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[LIG] Re: [LI] Unix & Linux

On Wed, Feb 09, 2000 at 06:14:27PM -0800, Sudhakar Chandrasekharan wrote:
> 
> Manoj & Arun, I have a question (please followup in LIG).  Can GPL code
> contain BSD parts in it?  Is it not true to say that the linux kernel is
> "mostly distributed under GPL"?

Yes, it can. GPL + BSD = GPL, because GPL is more restrictive of the two.
RMS would say that because the original BSD license contained the
"obnoxious BSD advertising clause" [1],

GPL + BSD = GPL + "obnoxious BSD advertising clause"

But most recently, this clause has been removed, so GPL is a strict 
superset of BSD.

Yes, the Linux kernel contains "mostly GPL'ed" code. Most notable exceptions
are -

(a) BSD compression code in PPP, Adaptec aic7xxx driver - derived from the
    FreeBSD code.
(b) PCMCIA code and most drivers are under MPL (Mozilla..)

However, the Linux corporate evangelists (ESR, Bruce Perens types) are
able to convince serveral corporations that in order to get code into the
Linux kernel, it has to be GPL'ed. The most recent instance of this is
the IBM JFS code.

I exchanged some email with the IBM folks exploring the possibilities of
getting the code released under IBM public license or any of the BSDish
open source licenses. The main issues are:

(a) Since JFS code got mixed with some ext2fs code, it caught the virus 
    and hence needs to be GPL'ed.

(b) Any effort to release it under non-GPL'ed licenses will make it 
    less politically acceptable vis-a-vis SGI XFS for example.

(c) Releasing, pre-ext2fs contamination code under a different license is
    under consideration. But the dual license thing suffers from (b).

There could be other problems, not acknowledged by IBM publicly:

(d) Because FreeBSD and others tend to be "marginal" OSes, they don't matter
    - i.e. no PR mileage to be gained.
(e) Prevent competitors from using IBM JFS in competing products.

You probably heard more than you asked for, didn't you ? :)

	-Arun

[1] http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/bsd.html