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From: ast@cs.vu.nl (Andy Tanenbaum)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: GNU
Message-ID: <1424@ast.cs.vu.nl>
Date: 21 Sep 88 20:45:42 GMT
Sender: ast@cs.vu.nl
Reply-To: ast@cs.vu.nl (Andy Tanenbaum)
Organization: VU Informatica, Amsterdam
Lines: 28


There has been much discussion about GNU recently.  Let me state a couple
of simple facts.

1. Stallman is ideologically opposed to having any part of GNU be sold for
   profit.  If MINIX 1.3 costs $79.95 without GNU stuff and MINIX 1.4 costs
   $79.95 with GNU stuff you and I might conclude that GNU was free.  I very
   much doubt that Stallman would agree.

2. Without written permission from Stallman, Prentice-Hall would never even
   consider including any of his stuff in MINIX.  Period.  Their lawyers are
   extremely careful about respecting other people's copyrights.

3. MINIX 1.3 includes copyrighted software written by others (e.g., ELLE,
   dis88).  In all cases I have asked for and received written permission from
   the copyright owner to include it.  If you post something to the net
   marked public domain, I may take it if I like it.  So may Stallman.  If
   you mark it as copyrighted, I won't.  I suspect Stallman won't either.

4. I hope that future versions of MINIX will continue to run on the PC, AT, and
   386.  I do not envision a 386-only version (protected mode, etc).  You
   wouldn't believe how much trouble P-H has with the PC and AT versions.  They
   have consistently labeled the boxes wrong, sent out wrong ads, and more.  If
   other people want to make special versions for the 386, with or without GNU,
   that's fine, and you should post your doings here, but I doubt that I will
   pick up on it.

Andy Tanenbaum (ast@cs.vu.nl)