Novell Won't Lose Right To Sell Linux

BinnyVA writes "You know the story about Novell losing the right to distribute Linux? Well, the Free Software Foundation has absolutely no control over Novell's distribution of Linux. A zealous Reuters reporter apparently conflated the FSF with the open source community in general, took some quotes out of context, and ended up with a sensational headline that fooled a number of people. The Novell deal is completely within the bounds of the GPL, GPLv3 isn't even done yet, and even when it is the Linux kernel is unlikely to be covered by it." Linux.com and Slashdot are both owned by OSTG.

Comments

FSF creating EULA for lawyers' benefit only

[Carlaann]

I'm not sure who to believe here. And that doesn't really matter. What I do feel, however, is that for the working schlep like myself, who makes a living in hetero environments, the FSF is starting to push my patience. The DRM aspect, the patent tightening, the Novell Deal-Killer clause (which I understand only "Committee B" has seen) in GPL3 - this stuff seems to me to be straying from the 4 freedoms, looking more like a EULA that needs lawyers to interpret it. It certainly doesn't free me up any when I go outside with a distro.

Re:Not Linux, no...

[idontgno]

And that's a damn good point. The FSF is not copyright holder (and therefore doesn't have any practical leverage) over the Linux kernel. However, the toolchain, the libraries, and most of the command line utilities are from our friends at GNU. So there's a hook. I just don't know if it practically matters.

Assume the following:

• The kernel continues to be GPL2.
• Everything from the FSF gets licensed under the most aggressive form of GPL3
• ???

Can Novell profit? Can the FSF assert some prohibition that guts Novell's distro?

I don't know. IANAL. If Novell distributes the FSF goodies verbatim, and doesn't tailor them at all to accomodate the distro... the only thing I hook I can see is linking to FSF libraries in software which incorporates protected IP that Novell gains access to via this Novell/Microsoft deal. That, I could imagine. Other than that... What's Novell's risk?

Re:They can distribute linux

[Mandrake]

The hysteria has died down a bit, but that doesn't mean it's accepted. I won't release any code under GPLv3 - but then I haven't wanted to release code under the GPL since 98, when I actually started listening to what RMS was saying instead of what we all thought RMS was trying to say. The man's a lunatic.