Caretaker of DS8.ZONE. Free (Libre) Software enthusiast and promoter. Pronouns: any

Also /u/CaptainBeyondDS8 on reddit and CaptainBeyond on libera.chat.

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Joined 3 years ago
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Cake day: March 27th, 2021

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  • Assuming they own the copyright (which I believe they do, since they were able to relicense it to begin with) they can absolutely offer it under a dual licensing arrangement even if the licenses are incompatible. It would only be an issue if other peoples’ AGPLv3 licensed code was in there, but as it is not the only copyright they would theoretically be violating is their own, which is literally not possible.

    Dual licensing under a free software license and proprietary EULA is a common business model, especially when the free software license is a strong copyleft like the AGPL, since the proprietary licensors do not have to abide by certain conditions that free license users have to.


  • When one asks if something is free software (a.k.a. FOSS) the concern isn’t so much trust but rather can one view, modify, and share the program. Sandboxes solve a different problem.

    In the case of a javascript bundle, in order for a user to exercise the Four Freedoms they must at minimum be provided with corresponding source code for each component in the bundle, and preferably some way in the browser for the user to inspect and modify it. In other words, it must be treated like any other compiled binary program. A lock file with specific versions probably isn’t necessary (and server configuration and source code definitely isn’t).

    You are right in that this would require cooperation from the service provider to provide this metadata, and most definitely would not do this. Therefore, such an extension as OP suggests would have the effect of blocking the vast majority of javascript on the web today. LibreJS tries to some extent but I don’t know how well it can handle bundled javascript files.







  • “Privacy centric” is irrelevant because because this is the free software movement, not the privacy movement (also, this is not reddit, we have a higher standard of conduct here).

    Further reading on free software philosophy. Most relevant is why software should not have owners (1994) as this is fundamentally where FUTO disagrees with the open source/free software movement.

    I also made a prior comment here about the fundamental difference between “fauxpen source” licenses like FUTO’s and real FOSS licenses. You seem to characterize it as “stealing code and profiting off it” but the strength of free software is in collaboration and community, not so much competition, so sharing is considered a virtue here. I talked more about it here in a reddit comment referencing my previous lemmy comment.

    This will probably be my last comment on FUTO/Grayjay in this thread, since I’ve said all I intend to say several times here and on reddit. I might make a master post about the problems of fauxpen source at some point.








  • Captain Beyond@linkage.ds8.zonetoLinux@lemmy.mlCan I install linux on this?
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    2 months ago

    GNU/Linux != Linux

    Linux is a kernel

    GNU/Linux is the GNU userland (tools and libraries) combined with the Linux kernel to form a complete operating system

    Android is Linux but not GNU. So are Alpine, postmarketOS, and others I can’t think of

    Linux is to an operating system as bread is to a sandwich… an essential component, but a slice of bread by itself does not make a sandwich make



  • If Linux is just the kernel then Android and Ubuntu are equally Linux.

    It is and they are. These are demonstrable facts.

    I have no problem with referring to the family of Linux based operating systems collectively as Linux (with GNU/Linux being a subfamily of such), however, I firmly believe that the mythical concept of “real Linux” where some Linuxes aren’t really Linux is what creates the confusion. I would rather use other terms, like POSIX, Unix(like), and FreeDesktop to refer to so-called “real Linux” (with the caveat that they also include BSDs and the like - but I include these as part of the free desktop operating system spectrum, as most so-called Linux apps also run here. I don’t place special importance on the kernel because it is technically the furthest thing away from the user experience).

    (Android being Linux isn’t a mere technicality - it means you can get a full terminal environment with a package manager and “Linux apps” and even run a full desktop environment if you really want)


  • Stallman’s attempt to rename Linux

    There was never any “attempt to rename Linux.” Stallman simply wants to clarify which part of the operating system is “Linux” (the kernel) and which part(s) are not (many of which are his work, which Linux fans insist on also calling “Linux” even though the GNU project predates it by almost a decade).

    Any “confusion” on this point is the result of Linux fans spreading mistruths (I assume only sometimes intentionally). Unfortunately at this point the myths are so firmly ingrained we have myths about the myths (like “Stallman wants to rename Linux”) and in my mind Stallman is definitely fighting a losing battle nowadays. Still, a falsehood being widely accepted does not make it true.