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Why is there such a visceral hatred for non-GPL software? Seems that every time the GPL vs. BSD (or equivalent) issue comes up there is much anger about compan

by mikece 8y ago

Why is there such a visceral hatred for non-GPL software? Seems that every time the GPL vs. BSD (or equivalent) issue comes up there is much anger about companies doing proprietary work on top of FreeBSD. I'm curious about the opposite: code taken from BSD (or equivalent) projects and put into GPL code bases and then extended such that those improvements cannot be ported back to the BSD source. GPL proponents say this never happens but in multiple forums I've heard from folks who have had their permissive-licensed projects killed because their work was effectively GPLed and "extended" against their will. To me this boils down to how you see humanity: if you think we're essentially good and willing to help each other, permissive licensing makes more sense. If you think morality has to be enforced by contract because we cannot trust one another then GPL is the only choice. I chose permissive licensing because I don't see my fellow humans as essentially evil.

pjmlp 8y ago
As user of commercial software and ex-Linux zealot, I have my own glass ceiling, so take it with a grain of salt. Had Linux and GNU not been GPL, and we would all be using Aix, HP-UX, Solaris, ..., because none of the BSDs would have gotten back the contributions like it happened to Linux, and BSDs would still be just another UNIX derivative among many. Just look at the optimizations that some embedded OEMs, or even Sony, don't contribute back to LLVM. And speaking of Sony, not everything from PS4 OS has gotten back to BSD.
- IntelMiner 8y ago
  The Playstation 3 and Vita also run/ran NetBSD, as well Sony also helped spawn "ToyBox". A BSD licensed replacement for the GPL "BusyBox" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toybox https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toybox
trumped 8y ago
The problem might be that companies are considered to be people and it seems easier for companies to be evil.

by mikece 8y ago

pjmlp 8y ago

As user of commercial software and ex-Linux zealot, I have my own glass ceiling, so take it with a grain of salt. Had Linux and GNU not been GPL, and we would all be using Aix, HP-UX, Solaris, ..., because none of the BSDs would have gotten back the contributions like it happened to Linux, and BSDs would still be just another UNIX derivative among many. Just look at the optimizations that some embedded OEMs, or even Sony, don't contribute back to LLVM. And speaking of Sony, not everything from PS4 OS has gotten back to BSD.

IntelMiner 8y ago
The Playstation 3 and Vita also run/ran NetBSD, as well Sony also helped spawn "ToyBox". A BSD licensed replacement for the GPL "BusyBox" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toybox https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toybox

trumped 8y ago

The problem might be that companies are considered to be people and it seems easier for companies to be evil.