Hacker News Reader

So.. Linux is bad and we should all use BSDs?

Why has restrictive Linux succeeded far more than any BSD ever has?

BSD was under a cloud of a lawsuit at the early stages of corporate adoption of open source operating systems and by the time that was resolved network effects had given Linux too much of a lead.

Why yes, I did order a new strawman, thanks so much!

What strawman? The GPL has been one of the drivers of the success of Linux and copyright is what makes that work.

You still haven't articulated how that's restrictive.

>> All the GPL does is restrict rights, unlike permissive licenses. > So.. Linux is bad and we should all use BSDs

I did not bring up Linux, much less called it bad, yet you made up a strawman and started attacking it. Good day.

We're talking about the GPL. Linux is a major project protected by the GPL.

A license in isolation isn't interesting. The practical results of projects under a license is interesting.

Linux is a very successful practical result under the GPL and copyright makes the GPL work. Without copyright the GPL would be unenforceable.

> Without copyright the GPL would be unenforceable.

Without copyright, the GPL would be unnecessary.

Without copyright the little guys would constantly be screwed over by the big guys.

It really is one of those "without law you cannot have freedom" things.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com