Context:

Permissive licenses (commonly referred to as “cuck licenses”) like the MIT license allow others to modify your software and release it under an unfree license. Copyleft licenses (like the Gnu General Public License) mandate that all derivative works remain free.

Andrew Tanenbaum developed MINIX, a modular operating system kernel. Intel went ahead and used it to build Management Engine, arguably one of the most widespread and invasive pieces of malware in the world, without even as much as telling him. There’s nothing Tanenbaum could do, since the MIT license allows this.

Erik Andersen is one of the developers of Busybox, a minimal implementation of that’s suited for embedded systems. Many companies tried to steal his code and distribute it with their unfree products, but since it’s protected under the GPL, Busybox developers were able to sue them and gain some money in the process.

Interestingly enough, Tanenbaum doesn’t seem to mind what intel did. But there are some examples out there of people regretting releasing their work under a permissive license.

You are viewing a single thread.
View all comments View context
18 points

You seem angry at me because I don’t license my code as GPL. Is that what freedom means now? Freedom means everyone has to use the license I want or I’ll bully them!

It’s the code I wrote, let me license it however the fuck I want if I’m not using your code.

permalink
report
parent
reply
-2 points

You can eat wild berries too, noones stopping you, just people saying there are better options

permalink
report
parent
reply
-3 points
Removed by mod
permalink
report
parent
reply
2 points

Uh, wrong post?

permalink
report
parent
reply
-13 points
*
Removed by mod
permalink
report
parent
reply
8 points

.ml and antagonizing everyone for not having the exact same opinions. Name a better duo.

permalink
report
parent
reply

linuxmemes

!linuxmemes@lemmy.world

Create post

Hint: :q!


Sister communities:

Community rules (click to expand)

1. Follow the site-wide rules
2. Be civil
  • Understand the difference between a joke and an insult.
  • Do not harrass or attack members of the community for any reason.
  • Leave remarks of “peasantry” to the PCMR community. If you dislike an OS/service/application, attack the thing you dislike, not the individuals who use it. Some people may not have a choice.
  • Bigotry will not be tolerated.
  • These rules are somewhat loosened when the subject is a public figure. Still, do not attack their person or incite harrassment.
3. Post Linux-related content
  • Including Unix and BSD.
  • Non-Linux content is acceptable as long as it makes a reference to Linux. For example, the poorly made mockery of sudo in Windows.
  • No porn. Even if you watch it on a Linux machine.
4. No recent reposts
  • Everybody uses Arch btw, can’t quit Vim, and wants to interject for a moment. You can stop now.

Please report posts and comments that break these rules!

Community stats

  • 6.6K

    Monthly active users

  • 1.3K

    Posts

  • 69K

    Comments