Re: [SLUG] What do you all think?

From: steve szmidt (steve@szmidt.org)
Date: Tue Oct 17 2006 - 12:16:51 EDT


On Tuesday 17 October 2006 11:45, Rich Morgan wrote:

> I don't think that's the case. You have other successful open source
> projects that aren't GNU or GPL like *BSD and Minix. Open source began in
> academic circles as a way to share good code both as a learning tool and
> as a useful product for colleges that didn't want to pay AT&T for
> commercial Unix. So if there wasn't a GNU/Linux, we would probably all
> use a BSD for our free Unix alternative.

My take is somewhere in the middle. Without Linux and GPL we would might have
moved a bit closer towards what we have, as people were having enough of the
MS/windows type of problems. My guess is that we would not have been too far
though, since it had been there for many years without much growth.

GPL without Linux was not moving very fast.

Linus willingness to leave his creation open is a common urge with at least
programmers who code for the pleasure of it. It is a possibility that Linus
would have stuck with some open dissem method, as evident of how it got
spread to give him new ideas of wht to incorporate into hi skernel.

Linux could have taken off without the GPL, though there is no arguing that
the two were a golden match. My guess is that the law would have been a
problem or a barrier for the acceptance of Linux.

If I recall correctly it was the combination that made people continue to
invest in it as a contender for the future because of the two.

-- 

Steve Szmidt

"To enjoy the right of political self-government, men must be capable of personal self-government - the virtue of self-control. A people without decency cannot be secure in its liberty. From the Declaration Principles ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This list is provided as an unmoderated internet service by Networked Knowledge Systems (NKS). Views and opinions expressed in messages posted are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of NKS or any of its employees.



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