other distros of linux forums

[X11]

...even though technically the BSDs are more freely available than GPL/Linux...

How so? If anything, GPL stuff should be more freely available than BSD and derived works, since the GPL requires redistribution be free, but the BSD licence doesn't.

You can charge money for GPL software, the free software foundation sell it on CD's to get most of there funds for stallmans doughnut stock, ect. And to buy Linus some penguin feed!

Anyways I think we should make this a Unix forum because there are no decent Unix based forums of a small size like this one. (i prefer small forums)

[Void Main]

...even though technically the BSDs are more freely available than GPL/Linux...

How so? If anything, GPL stuff should be more freely available than BSD and derived works, since the GPL requires redistribution be free, but the BSD licence doesn't.

You can charge money for GPL software, the free software foundation sell it on CD's to get most of there funds for stallmans doughnut stock, ect. And to buy Linus some penguin feed!

He didn't mean that you couldn't sell GPL software. What he means is, the source must be available for any GPL software that is distributed. The source does not have to be included with any BSD or derivative software. Freedom means that the user is guaranteed to be able to see the source and modify that code if they choose. As long as they redistributes the source to the software they produce from the original GPL code. GPL is freedom from a software user's point of view. With BSD derived software the user may not have the freedom to see and change the code. It allows companies to rape it.

Of course now that I read it again, maybe he did mean free as in "free beer" in which case he was wrong and you were right.

[Calum]

if we're talking about me, then i meant freedom of information, and freedom to view and edit source code with a view to recompilation.

in a way the BSD licence is freer than the GPL because the GPL is more restrictive. in a way the GPL is freer because it has 'restrictive' clauses designed to keep the software free all along its journey, whereas the BSD software is allowed to become non-free after a single modification, or at any time thereafter.

Void main, so what you really mean by 'Linux Forums' is 'GNU/GPL Systems Forums'. I'm not criticising, Linux Forums is a much better name because people identify with linux and most know what you mean, but because i'm too pedantic for my own good, i just nitpick about these things. Anyway, now we're clear on what you really mean then i'll shutup.

X11, how about unix.com, ever been there? i think it's exactly what you are asking for.

[Void Main]

Actually I don't mean GNU/GPL systems because distros are not made entirely of GNU/GPL software (XFree, Perl, etc are not GNU yet a big part of what makes a GNU/Linux distribution, not GNU, not GPL). I know, I know, Stallman wants everyone to refer to Linux distributions as GNU/Linux because GNU software has the biggest percentage of software in all Linux distributions. Although I very much like GNU and all of their software and their license (especially their license) I'm going to use the term "Linux" incorrectly to refer to all Linux and Hurd based distributions that are free/Free. Sometimes I might even refer to "Linux" in the proper manner, as when I am referring to the Linux kernel. Anything else I will refer to as "Microsoft", only because I can, and you can't stop me. :)

[Calum]

"anything else" is micro$oft, hm? well, so long as we've got all our terminology straight then!