On Tue, 4 Nov 2003 mah@everybody.org wrote:
> Because, I'm not using Linux because I hate Microsoft. I'm using Linux because
> (after the personalities of Free Software) I love the freedom and openness of
> UNIX. I've become so steeped in the politics of Free Software that I try to
> rid my machine of /all/ proprietary, closed software. So, right there, out
> goes RedHat and Suse.
What is proprietary and closed about Redhat and Suse? Redhat distributes
the source to all of their packages. They include all their source
patches in the SRPM, so if you don't like their patch, you can
remove/alter it and recompile. They also distribute the source to their
enterprise products, for free (just not the binaries).
The only thing resembling proprietary in Suse is YaST. But you can still
get the source, so i really wouldn't consider it closed or proprietary.
The YaST license just prohibits you from selling it.
If they bundled proprietary packages like netscape or staroffice, then
yea. But doesn't Debian also bundle Netscape? I don't see how Debian is
more "open". It's unfair to call Suse and Redhat "proprietary, closed
software" simply because they turn a profit on their products.
<sarcasm> If you love the freedom and openness of unix, check out Solaris,
AIX, and HPUX, where you get ALL the source code totally for
free!!!</sarcasm>
Use Linux and BSD. Who cares what distro. No need for holy war. You're
better off than using a proprietary Windows or Unix. Until you need some
of the features of the proprietary OS, and there's no non-proprietary
alternative.
ray
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Received on 11/05/03
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