>>>>> "JM" == Jose Marin <[log in to unmask]>:

JM> This is too off-topic for the list, but I couldn't resist :-)

indeed...

JM> On Wed, 19 Apr 2000, Phillip Helbig wrote:

>> The whole linux thing has gotten some people to think that EVERY 
>> solution has to be free.

JM> Maybe people that confuse the two meanings of "free" in Free Software?
JM> By the sound of your rant it seems you don't, either.  Or maybe you
JM> don't agree that the Free Software development model ("Open Source") is
JM> not inherently superior in the long run, _especially_ in big and
JM> complex projects like OSes, compilers, etc.  Think "peer review"!!!

[snip]

JM> So no, I don't have problems paying for commercial stuff when I really
JM> need it.  I have bought a Lahey/Fujitsu Express f95 compiler for Linux
JM> (on ix86 of course), and I can recommend it.  So far it seems pretty
JM> good, the executables are very fast, and it links well to (most)
JM> g77-compiled code.  The price is quite good, too.

I think the emotion of Phillip's msg obscured the real point - in the
original msg, the poster was doing something that violated his license,
i.e. compiling on Tru64Unix and copying the binary, along with necessary
libraries, to Linux for execution.

If someone doesn't realize they're doing something wrong when they do
something like this, it's one thing - if they know it's a violation, and do
it anyway, it's something else, whether their justification is "software
should be free", or "I'll buy a license someday", or whatever.

I support Open Software, but respect the rights of people to protect
their intellectual property and distribute software under whatever license
they choose.  And I realize that this particular case is one of those
border ones - much of the CG in Titanic was rendered on Linux/Alpha boxes
running binaries compiled on Tru64Unix.  Whether license fees were paid, or
there was some sort of agreement, or just "wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no
more", I don't know for sure.

Anyway...

-- 
John A. Turner, Senior Research Associate
Blue Sky Studios, One South Rd, Harrison, NY 10528
http://www.blueskystudios.com/      (914) 825-8319


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