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RE: [TCLUG:17728] Motif has gone opensource!



>	I don't know this but I'm just asking....
>
>	Could a company write a proprietary program that uses GPL'd code in
>this way:
>	There are proprietary components and GPL'd components.  The
>proprietary stuff is distributed in one tarball and the GPL'd in another.
>And the install program assembles them into a hybrid system.  (Sort of like
>bricks and mortar... Proprietary Bricks and GPL'd mortar...together they
>make the structure)

isn't this basically what VMWare does? (or IBM's OSA2 mainframe NIC?)

on a noteworthy issue; including non-free kernel modules into your Linux
kernel (VMware, 4Front's OSSound, IBM's OSA2 NIC driver); may void the Motif
definition of 'Open Source Operating System', and you may not be able to
legally use Motif freely.
        this is how I read Alan Cox's post on the topic, to the Linux/390
(Linux on S/390 mainframes) mailing list today. 
        I Am Not A Lawyer, haven't read the Motif license, and don't
understand all the licensing issues involved; so take this with a large
helping of salt, and don't go spreading rumors like I just did. ;>

Carl Soderstrom
System Administrator    307 Brighton Ave. 
Minnesota DHIA	        Buffalo, MN	
carls@agritech.com      (763) 682-1091