Return-Path: Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org via listexpand id S1758729AbXFRABg (ORCPT ); Sun, 17 Jun 2007 20:01:36 -0400 Received: (majordomo@vger.kernel.org) by vger.kernel.org id S1751147AbXFRAB2 (ORCPT ); Sun, 17 Jun 2007 20:01:28 -0400 Received: from mail.suse.de ([195.135.220.2]:34575 "EHLO mx1.suse.de" rhost-flags-OK-OK-OK-OK) by vger.kernel.org with ESMTP id S1751108AbXFRAB2 (ORCPT ); Sun, 17 Jun 2007 20:01:28 -0400 Date: Mon, 18 Jun 2007 02:01:14 +0200 From: Andrea Arcangeli To: Chris Adams Cc: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Subject: Re: Dual-Licensing Linux Kernel with GPL V2 and GPL V3 Message-ID: <20070618000113.GB4542@v2.random> References: <20070617215840.GA1217855@hiwaay.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20070617215840.GA1217855@hiwaay.net> Sender: linux-kernel-owner@vger.kernel.org X-Mailing-List: linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Content-Length: 1823 Lines: 32 On Sun, Jun 17, 2007 at 04:58:40PM -0500, Chris Adams wrote: > The reason is that if there ever is a security hole in the routing > engine software (FreeBSD kernel, OpenSSH, etc.), it would be a really > bad thing if crackers could load arbitrary software (rootkits, spam > software, etc.) directly on Internet core routers. If you think spam > zombies on cable modems or DSL are bad, imagine them on 100 megabit > links! Not sure if it's a good example, keep in mind that at the first exploitable software bug any hardware DRM breaks apart. But since you made a BSD-embedded example, this shows how the only really important thing is that by using linux instead of BSD, they can't make huge improvements or important security bugfixes to the routing engine, without us being able to incorporate them in our "home firewalls", that's the whole difference with BSD and it explains the spirit of the gpl pretty well and in the end why linux by definition can receive more contributions and in turn be technically superior. Whatever the vendor does with the gpl code is generally up to him, and if it uses the closed approach it'll allow somebody else to sell a "open" router (potentially at an higher price). Economy 101. The worry that nobody will step in and sell an "open" equivalent is a red herring. Infact I wouldn't be so certain that openmoko would exist if the current linux cellphones would be already totally open! Now I know this all probably sounds boring talk, but I think it's much closer to reality than the prospect of a trusted computing and/or DRM apocalypse. - To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in the body of a message to majordomo@vger.kernel.org More majordomo info at http://vger.kernel.org/majordomo-info.html Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/