Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!rutgers!mit-eddie!tower From: tower@mit-eddie.UUCP Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga,comp.sys.atari.st,comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.sys.mac,comp.os.minix Subject: Re: MINIX - From the mouth of the horse Message-ID: <4564@mit-eddie.MIT.EDU> Date: Sat, 17-Jan-87 16:53:46 EST Article-I.D.: mit-eddi.4564 Posted: Sat Jan 17 16:53:46 1987 Date-Received: Sat, 17-Jan-87 23:55:57 EST References: <1026@botter.cs.vu.nl> Reply-To: tower@prep.ai.mit.edu (Leonard H. Tower Jr.) Followup-To: comp.os.minix Distribution: world Organization: Project GNU, Free Software Foundation, 1000 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138, USA +1 (617) 876-3296 Lines: 67 Keywords: MINIX FSF GNU freedom Unix Summary: diffs between FSF/GNU, MINIX, AT&T Unix Xref: watmath comp.sys.amiga:1447 comp.sys.atari.st:899 comp.sys.ibm.pc:970 comp.sys.mac:776 comp.os.minix:11 In article <1026@botter.cs.vu.nl> ast@cs.vu.nl (Andy Tanenbaum) writes: > ... The GNU people are >upset because deep in their hearts they, too, know that people would rather >pay a reasonable price for good stuff than get empty promises for free. First, I would like to commend ast for doing MINIX, and going a large part of the way towards giving MINIX its freedom. Second, GNU isn't an empty promise. GNU Emacs is out there. GDB (GNU's Debugger) is out there. Bison, a YACC compatible Parser Generator, is out there. The GNU C compiler (highly optimizing with VAX, 68000, and 68020 code generators) will be released soon. Etc. The remaining large undone piece is the kernel. Work has started on that, and its being leveraged off of existing code for a Unix style kernel, Trix, written at MIT a while back. GNU is a more ambitious project than MINIX, and rms hasn't had much more help than ast. Most of rms' help has been volunteer. rms has also been working on it for a shorter period of time. Third, none of the GNU people I know of are upset. We are just sad that yet more software has been chained up. >Does anyone know how much GNU charges for its "free" software for the tape, >postage, handling etc? Berkeley generally charges something like $125 >for its tapes, as I recall. If GNU also charges $125 for its "free" software >it seems to me that their moral indignation at Prentice-Hall's outrageous >$79.95 price is somewhat weakened. First, "free" doesn't refer to cost, but to the freedom of the software. Second, I would like to present some comparisons between GNU, MINIX, and Unix. I know the facts are straight for GNU, correct me on the others. GNU MINIX Unix --- ----- ---- Is source code distributed? Yes Yes For many more $$ How many copies of the source can you give away, legally? Unlimited 3-4 None Can one legally restrict use by others? No YES YES Can one legally post it on USENET? Yes NO NO Can one legally ARPA ftp it, freely? Yes NO NO Cost of non-ARPA distribution from home organization: $ 150. $ 80. Many times more. People are referred to: - the GNU Public License - the GNU Manifesto - Minix's Licensing arrangements (I have yet to see these) - AT&T and susbsidiary vendor Unix Licenses for further details. happy hacking, len tower -- Len Tower, Project GNU of the Free Software Foundation 1000 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138, USA +1 (617) 876-3296 HOME: 36 Porter Street, Somerville, MA 02143, USA +1 (617) 623-7739 UUCP: {}!mit-eddie!mit-prep!tower INTERNET: tower@prep.ai.mit.edu