[gentoo-user] Re: Daniel Robbins' come back ?

[James <wireless@tampabay.rr.com>]

Alan McKinnon <alan.mckinnon <at> gmail.com> writes:


> Seeing as Linus himself has stated that he has absolutely no intention 
> of changing the license on the kernel, your idea is unworkable.


My idea is not to mess with either the GPL2/3 applications nor the 
gplv2 kernel. What ever is under the "Gentoo" umbrella could conceivably
be changed to a BSD style license. In those areas where it cannot then
just leave it GPLed or code around the GPL until it is minimized.
I could easily see a FPGA partioned into a multi processor system,
with published GPL code on one core and code under a new, Entrepreneurial
license on a different part of the FPGA cores. In fact, one could network
two x86 machines, one running as a GPL linux system and the other
running Entrepreneurial code from a different license, as a development
platform.

In my opinion we are on the verge of truly distributed computing where
Open Source GPL(ed) systems and devices will integrate with old fashion
(closed source) products, in a rapid fashion. The Gentoo devs could get out 
in front of the revolution, and spawn lots of Entrepreneurs, or they
can follow MS and leave the GPL shackles around their necks. (I sure
hope they do not try to cross the river)....

The point I was trying to may (and not really a hard sell but just to 
illuminate moving gentoo into more of an "Entrepreneur distro")
would be to build the future of Gentoo (or a fork) on a better license
model than GPL. GPL has worked reasonable well, but things have changed
quit a lot. It's time for folks to leverage Open Source to make money.
You want to live on Massa's Farm, that's your choice. I have tasted 
(economic) freedom and it drives me mad how the masses of folks just
'get in line' with what they hear over the loud speakers......

Oh well, I'm done with this issue. I don't think I can help, lifting the
(Gentoo) devs nor the greater Gentoo user base out of economic despair , if
folks do not agree with moving to a different licensing scheme, for the unique
work that characterizes and surrounds Gentoo.

GPL is a vow of poverty, IMHO. It sure will be interesting to see where 
Daniel and the trustees take/leave the distro........ My guess is
Daniel has seen, smelled and maybe lightly tasted the flavors of 
economic success, and some influential folks and poked him in the
ribs and said (pissst, isn't gentoo your prodigy?  take that puppy
public and cash in.....)

just a hunch,


James




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