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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Is the FOSS world in danger of a corporate takeover, thanks to pushover licenses? (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 week ago by ZkhqrD5o@lemmy.world to c/linux@lemmy.ml

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I ask this because I think of the recent switch of Ubuntu to the Rust recode of the GNU core utils, which use an MIT license. There are many Rust recodes of GPL software that re-license it as a pushover MIT or Apache licenses. I worry these relicensing efforts this will significantly harm the FOSS ecosystem. Is this reason to start worrying or is it not that bad?

IMO, if the FOSS world makes something public, with extensive liberties, then the only thing that should be asked in return is that people preserve these liberties, like the GPL successfully enforces. These pushover licenses preserve nothing.

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[–] jerkface@lemmy.ca 1 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (1 children)

There was a "we" that produced the first public licenses -- amateur and enthusiast software developers, who previously were simply publishing things to the "public domain". And "we" had clear goals in doing so, which we often wrote directly into our ad hoc self-written licenses. They weren't handed down by God, there is a mortal history, and living people here were part of it.

I agree that the GPL should be viewed as a cultural artifact, not a legal one. It's just the spirit of shareware, but without money involved.

[–] MangoCats@feddit.it 1 points 1 week ago

without money involved

Without money involved the court system is useless. The whole point of legal action around contracts is to determine what happens when the agreements of contracts have been broken.