Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Forking

Author:Brett Glass
Posted:8/24/2000; 2:16:33 PM
Topic:Next survey: Are you an open source developer?
Msg #:20121 (In response to 20083)
Prev/Next:20120 / 20122

Code licensed uner the the GPL is not "open," because it is closed to those who can make the best use of it. The reason it is free to end users is because this destroys developers' markets and livelihoods in accordance with Richard Stallman's wishes.

As for "forking:" BSD-licensed software actually forks less than GPLed programs. There are more than 50 distributions of Linux, but only 3 no-cost BSDs and two commercial ones. BIND and Sendmail have likewise never forked. But EMACS has, and so has GCC.

The BSD license allows differentiation of commercial products, which is a good thing; it is differentiation and specialization that keeps vendors in business and provides choice. The GPL forces disc sellers (for this is what they're reduced to) either to abandon differentiation (a death sentence) or to achieve it via more radical changes such as those seen among the many incompatible Linux distributions.

The myth that the BSD licenses encourage "forking" was promulgated by Eric Raymond, who has a vested interest in the promotion of Linux; he is on the board of VA Linux and holds more than $2 million worth of stock in the company.

--Brett Glass

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