The future of Linux - architecture and package inter-dependencies

[Ralf Corsepius]

On Mon, 2006-02-20 at 11:40 -0500, Alan Cox wrote:
> On Mon, Feb 20, 2006 at 05:10:43PM +0100, Ralf Corsepius wrote:
> > > OpenMotif is not free software by the FSF test. You can't for example use it
> > > with proprietary Nvidia drivers loaded.
> > 
> > Only if you consider Nvidia's drivers to be integral part of the kernel.
> > I consider them to be optional add-ons/plug-ins.
> 
> I asked the open group long ago and the email reply I got was to the contrary
Well, as the same would apply to ATI drivers, this would render
OpenMotif de-facto free of any practical applicability.

Also,
* this doesn't match to their FAQ, where they claim to be wanting to aim
at OSI compatibility.
* closed source kernel drivers are in existence for quite some time,
some are even being shipped by some Linux vendors, but I've never heard
the OpenGroup trying to enforce the interpretation of their license you
outline.

Furthermore, IIRC, their license originally was intended to prevent
using OpenMotif on "traditional *nixes" which ship with closed source
implementations/derivatives of the old OSF-Motif.

What concerns me much more on Fedora and Linux is OpenMotif's license
not to being [L]GPL compatible.

Ralf