Time to get busy!

[Dwight Hughes]

Ingemar Hulthage wrote:

| > Now, which is it -- Linux or FreeBSD? If Linux, which Linux -- RedHat,
| > Slackware, Debian, mkLinux?
| 
| A related issue is what position to take on Copyright issues.  In my
| opinion, the best would be to follow the tradition of CMUCL and
| FreeBSD, i.e essentially no restrictions at all.  I propose that
| LispOS code should be given away freely at no cost (as is, with no
| warranties) and with no other restriction than that the use of LispOS
| code should be acknowledged in any redistribution.

ABSOLUTELY

| This is somewhat different from the 'Free Software Foundation's (FSF)
| approach, adopted by Linux, which through complicated restrictions,
| try to ensure that derivative works are also released under the same
| license.  I personaly think that's unnecessary and a detriment to
| commercial use.
| 
| If Linux is used as the basis for LispOS some care need to be taken to
| stay clear of FSF license restrictions, unless, of course, it is the
| consensus that LispOS should be released under FSF license too.
| 
| Ingemar


If we go the kernel approach where we use a u*ix clone and modify and
and extend and rip out and ... as we go, then we are creating a 
"derivative" work, and we would have to deal with the FSF license
and its restrictions on a Linux clone. FreeBSD would seem to be a 
better choice in that regard, especially since I greatly support the
ideal of "this is free, use it in good health", rather than the FSF
concept of "this is free, use it and you are under our control".

Yes Fare, I saw your message on this - by "use" I also mean "modify,
incorporate, extend". 

Being practical for commercial endeavors can only help us in the long
run. As much as I would like everyone to supply all source code with
everything, this is not going to happen in the real world of competition
and technical support. Only the popularity of free OSs and applications
- with source code - and their proven utility in commercial environments
will ever convince any software supplier differently -- and then only
because their customers, having seen the light, demand the sources.