The thing that matters is whether they will actually contribute back and from the sound of they are, and if so how can this not be a positive thing? Now a _really_ positive thing would be if Netflix made their actual content available to the actual users of FreeBSD and Linux etc al.
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Netflix Open Connect Network: FreeBSD, Not Linux
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Originally posted by Delgarde View PostYes, but do they know that? It's not like there's a shortage of people with some misunderstandings of what the GPL actually does and doesn't do.
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Originally posted by tettamanti View PostGPL covers distribution, not usage: Netflix could take the kernel, modify it at will and use it for its CDN without sharing a single line of code as long as they don't redistribute it. They could even contribute back improvements where appropriate while keeping the "secret" bits to themself.
Netflix's decision to use FreeBSD for their CDN was based on the technical merits of FreeBSD and because the engineers in charge of that project like FreeBSD. It's a great operating system with solid performance. It just doesn't have the mindshare of Linux-based operating systems. I use FreeBSD and Linux-based distros, and each have their strength and weaknesses.
In addition, Netflix uses plenty of Linux. Just look at the job descriptions for the open positions.
-= Stefan
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Originally posted by tettamanti View PostGPL covers distribution, not usage: Netflix could take the kernel, modify it at will and use it for its CDN without sharing a single line of code as long as they don't redistribute it. They could even contribute back improvements where appropriate while keeping the "secret" bits to themself.
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Originally posted by locovaca View PostThis depends on your definition of distribution. At my former company we only developed software for use on our servers which clients connected to (SaaS company); we did not use any GPL licensed components because our lawyers interpreted our servers as distribution of a product. The fact that paying customers will be utilizing this product directly, even if they physically do not get executable code itself, probably would satisfy several judge's definitions of distribution.
Activities other than copying, distribution and modification are not covered by this License; they are outside its scope. The act of running the Program is not restricted, and the output from the Program is covered only if its contents constitute a work based on the Program (independent of having been made by running the Program). Whether that is true depends on what the Program does.
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Originally posted by locovaca View Postbecause our lawyers interpreted our servers as distribution of a product. The fact that paying customers will be utilizing this product directly, even if they physically do not get executable code itself, probably would satisfy several judge's definitions of distribution.
GPL has existed for over 20 years and the only lawsuits brought against offenders have been those who have distributed GPL-licenced _binary_ code without providing the source code.
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Really all the BSD bashing?
Guy's really? Why does it seem like every time there is a story about FreeBSD there is a bunch of Linux fan boy's screaming how crappy it is. Yea maybe it doesn't have the fan base that Linux has but but I bet if look closely you'll find a lot of products that you interface with that use FreeBSD code. Aside from the fact that most of you are using MAC's that are running OSX right? guess what that's actually based on FreeBSD. Anyone heard of Juniper, JunOS? yea that's FreeBSD based. Cisco and NetApp both use a large amount of FreeBSD code in their product. If you move on from FreeBSD to the other BSD's you'll find a lot of code has move into Linux from the BSD community. OpenSSH is a product of OpenBSD community. And what, a couple of years ago some Linux programmers were trying to re-brand the a wireless driver that the OpenBSD community wrote? So the next time you feel get the urge to sit there and go BSD sux, BSD sux, BSD sux, please do us all a favor. Take your laptop outside and put 7 .45 hollow point rounds into it and take up farming because all your doing is waisting our time and showing you don't deserve all the work that our open source fore barres have provided. For the rest of us maybe it's time to look at FreeBSD again and see what Netfilx, Yahoo, Cisco, Juniper, and Apple are seeing.
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Originally posted by Halio1984 View PostFor the rest of us maybe it's time to look at FreeBSD again and see what Netfilx, Yahoo, Cisco, Juniper, and Apple are seeing.
This is the drawback as I see it with BSD and corporate use, there is very little incentive to release code back which your competitors can use without them doing the same. This means these companies will likely fund FreeBSD development as the 'common base' on which to build their optimized solutions, optimizations which likely never make it back since that would be like handing your competitors an advantage. I think this ends up stifling FreeBSD development compared to the situation with Linux where everyone who wants to distribute Linux is legally bound to submit their enhancements.
Obviously there's room for both practices, but I'm personally not surprised that Linux is getting much more corporate code contributions than FreeBSD.
And I agree, the 'everything BSD sucks!' comments from the peanut gallery are really annoying.
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