On Fri, 2005-01-28 at 16:37 +0100, Danial Rehman wrote:
My school is thinking of installing linux on some of the computers, and were wondering if it's legal to use linux for non-private usage. I really didn't get what they meant but something about linux only beeing free if your going to install for yourself and not for a whole school or corporation or whatever.
So I'm wondering if it's allowed to get fedora for about 10 compters at my school the legal way. I always thought linux was free for everyone?
---- free as in speech AND free as in beer
Fedora information can be found at: http://fedora.redhat.com/
License info can generally be found here: http://fedora.redhat.com/licenses/
Specific End User License Agreement for Fedora Core: http://fedora.redhat.com/licenses/eula.html
There are trademark and other restrictions if you plan on 'repackaging' for other purposes and or selling it - mostly GNU type restrictions.
But specifically to answer your question, you may install on as many of your school (or corporate) computers as you wish.
Craig
I'll second the above.
I quote the relevant text of the Fedora Core license:
"2. Intellectual Property Rights. The Software and each of its components, including the source code, documentation, appearance, structure and organization are copyrighted by Fedora Project and others and are protected under copyright and other laws. Title to the Software and any component, or to any copy, modification, or merged portion shall remain with the aforementioned, subject to the applicable license. The “Fedora” trademark is a trademark of Red Hat, Inc. (“Red Hat”) in the U.S. and other countries and is used by permission. This agreement permits User to distribute unmodified copies of Software using the Fedora trademark on the condition that User follows Red Hat's trademark guidelines located at http://fedora.redhat.com/legal/. User must abide by these trademark guidelines when distributing the Software, regardless of whether the Software has been modified. If User modifies the Software, then User must replace all images containing the “Fedora” trademark. Those images are found in the anaconda-images and the fedora-logos packages. Merely deleting these files may corrupt the Software."
Note carefully: "This agreement permits User to distribute unmodified copies of Software using the Fedora trademark on the condition that User follows Red Hat's trademark guidelines." If you're not going to modify Fedora Core--and it doesn't sound as though you're trying to build a new distro--then you can install on however many computers you own or are otherwise responsible for, in any setting whatever.
I have never run across a distro that requires a "per-seat" license fee. In fact, Linux does not distribute for a /license/ fee at all--but only for a one-shot donative or a subscription fee for either regular updates or technical support or both. Such agreements cover every single computer that the end user is responsible for. Even RHEL, as expensive as it is, charges a fee /per site/ and not per seat.
Fedora Core charges no fees at all. That's because technical support is by volunteers, and they're on this list (or should be).
What kind of school are you running? Does it by any chance teach /advanced/ computer science? If so, did you think about setting up a user's group to deal with technical issues? The more brains, the merrier.
Temlakos
