On Fri, 2004-02-27 at 13:35, Chris Gianelloni wrote:
> On Fri, 2004-02-27 at 05:25, John Nilsson wrote:
> > I think you are wrong. ;) I think it *can* be argued sensibly. For these
> > reasons.
> > 
> > 1. Virtually all operating systems today ships with some GUI.
> 
> ...and XFree86 4.3.x does not fit this bill?

?

> > 2. GNU (as in Gnu Public License) seems to regard the X Windows System
> > as a core system component.
> 
> X Windows System != XFree86

It is an implementation. You've got have an implementation in order to
link against it, no?

> > All you *need* for a linux based operating system is linux and a static
> > binary called /sbin/init. Clearly the "Base system" referred to in GPL
> > extends to more than that.
> 
> Actually, you don't need init to get "Linux" at all.  Following the same
> path, you need nothing more than a kernel to have "Linux" at all.  Now,
> to have an actual working system, you generally need the kernel, an init
> system, a few libraries (like glibc, uclib, etc) and a shell.

Actually my initial statement was correct. If you do not modify the
linux source all you need to have a RUNNING system is a staticly linked
binary named /sbin/init. If the kernel can't find this it panics. When
the init process dies the kernel dies.
I did not say that this /sbin/init has to perform some actual function
like the SysV init does, just be an infinit loop. Also it does not have
to be a binary but the an interpreter would be needed.
I once set up a firewall this way. The /sbin/init just configured
iptables and put the log messages out to console. Nice one floppy
firewall on a diskless 486.

> > Even though I argue for compatibility, I still think it is correct to
> > not ship XFree86. Mostly because Gentoo would and the OSS world would be
> > far better of with a more "geekish" and open development of the X11
> > implementation.
> 
> Gentoo is not going to stop shipping XFree86, as that would be asinine. 
> Rather we are simply not adding the NEW OFFENDING versions to portage. 
> There is a dramatic difference between the two.

True

-John