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! :))

By your own words, this is Microsoft's policy...has nothing to do with Linux or SuSE (or logic, for that matter). If you'd read above, you'd see that purchase of the SuSE distro is optional...there's no reason to believe you'd have to pay for a second copy if you don't have to pay for the first one.

to clarify, this is PRO I am discussing, and you DO have to purchase pro. This is why I asked.
:)

Thanks for the feedback. I guess I can write Novell / SuSE for clarification.

I contacted SuSE concerning the "soft piracy" issue. I have pasted my question and the response I recieved from Novell, below.

Here's the response:

thats not quite true... if you run YOU on both pc's or even 4, all of them will receive updates/patches.

So i suppose i can a give a copy to my friends without considering as a pirate.

Absolutely NO!

Reread MY letter that Novell replied to:

That's not really a definite answer, considering your question to SuSE was regarding personal use. Was there any reply about passing a copy to friends? Your friend obviously wouldn't get tech support, but is it legal to make the copy? I'm assuming it's legal, as long as you don't charge for it.

Why don't you ask Novell yourself? I posted the e-mail address...

So according with your words i dont have the right to install my legal copy to my wife's pc!!!
Hmm so its not a per desktop license but rather a per personlicense.

Lets take Ms license.
One (legal) cd -- one cd owner -- one machine that belong to the cd owner -- one pc support.
According with your conclusion suse's license is a:
One (legal) DVD -- one Dvd owner -- unlimited machines.That belong to the dvd owner? --one pc support.

Comment:Its not so clear as i would like to,or i m enough old fool so i cant understand the slightly difference.

This is ridiculous. You're really stretching things. You and your wife are (presumably) living in the same home. By virtue of marriage, property is considered marital property. Thus, it would be acceptable to install the software that is both of yours on your wife's PC. I would also make the assumption that it would also extend to children's PCs, but if in doubt, ask the people who WILL have the answer - NOVELL.

Burning a disk for a friend is an entirely different matter. I would strongly encourage you, instead of making ill-informed statements and otherwise acting in a less than educated manner, to CONTACT THE COMPANY for the definitive answer(s). Novell / SuSE can and will answer your question(s).

And, in case you can't find the email address I posted previously in this thread, I provide it again for you here along with their toll free telephone number. If it's too inconvenient to take a moment to email your question to them, it should be too much trouble to make the kind of statemt you just made here, unless, of course, your actual intention is to TROLL. :tisk:

Best wishes for a speedy answer from Novell.


Novell, Inc., the leading provider of Information Solutions
Customer Response Center
1-888-321-4272
crc@novell.com

Well i m 38 years old with 2 sons and with some thousands posts in forums-mailing lists... noone never accused me for such a thing.Hmm i guess is never too late.

We expressing our opinions here my friend,nothing more nothing less.I just have a different opinion from you.Do you really think that i want to spare my precious time trolling with a stranger in a forum for Linux?If so,then we see the world from a different view and i have to disagree with you and to protect my pride.
Till here i guess,so this thread its all yours.

My apologies for misunderstanding your intentions. It simply appeared that you were interested only in pushing the issue, rather than finding the answers.