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Bruce Perens On Combining GPL and Proprietary Software
jammag writes "Combining GPL and proprietary software is ever more common, especially in the world of embedded devices like cell phones. But the question is: how to combine them legally. As sticky as the issue is, there is an answer, as self titled "open source strategic consultant" Bruce Perens explains. The proper procedure entails fully understanding what type of open source software you're using, and knowing why you need to combine these disparate licenses. The problem, he notes, is that many companies don't know or care about doing this legally. 'They're used to just "clicking yes" with no regard to what they're committing themselves and their company to.' Hopefully Perens' guide can be read by more company execs — resulting in fewer lawsuits going forward (but we're not holding our breath)." update 21:31 GMT by SM: Bruce wrote in to make sure we knew he was not a lawyer, even though he is weighing in on a legal issue; updated to reflect.
Are you saying that this linux can run on a computer without windows underneath it, at all ? As in, without a boot disk, without any drivers, and without any services ?
Provided that your motherboard and peripheral makers aren't bought-and-paid-for by Microsoft, yes. It's possible to use some drivers from the Windows XP world on Linux/x86, such as ndiswrapper drivers, but it's also possible to replace your peripherals with ones that have native Linux drivers.
If it were true (and I doubt it), then companies would be selling computers without a windows.
I've owned two Macs; neither ran Windows. I currently own an ASUS Eee PC; it came with Linux, and it still runs Linux. And Dell is selling PCs with Ubuntu Desktop on them.
it does not sound reasonable that some new alternative could just snap into existence overnight like that. It would take billions of dollars and a massive effort to achieve.
Hundreds of thousands of people have developed and tested free software for the various GNU/Linux distributions, from college students in their spare time to full-time professionals. If, on average, they put in the purchasing-power-parity equivalent of $10,000 of their time, there are your billions right there. Linux alone is worth $1.4 billion, and that's just the kernel. The same article values the whole Fedora distro at over $10 billion.
Apple tried to create their own system for years, but finally gave up recently and moved to Intel and Microsoft.
Intel yes; Microsoft no. It's possible to install Windows alongside Mac OS X on a Mac with an Intel CPU, but Mac OS X out of the box draws far more from NeXTstep and FreeBSD than from Windows.