Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!csd4.csd.uwm.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!image.soe.clarkson.edu!news From: mrd@sun.soe.clarkson.edu (Michael DeCorte) Newsgroups: comp.os.mach Subject: Re: Query: Status of Mach cleanout? Message-ID: Date: 25 Aug 89 21:09:46 GMT References: <12720001@eecs.nwu.edu> <1311000001@upba> Sender: news@sun.soe.clarkson.edu Organization: Clarkson University, Postdam NY Lines: 54 In-reply-to: damon@upba.UUCP's message of 21 Aug 89 00:55:00 GMT In article <1311000001@upba> damon@upba.UUCP writes: >I hope they finish soon also. A freely distributable kernel is a much >desired thing. However, I am wondering about what restrictions FSF will >place on it. I can just see the ideologues puting a copyleft on it >requiring any program run on the OS to be freely distributable. I know >it sounds silly, but so does half of the argument over gcc. I would like >to see the MACH people retain rights and allow distribution term barring >these types of restrictions. I hope that Gnu doesn't get hold of it. I have a problem with the Gnu licence basically it says that if I make changes to their program those changes become theirs. If I spend a year and port Gnu emacs to the mac making a really cool port those changes are the preoperty of FSF and I can't sell this version of Emacs. The result is that I won't ever so anything with anything of FSF. I have written programs that are freely distributable but I will never give them to FSF for these very reasons. I prefer the licencing of TeX much more. It basically says that TeX belongs to Knuth but if you make changes to TeX those changes are yours and you can do with them as you please (including selling them). The result is that I can BUY a version of TeX that will have support. I can not do that with Gnu Emacs. Nobody can sell it and things tend to get done fairly slowly if ever. To make matters worse I have to live with the political desisions of the FSF. They currently refuse to support the mac because of Apples law suits. There is a port of Gnu Emacs to the Mac but I can't get it from FSF and the person how did the port is out in the cold and most poeple don't know about it or ever will. If Gnu Emacs could be sold that port could be advertised in the Mac Mags and I could buy it and count on support. Instead I am guareenteed non support because of FSF's licencing and politics. Disclamer: I don't own a Mac or have any relation with them in any way. Nor am I planning or buying one. I use them as an example of the effects of FSF. I don't work for Clarkson nor do I represent their views. I do not represent the views of 3d Inc (the company I do work for). -- Michael DeCorte // H215-546-0497 W386-8164 Fax386-8252 // mrd@clutx.bitnet 2300 Naudain St. "H", Phil, PA 19146 // mrd@sun.soe.clarkson.edu --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Clarkson Archive Server // commands = help, index, send, path archive-server@sun.soe.clarkson.edu archive-server%sun.soe.clarkson.edu@omnigate.bitnet dumb1!dumb2!dumb3!smart!sun.soe.clarkson.edu!archive-server ---------------------------------------------------------------------------