Novell May be Banned from Distributing Linux

praka123 · 04-02-2007, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Reuters is reporting that Novell may be banned from
selling Linux. In the wake of the (much maligned)
Novell/Microsoft deal, the Free Software Foundation is
reviewing Novell's right to sell the operating system
at all. The foundation controls the rights to key
parts of the operating system, and council for the
organization said that 'the community wants to
interfere any way it can' with the Novell business
arrangement. No decision has yet been reached, but one
should be made in the next two weeks

source:
http://today.reuters.com/misc/Printe...VELL-LINUX.xml

rajasekharan · 04-02-2007, 06:55 AM

microsoft has this infamous talent of bringing down the company they partner with. another solid example here too

. i hate that company for this . first was netscape

. latest prey is novel

__________
to partner with microsoft is to invite doom . . still many fall for it

. now next step for microsoft is to break Linux community . and they will do it for sure . watch it

.

hellknight · 07-02-2007, 04:23 PM

They should be, they've violated GPL. Partnership with Linux is foolishness.
Once Microsoft said that Linux is evil and now they are getting into partnership??

aditya.shevade · 07-02-2007, 07:06 PM

This is bad. Really bad. I am in love with opensuse 10.2

@praka123..... don't you like linux? Or you don't like suse? If that is not the case then why

this smiley is there? I am just asking. Don't get offended.

NucleusKore · 07-02-2007, 07:27 PM

I am an Open SuSE user since they went open source with 9.3 professional. However if the free software foundation decides that Novell cannot develop linux because of their agreement with microsoft, then I would not mind switching to Ubuntu. The transition will be difficult but no price is too large to pay to save oneself from Microsoft's monopoly.

mehulved · 07-02-2007, 07:33 PM

It's unsure as to which way the decision goes. Even if the decision goes against Novell, we can't say that it will surely stop OpenSUSE.
Afterall, OpenSUSE is a community distro. It will surely be affected. But, the nature and extent of the effect cannot be so well determined.

Quote:

Originally Posted by hellknight

Partnership with Linux is foolishness.

nice. Keep it up

**ssk_the_gr8** · 07-02-2007, 08:46 PM

no man open suse is so good
this cannot happen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

mediator · 07-02-2007, 09:39 PM

Thanx for telling that!

unni · 07-02-2007, 10:20 PM

Linux.com says this is just bad reporting. Read here: http://enterprise.linux.com/article....7/02/05/181235
From the link:
1. The FSF has absolutely no control over Novell's distribution of Linux. None at all. Zero. It doesn't matter a whit how much Stallman hates the Microsoft/Novell deal. It's legal. It's legit. It's in full compliance with the GPL.
2. GPLv3 is still on the drawing board. Jumping to conclusions about the consequences of its impact on Novell is insanely irresponsible. Any changes to the current draft version of GPLv3 will go through the same public debate and discussion as have the previous drafts.
3. The odds of the Linux kernel ever moving to GPLv3 -- so long as its current anti-DRM and other restrictive clauses remain in place -- is about the same as mine being crowned Miss America. And I don't even know Donald Trump.
This story -- the meme about Novell not being allowed to sell Linux -- is too stupid to even be considered FUD. Both Novell and Eben Moglen have declined our invitation to comment on it.

NucleusKore · 07-02-2007, 10:26 PM

Yes its here too
http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37473

gxsaurav · 07-02-2007, 10:36 PM

hey, i thought they agreed to share technologies only, how does this violates the GPL? I mean, isn't MS agreeing to give linux (Suse) a few technologies of their

mehulved · 07-02-2007, 10:39 PM

It violates GPL in the sense that, the code produced under the license agreement will be protected under IP right, it won't be released under GPL or any compatible license. As such it violates GPL. Moreover, the clauses of the deal haven't been disclosed by Novell, so it's difficult to determine which parts of the OS are under the license agreement. So, you cannot determine which parts of the distro are covered under copyrights.

freebird · 08-02-2007, 07:10 AM

Quote:

You know the story about Novell losing the right to distribute Linux? Well, the Free Software Foundation has absolutely no control over Novell's distribution of Linux. A zealous Reuters reporter apparently conflated the FSF with the open source community in general, took some quotes out of context, and ended up with a sensational headline that fooled a number of people. The Novell deal is completely within the bounds of the GPL, GPLv3 isn't even done yet, and even when it is the Linux kernel is unlikely to be covered by it."

http://linux.slashdot.org/linux/07/02/06/1644218.shtml

So Suse Linux users can calm now.

Aberforth · 08-02-2007, 11:08 AM

You can't fight communities, you can only fight companies. Even Microsoft knows this and trying to ban Novell from giving out SUSE would either result paranoia against Microsoft or SUSE Employees switching to other companies like Canonical to develop Linux distros.