4 ms·

There are a lot of purposes. 1. Being able to modify it, which was the original intent of RMS. Of course, such a public license would allow users to modify it

by hbbio 5y ago

There are a lot of purposes. 1. Being able to modify it, which was the original intent of RMS. Of course, such a public license would allow users to modify it and even to distribute their modifications for others, as long as they adhere to the rest of the original software license. 2. Being able to audit it. Either from a security perspective (crypto software, online service, etc.) or just for a safety/quality audit. 3. Being able to build it for a platform of your choosing, especially later in time.

ako 5y ago
I was under the assumption that RMS’s main purpose was to protect the users, and especially their ability to use it in a future where the author was no longer maintaining it, or was focused on different features than required by the user. In this case, RMS would be more concerned with nixos’s freedoms rather than the package author’s. Anyways, that is my assumption, I might be wrong…
- hbbio 5y ago
  In 1980, Stallman and some other hackers at the AI Lab were refused access to the source code for the software of a newly installed laser printer, the Xerox 9700. Stallman had modified the software for the Lab's previous laser printer (the XGP, Xerographic Printer), so it electronically messaged a user when the person's job was printed, and would message all logged-in users waiting for print jobs if the printer was jammed. Not being able to add these features to the new printer was a major inconvenience, as the printer was on a different floor from most of the users. This experience convinced Stallman of people's need to be able to freely modify the software they use. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Stallman https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Stallman
  - ako 5y ago
    Thx, sounds like his interest were mostly around protecting the rights of the users/customers, being able to use and modify the software as required.
    - hbbio 5y ago
      Which would be fully served under a "public license" too! As I wrote earlier, users should be able to distribute their own modifications as they wish, provided the end user abides to the original license (including when required a payment). In origin stories, RMS never mentioned access to the software had to be free (as in beer) or that everybody else should get it for free too.

by hbbio 5y ago

ako 5y ago

I was under the assumption that RMS’s main purpose was to protect the users, and especially their ability to use it in a future where the author was no longer maintaining it, or was focused on different features than required by the user. In this case, RMS would be more concerned with nixos’s freedoms rather than the package author’s. Anyways, that is my assumption, I might be wrong…

hbbio 5y ago
In 1980, Stallman and some other hackers at the AI Lab were refused access to the source code for the software of a newly installed laser printer, the Xerox 9700. Stallman had modified the software for the Lab's previous laser printer (the XGP, Xerographic Printer), so it electronically messaged a user when the person's job was printed, and would message all logged-in users waiting for print jobs if the printer was jammed. Not being able to add these features to the new printer was a major inconvenience, as the printer was on a different floor from most of the users. This experience convinced Stallman of people's need to be able to freely modify the software they use. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Stallman https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Stallman
- ako 5y ago
  Thx, sounds like his interest were mostly around protecting the rights of the users/customers, being able to use and modify the software as required.
  - hbbio 5y ago
    Which would be fully served under a "public license" too! As I wrote earlier, users should be able to distribute their own modifications as they wish, provided the end user abides to the original license (including when required a payment). In origin stories, RMS never mentioned access to the software had to be free (as in beer) or that everybody else should get it for free too.