[OT] What is Open Source?

[Huaiyu Zhu]

rasmussn at lanl.gov <rasmussn at lanl.gov> wrote:
>
>On Wednesday, April 17, 2002, at 02:28 PM, Oleg Broytmann wrote:
>
>>    It is not enough to have the code open. One needs the rights to read, 
>> to
>> use, to copy, to modify, to distribute modified and unmodified versions 
>> (so
>> everyone benefits from the open code). Only Free Software gives you such
>> freedom and rights.
>
>As I understand it, the GPL does not give you right to use the software
>as you see fit.  You can only use it by linking with other GPL'd
>software.

That is quite opposite of the truth.

You can use it _any way_ you want for your own purpose.  No problem at all.
Only when you distribute it, you are bound by GPL to licence it and other
linked software exactly the same way as you got it.

So if I want to use any GPL software together with any MS software using any
kind of linking, there is nothing in GPL to prevent me to do so, although
there are some new MS licenses that do explicitly prevent me to do so.

Huaiyu