knowingly placing code under GPL these updates come as no surprise, and are not at all unwelcome.
Yeah well many of us don't like BSD licensing, not because it's not free (it is), but because it doesn't guarantee that source code will be made available. Personally, I like the LGPL best. That's the ideal license in my mind. Use it in your closed app if you like, but if you change anything in the supplied code, you have to show what you changed. No "forced" opening, but a guarantee that improvements make their way back to the project.
Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws-Plato
They list three primary reasons for not wanting to use GPL 3:
1. They are against the DRM clause because they believe it is an "end use restriction". The DRM clause prevents distributors from calling the program a 'technological "protection" measure' which ensures that others are free to distribute it. Perhaps it's redundant, but it adds no restrictions on end-use.
2. They are against the "Additional Restrictions Clause". This is one of the most sorely needed updates to the license. It helps make it compatible with other free software licenses. They're afraid that this will encourage too many alternative licensing usages. Unfortunately, reality is that there are already too many licenses out there now and this clause is trying to be as useful as possible in the current environment. If everyone agreed with and used GPL2 this clause would be unnecessary.
3. They are against the patent clause because they are afraid it will scare away corporate help. Here they may be right. However, the GPL is intended to be for "free software", not for general "open source software". This clause is certainly in the spirit of the GPL although it might make it harder for some projects to get help. Support for this clause will vary depending on how one falls on the practicality/idealism spectrum.
In summary, their reasons seem based primarily on a desire to see their work disseminated as widely as possible and not to keep the software free. I'm disappointed in them.
That is YOUR morality. How dare you impose your morality on someone else?
It's easy, really, I'm not going to use DRM infected stuff. I don't have to tell you about your licenses. I don't have to tell the FSF about GPL V3. I don't have to tell anyone how to do anything, and no one would listen anyway, but I won't be told what I'm going to run. If you don't fix DRM problems and all your work gets sucked up by greedy DRM publishers, you will soon be without users and none of them will be free. Do as you will, but don't blame me when your branch of code ends up, abused and stagnant. I promise, "experiments" into DRM will be avoided.
"preserving freedom" by removing freedom is hypocritical of the FSF.
The freedom preserved has always been that of the user. To preserve that freedom, developers of GPL'd code gave up the "freedom" to be anti-social and prevent the user from being able to use, modify and share their changes. Tivo has shown how GPL'd code can keep users from doing those things. Change is required and I've yet to see anything positive from anyone but the FSF.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.