How Red Hat’s Open-Source Negligence Is Doing Actual Harm to the Linux Community

Re:How Red Hat’s Open-Source Negligence Is Doing Actual Harm... by Semaphor on Tuesday July 04, 2023 @05:23AM (#36584183)

Okay, I can see that argument. So let me rephrase: "You can exercise freedom 4, but only if you never use any updated version of this software again", would you say that leaves you just as free as normal GPL software does? A licence like that would not even be GPL compatible, but Red Hat is essentially prescribing just that in a roundabout way.

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Re:How Red Hat’s Open-Source Negligence Is Doing Actual Harm... by tpush on Tuesday July 04, 2023 @05:51AM (#36584385)

I don't see how that is equivalent to what Red Hat is doing. They never restrict your freedom 4 with their EULA. Only availability of future binaries. All already received binaries have their licenses intact and unrestricted, even if you break the EULA.

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Re:How Red Hat’s Open-Source Negligence Is Doing Actual Harm... by Semaphor on Tuesday July 04, 2023 @06:29AM (#36584712)

To clarify, you think a license saying "You can exercise freedom 4, but only if you never use any updated version of this software again" is just as free and GPL compatible?

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Re:How Red Hat’s Open-Source Negligence Is Doing Actual Harm... by tpush on Tuesday July 04, 2023 @06:47AM (#36584877)

No, I'm saying your formulation doesn't match Red Hat's EULA.

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Re:How Red Hat’s Open-Source Negligence Is Doing Actual Harm... by Semaphor on Tuesday July 04, 2023 @07:04AM (#36585030)

How? You just said it does. Assume I’m dumb and explain to me the difference, please.

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Re:How Red Hat’s Open-Source Negligence Is Doing Actual Harm... by tpush on Tuesday July 04, 2023 @07:27AM (#36585212)

No, I didn't. I'm not sure where you get that from?

Anyway, Red Hat's EULA doesn't restrict freedom 4. You asserted an alternative formulation where it does infringe to be equivalent.

I reject that equivalence assertion. Does that make it clear?

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Re:How Red Hat’s Open-Source Negligence Is Doing Actual Harm... by Semaphor on Tuesday July 04, 2023 @07:51AM (#36585442)

What I don’t get is the difference between

> They never restrict your freedom 4 with their EULA. Only availability of future binaries. All already received binaries have their licenses intact and unrestricted, even if you break the EULA.

And

> You can exercise freedom 4, but only if you never use any updated version of this software again

To me those seem 100% equivalent in what they do, I’m asking you to explain the difference which is obvious to you, but not to me.

I never say already received binaries have their licence violated. I actually never ever said the licence is violated at all, that was in my premise before the IANAL part.

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Re:How Red Hat’s Open-Source Negligence Is Doing Actual Harm... by tpush on Tuesday July 04, 2023 @08:01AM (#36585525)

Your version rescinds freedom 4 upon using an updated version. Red Hat's EULA doesn't do that.

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Re:How Red Hat’s Open-Source Negligence Is Doing Actual Harm... by Semaphor on Tuesday July 04, 2023 @08:04AM (#36585558)

Okay, so you are saying you are just nitpicking? This is still the same in pretty much every way:

You can exercise freedom 4, but only if you never use any version of this software released after exercising that freedom.

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Re:How Red Hat’s Open-Source Negligence Is Doing Actual Harm... by tpush on Tuesday July 04, 2023 @08:10AM (#36585604)

I'm not nitpicking, what I've said is the difference between GPL compliance and not. This next version of yours is different to Red Hat's EULA in the same way.

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Re:How Red Hat’s Open-Source Negligence Is Doing Actual Harm... by Semaphor on Tuesday July 04, 2023 @09:03AM (#36586114)

Yes, you are. I repeatedly said it’s about the spirit, not about some lawyer compliance stuff. You either tell me how our versions differ for the user of the software effectively, or you don’t need to bother answering, I won’t.

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Re:How Red Hat’s Open-Source Negligence Is Doing Actual Harm... by tpush on Tuesday July 04, 2023 @09:57AM (#36586754)

The spirit of the GPL is the user being able to exercise the four freedoms, not more nor less. Red Hat's EULA allows that; your version doesn't.

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