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Re: [LI] Message from RMS.



On Tue, 14 Dec 1999, Dakshinamurthy Karra wrote:

> Not really. We are not talking about only linux kernel here. There are a
> lot of associated tools also. And as far as VA or RH are concerned they
> both already have some closed-source stuff in them. What prevents from
> the  boards deciding that the closed portions should go from say 2% now
> to 50% later.

OK, so Catch-22 (BTW Joseph Heller, the author of Catch-22, is dead -
check out http://cnn.com/1999/books/news/12/13/obit.heller.ap/):

In order to be successful as a business, VA and RH need to include
closed-source apps (thirdparty - not their own, since their own stuff is
*always* opensource, as is *everything* related to the OS).

But if they do, they get blacklisted by RMS's rules.

Now there is no question that Linux has been successful because of its
adoption by the corporate world, but if one plays by these rules, it is
not possible to cater to them.

RMS's stand is that everything should be free software (i.e. source
available) - a stand that Raymond is far more flexible on (he says that
closed source apps are acceptable if the company chooses not to make
source for their own stuff available for commercial reasons).

So if I understand this right, in order for Linux to be successful, it
must shun everything that could make it successful.

Hmmmm.....

Atul