[Fsf-friends] Re: ? Is the GPL completely misunderstood?

Pankaj Agrawal agrawal@iopb.res.in
Tue, 8 Apr 2003 18:16:52 +0530 (IST)


      It would appear that GNU and FSF have not got their
    due recognition in the success of Linux. It is not
    fair. Also, one would think that due recognistion is
    part of rewards that a contributor to free software
    movement gets.

      It is possible that part of the problem is absence 
    of attractive name to replace Linux. GNU/Linux is too 
    contrived. The name 'Linux' sounds good. Finding an 
    attractive name that recognizes GNU/FSF contribution 
    may be helpful.


    - Pankaj Agrawal


On Tue, 8 Apr 2003, Richard Stallman wrote:

> It is certainly possible to advocate freedom in software and call the
> system "Linux".  I believe that you do.  It is also possible to
> contribute to development of the GNU system in specific ways while
> calling the system "Linux".  It could well be that you have.  But it
> is impossible to be a true supporter of the GNU Project, or a friend
> of the FSF, while calling our work by a name that attributes it to
> someone else.  That is treating us very badly.
> 
> The basic ethical question of the software field is whether your
> software is free is; that is the question of how you treat the general
> public.  How you treat the FSF and the GNU Project is a lesser
> question--but it does matter to us.  So even while we recognize that
> you sincerely support the cause of free software, we cannot accept in
> a list under FSF auspices your practice of attributing our system to
> someone else.
>