Open Software Foundation

[Jim Adcock]

| Unfortunately, a recent
| note in the info-gnu mailing list suggests that OSF have no intention
| of  producing a Public Domain version of Unix.

At least present day FSF licenses all contain restrictions that
make FSF software very difficult to use in commercial environments.

For example, if I were to develop commercial software on a Gnu
Un*x work-alike system, using Gnu C, Gnu C libraries, etc, then
the commercial software that I wrote would contain embedded
copies of code derived from Gnu libraries, which appears to me
to make the commercial software subject to Gnu software licensing
restrictions.  Which could potentially prove catastrophic to the
commercial company making this mistake.

So it is unclear to me how many people would be able to use the
Gnu public domain version of software, unless they are willing to
buy into Stallman's ethics of software development and distribution,
and are willing to work in a environment very different than today's
traditional commercial environment.

I'm not saying this would be good or bad -- its just that Stallman's
licensing agreements don't seem to me to correspond to the 
traditional concept of "public domain" software, and I hope
everyone is aware of the difference.  If not, please read the Gnu
Manisfesto, and the Gnu licensing agreements.

I like Gnu products, I am just sorry that I am unable to use them
"on the job."

And you cannot expect corporations to make many donations to 
help develop "products" they cannot use, nor to support someone
who openly opposes the standard, legal, every day software 
development ethics as practiced in most "software" companies today.

Again, I'm not saying "right" or "wrong", I'm just saying "reality".

Mine own opinions only.