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From: guy@gorodish.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: Two process communication programs
Message-ID: <20868@sun.uucp>
Date: Wed, 10-Jun-87 19:45:45 EDT
Article-I.D.: sun.20868
Posted: Wed Jun 10 19:45:45 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 13-Jun-87 05:28:48 EDT
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> Our 4.3BSD license agreement says we can't redistribute anything
> to those who do not have an AT&T source license.  This doesn't
> make sense to me, since a lot of code in 4.3BSD has nothing to do
> with AT&T.

I believe this was done because the people at UC Berkeley didn't have
the resource to figure out, in detail, what code was and what code
wasn't independent of AT&T code, and they took the safe way out.  I
can't entirely say I blame them.

> For that matter, I have a nagging feeling that roughly 100% of the kernel
> itself is independent of AT&T.

Well, I suggest you tell that feeling to stop being such a kvetch;
it's simply not true.  There's plenty of recognizable AT&T code left
in the 4.[23]BSD kernel.

> Have you ever wondered about the proprietary of government funding
> of the development of a terrific operating system, accompanied by
> the restriction that only licensees of a certain private corporation
> may take advantage of the fruits of that government funding?

No, not really, since the government didn't fund the whole thing.
They just funded the stuff Berkeley added.  They didn't fund the
development of UNIX/32V, from which 4BSD sprang, or the development
of V7, V6, ... from which UNIX/32V sprang.

> 4.3BSD OUGHT TO BE IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN.

No, it oughtn't.  It contains code developed by AT&T and licensed by
AT&T, and they have a right to require a licensing fee to use that
code.  If you want a public domain UNIX, go write one - put your time
where your mouth is.
	Guy Harris
	{ihnp4, decvax, seismo, decwrl, ...}!sun!guy
	guy@sun.com