Pirated Linux?
 

Ok i have been using SuSE 8.1 pro for about four months now. The copy i have i was given by a friend. Thing is there's a roumour going round that if you copy SuSE, you're pirating, since they dont got free ISOs at their site to download. Piracy is it or piracy isn'nt it?

It's not piracy, as long as you don't make any money out of it.
SuSE don't offer ISO downloads but they do offer an ftp install.

In another forum I read some posts about a guy who contacted SusE to see if it was ok for him to make copies and to distribute them at LUG meetings and they answered that as long as there was no commercial activity built around it he could distribute the cd's.

That was before the Novell takeover but I don't see why they would change their mind, especially since they announced that their last bit of proprietary code (Yast) was to be released under the GPL license.

The problem is, especially with the pro edition I would think, that it might include proprietary software that SuSE/Novell licences rather than owns, so they, and by extention you, don't have the right to distribute it for free.

Greyweather: Just wanted to reenforce your statement...the distro does indeed contain proprietary and commercial software (VMWare, for example). By reselling the CDs I think you'd be violating the license agreements to those softwares.
One thing you could do if you're really concerned is to remove all non-GPL software from the distro, including Yast, and create a new CD set...but this would be much more work than its worth, considering what has already been mentioned about distributing it without charge. The proprietary software included is (i think) shareware, which generally is allowed to be freely distributed. You may want to check the licenses to these products to verify this.

Ok, how about i save us all alot of trouble and ask SuSE about it?, i'll let yall know how it turna out. But on my opinion the kernel is more important than yast or vmware or whatever, so if they wanna sell linux then they should'nt use Linus's kernel or all the other packages that comprise atleast 90% of their distro that are released under the GPL licence. But lets see what they have to say.

"But on my opinion the kernel is more important than yast or vmware or whatever,"

Then frankly you should have used the free ftp download of the personal edition.

And without Yast, I see no reason to choose SuSE over any other distro. IMO the ease of use (which was the deciding factor in my choice to use SuSE) is because of Yast.
Maybe you should mention that to Linus....maybe he made a mistake releasing it under GPL, considering the license allows you to do with it what you want, including charging a fee. =o)

err... but considering that YAST comes with the public FTP install, what does it really mean?


and besides, YAST will be GPLed. so doesn't this just make things even more murky?


J

"Maybe you should mention that to Linus....maybe he made a mistake releasing it under GPL, considering the license allows you to do with it what you want, including charging a fee. =o)"

You obviously havent read the GPL licence doode. And by the way, them doodes at SuSE are telling me that they wount reply because ....

You did not specify a registration code in your request. However, the
specification of your activated registration code is necessary in order
to receive assistance from us within the scope of the installation
support. The registration is located at the back of the CD case.

hmm, i just donno why but the word m-m-microsoft has suddenly started flashing in my mind .... i wonder why.....

"You obviously havent read the GPL licence doode."

Not sure why you say that. He's correct you know.

http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq....eGPLAllowMoney

"so if they wanna sell linux then they should'nt use Linus's kernel"

Btw, that makes no sense. Basically you said 'if they want to sell Linux they shouldn't use Linux'. Linux is the kernel. All Linux kernels are original or modified (under the GPL) versions of Linus's kernel.

"And by the way, them doodes at SuSE are telling me that they wount reply because ...."

Which email addy did you sent your question to? info@suse.com ? support@suse.com ?

"the specification of your activated registration code is necessary in order
to receive assistance from us within the scope of the installation
support."

Sounds like you emailed tech support with a legal question. Try a different email.

>>Btw, that makes no sense. Basically you said 'if they want to sell Linux they shouldn't use Linux' <<
That makes alot of sence, think about it.
>>Linux is the kernel<<
Now thats just plain patronizing.
>>Which email addy did you sent your question to? info@suse.com ? support@suse.com ? <<
The e-mail was to info@suse. com ... ofcourse, and here's the ticket ID [20040325430002706] check it out.

What i'm getting here is that its illegal to to have SuSE ISOs that one has'nt bought :rolleyes: . So it aint for people who cant afford it (like students
:study: (most worldwide)).
As this http://www.rohitab.com/discuss/ikonb...17;t=7590;st=0 guy puts it, it's best suited for businesses.
Thanks for all your help guys, as someone said ' we n00bs :newbie: and need help'.

regards
Mak

I wouldn't worry about YaST being proprietary as Novell is releasing it under the GPL, this is very good news.

http://news.com.com/2100-7344_3-5175...l?tag=nefd_top

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For years, SuSE has considered its YAST (Yet Another Setup Tool)
technology--software for installing, configuring and managing Linux--an advantage over its competitors and forbade them from incorporating it into the products they sold. But with the new plan, to be announced Monday at Novell's Brainshare conference, the company will release YAST under the General Public License (GPL), sources familiar with the plan said
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is good, now all one has to do is install only the packages released under the GPL licence, and vualla!, you got non-pirated suse!
But i searched around the internet and the general sentiment was that as long as one does'nt use suse for commercial porposes, one can copy the isos and give them to and can give the isos you've just copied to your buddies to copy! :cool:

I figure ice9 was right.

Concerning Purchasing Pro and Piracy:

M$ has a policy concerning "Soft" Piracy, where installing on more tahn 1 PC you personally own is considered piracy.

What is your take on this matter with SuSE? Am I supposed to purchase a CD set of Pro for every PC I install it on, assuming they are all in my home, in my immediate family?

(Now we are REALLY splitting hairs! :))