Free Republic

The Free Software Foundation has admitted defeat in its attempts to ensure that the forthcoming GNU GPLv3 is compatible with the Apache and Eclipse licenses, meaning that code from some of the leading free and open source projects can still not be merged. "We regret that we will not achieve compatibility of the Apache License, Version 2.0, with GPLv3, despite what we had previously promised," said the FSF in an explanatory document accompanying its latest draft of the GPL. The FSF had hoped to ensure compatibility between two of the most used free and open source licenses, but while it...

THE FREE SOFTWARE Foundation has declared a jihad on Microsoft and Novell's licensing deal and has declared that it will wreck it using the latest draft of the GPv3. Peter Brown, executive director of the Free Software Association told Reuters that Open Saucers need to make sure that such deals "don't make a mockery of the goals of free software".

That Linus Torvalds, creator of the Linux operating system, prefers the current version of the General Public License, GPLv2, over the version in development, GPLv3, is no secret. But in a lengthy E-mail response to questions from InformationWeek, he offers a full explanation of what he thinks is superior about GPLv2. Torvalds says he regrets that the authors of GPLv3 have decided to take aim at political opponents. He has little patience for statements about the "evil and immoral" nature of proprietary code or the "TiVo-ization" of Linux (a reference to set-top box producer TiVo producing a device that runs...

On Friday Several kernel developers issued a position paper criticizing the GPLv3 drafts. That prompted Software Freedom Law Center (SLFC) chairman Eben Moglen to issue a "renewed invitation" yesterday to kernel developers to participate in the GPLv3 process. Linus Torvalds responded to Moglen's statement by saying that his position on the license is clear and that he's "fed up" with the FSF.

Stallman-headed group's increasing politicization leaves a sour taste When Richard Stallman created the Free Software Foundation (FSF) in 1985, it was organized around a radical idea: Software should be free, not just as in free of charge, but free as in the concept of liberty. During the next 20 years that idea turned out to be not just radical, but surprisingly practical. Beginning with Stallman's Emacs text editor, to the various Gnu utilities, the Linux kernel, and beyond, free software has proved to be an enduring success. Much of the credit for that can be given to Stallman himself. Through...

Last November I described the Free Software's Surprising Affinity with Catholic Doctrine. Since then, several important things happened, from feedback by Stallman and other Free SW users to the birth, or acceleration, of some projects specifically based on the concept that Christians have even more reasons than others to adopt Free Software.

Linux and the GPL a Hard Look at a Leftist Software Development Model. by Coral Snake Also features the complete GNU General Public License by Richard M Stallman (RMS) -- (with commentary by Coral Snake) For the last five years I have been involved with the "Free Software Movement". During my time in this movement I have been an avid user of the Linux OS from kernel 2.0 to kernel 2.4, The GIMP graphics authoring program, Open Office, and the GCC C and C++ compilers with the KDevelop IDE. I have also been a regular visitor to all the "Free...