From: "Jeffrey B. Siegal" <jbs@quiotix.com>
> Embedix Linux is available immediately as a free, not-for-resale
> download from www.lineo.com. Embedix Linux 1.0 is also available
> in CD-ROM form for $29.99 from Lineo's Web store. Contact Lineo's
> embedded OEM sales team for royalty-based pricing for implementing
> Embedix Linux on embedded devices.
>
> Huh?
Where's the problem?
* the Linux _kernel_ is placed under the GPL.
* many Linux user space applications are placed under the GPL.
* user space programs that run under Linux have no licence restriction at
all. (read the beginning of the COPYING document that's part of the Linux
source code)
* I just checked the lineo pages, and it seems that they wrote their own
installer, and that they wrote a special, tiny web server [or client?].
Now they can license the _complete_ package under any license they want,
because it contains proprietary parts.
But it's possible that their distribution also contains patches to GPL'ed
programs. As far as I understand the GPL, you could download the lineo
distribution, and check their SRPMS. _If_ a SRPM contains a patch to a
GPL'ed program, then _that_ patch is automagically placed under the GPL.
(and _only_ that patch, not the entire CD) [but i'm no laywer, so beware]
--
Manfred
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Mon Jan 31 2000 - 21:00:28 EST