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This is particularly funny because BSD code can be freely used in GPL'd products, but not the other way around.

__david__ 12y ago
Well, it can if you use the GPL on the sum product. :-) Still, I'm not really sure that it's very ironic, since his main beef is companies taking open source code and delivering closed source proprietary binaries to their end users. The whole GNU philosophy is about being guaranteeing that end users (or agents acting on behalf of end users) can always have source code with their binaries. BSD doesn't give you that guarantee. GPL does.
- JetSpiegel 12y ago
  > The whole GNU philosophy is about being guaranteeing that end users (or agents acting on behalf of end users) can always have source code with their binaries. Nope, that's open source. Free software means that and other freedoms.
  - __david__ 12y ago
    Yep, I'm simplifying since I'm talking about BSD vs GPL and not the philosophical differences of "Open Source" vs "Free Software". What I said was correct in that context.
belorn 12y ago
If people could ensure that no one would restrict how others uses the program, having GPL'ed software released under BSD would not be an issue. A bsd project could simply add to the license that people should not use patents, legal threats, or hardware tricks in order to restrict people, and I would see that as equivalent as making the whole work under the GPL. The BSD license itself is not a problem, but people who would abuse the license in order to add restriction is. Thus, BSD products can use GPL code, but they can't enable those who want to add restriction to the BSD product.
- Blackthorn 12y ago
  BSD products cannot use GPL code without changing the entire license of the product. That means there is no way that BSD products can use GPL code.
  - belorn 12y ago
    If they must enable those who want to add restriction to the BSD product, then they can't use GPL licensed code. If they don't care about enabling proprietary model for the product, then they can just continue license their code as BSD and combine that with the GPL licensed code. Distributors will have to abide to both licenses, but that is not a problem so long they do not try start a proprietary model or tries enable other to do it.
progman 12y ago
Regarding freedom GPL is superior to BSD. Look what happened to OSX. It was taken from BSD but the former BSD developers have no control over OSX at all. They even have to pay for their own work when they purchase some OSX or iOS thing.

Well, it can if you use the GPL on the sum product. :-) Still, I'm not really sure that it's very ironic, since his main beef is companies taking open source code and delivering closed source proprietary binaries to their end users. The whole GNU philosophy is about being guaranteeing that end users (or agents acting on behalf of end users) can always have source code with their binaries. BSD doesn't give you that guarantee. GPL does.

JetSpiegel 12y ago
> The whole GNU philosophy is about being guaranteeing that end users (or agents acting on behalf of end users) can always have source code with their binaries. Nope, that's open source. Free software means that and other freedoms.
- __david__ 12y ago
  Yep, I'm simplifying since I'm talking about BSD vs GPL and not the philosophical differences of "Open Source" vs "Free Software". What I said was correct in that context.

belorn 12y ago

If people could ensure that no one would restrict how others uses the program, having GPL'ed software released under BSD would not be an issue. A bsd project could simply add to the license that people should not use patents, legal threats, or hardware tricks in order to restrict people, and I would see that as equivalent as making the whole work under the GPL. The BSD license itself is not a problem, but people who would abuse the license in order to add restriction is. Thus, BSD products can use GPL code, but they can't enable those who want to add restriction to the BSD product.

Blackthorn 12y ago
BSD products cannot use GPL code without changing the entire license of the product. That means there is no way that BSD products can use GPL code.
- belorn 12y ago
  If they must enable those who want to add restriction to the BSD product, then they can't use GPL licensed code. If they don't care about enabling proprietary model for the product, then they can just continue license their code as BSD and combine that with the GPL licensed code. Distributors will have to abide to both licenses, but that is not a problem so long they do not try start a proprietary model or tries enable other to do it.

progman 12y ago

Regarding freedom GPL is superior to BSD. Look what happened to OSX. It was taken from BSD but the former BSD developers have no control over OSX at all. They even have to pay for their own work when they purchase some OSX or iOS thing.