From: "Craig White" <craigwhite@xxxxxxxxxxx>
On Sun, 2006-06-18 at 16:27 -0700, jdow wrote:
From: "Sean" <seanlkml@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> On Sun, 18 Jun 2006 12:23:37 -0500
> Les Mikesell <lesmikesell@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>
>> Nvidia claims that their contracts with the chip vendors prohibits
>> them from releasing details or a GPL'd driver. If it is possible
>> to put a license-agnostic layer between components that the
>> FSF can't threaten with their interpretations of 'work as a whole'
>> and without a big performance hit, the issue might go away.
>
> People argue about all kinds of things. It doesn't change anything
> about the nature, intent and legality of the GPL license. It is what
> it is, DEAL WITH IT or go AWAY, preferably both.
I think you and Les are arguing to cross purposes. Les is simply
stating that the GPL is not necessarily good for consumers or users.
The users lose out on many features they'd like to have. The hurt
to nVidia is much less than the inconvenience to users who would like
to use Linux with nVidia cards. That arguably hurts Linux, too.
----
this is not a black and white issue - yes, 3d support for the most
recent video cards is lacking. But considering the whole totality of a
Linux software system, one would have to consider that Linux is doing
rather well. GPL has served Linux users exceedingly well thus far.
GPL likely will see to it that Windows continues to exist, though.
There are needs GPL cannot meet unless some college student subsidized
by the father he's putting out of work builds these special purpose
applications.
Now, envision cell phones and the Linux operating system. If they
are slightly tweaked so that it is impossible to build an application
for a cell phone without becoming contaminated by GPL who loses?
The large companies basically keep out other developers because
there's no adequate income model for small cell phone addon tools
and applications, as much as they might be needed.
It all has intended and unintended consequences. In his zeal I feel
that RMS has not adequately addressed some of these unintended
consequences. Of if he has he clearly does not have user protection
in mind when he does.
As to who and how the GPL hurts people or companies making it good,
evil, agnostic, confused, or anything else that is a view each person
can make for herself or himself. Whether it hurts developers or not
is up to the opinion of the developer. It actually simplifies my life.
I develop for Windows and keep the Linux system alive as a server for
various networking needs. I don't feel any compulsion to develop for
two quite different environments. Besides even if I could charge for
software such as I make under a Linux environment I could not make
near as much as with the Windows environment. But I would like to
share the tools with Linux folks for roughly the cost of creating it
for Linux folks. No can do. So I don't. The losers are arguably
the Linux USERS not me. (Which leads me to an observation that Linux
users who try to make Linux into a USERs machine rather than a server
must be into self abuse in other nasty ways, too. {^_-})
----
I decided 5 years ago to eat my own dog food as it were and switched to
using Linux as my primary desktop system...I think it was approximately
RHL 7.2 but I don't recall exactly. I've got a pretty clean WinXP system
here available by clicking over via KVM but I rarely ever use it. I've
also got a Macintosh here on the same KVM and again, rarely use it.
It doesn't seem like abuse - it seems to be a rather full featured
desktop system. Granted it's not perfect but neither is my Windows
system nor my Macintosh. They all have their strengths and weaknesses.
Your perspective on the usability of the current Linux desktop is of
benefit to no one and evidently doesn't encompass having used the
current state of the distribution (FC-5) on reasonably adequate
hardware, because if you had, you too would be impressed.
You have made it painfully clear that your aspirations exist only where
it derives financial gain to jdow. Perhaps you should let us know your
paypal account so we can kick in some pennies to compensate you for your
presence here.
<shrug> If it meets YOUR needs then go for it. It meets some of my
needs but not my needs for a development target. I don't want to get
into Michael's position where he may be operating contrary to GPL
license on GPLed code.
{^_^}
