"David Chisnall takes a look at the GNU Project's infamous HURD kernel, exploring some of the features that make it unique and some that have found their way into other systems. [...] Even in its current state, HURD exists to prove a point: It’s possible to have a complete and usable system running nothing other than GNU code." -- http://www.informit.com/articles/printerfriendly.aspx?p=1180992
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Balzac
16 years 22 weeks 3 days 2 hours ago
I never knew how much great work has gone into the Hurd project.
It looks like a more modern and advanced kernel design than any monolithic kernel, including the Linux Kernel.
Too bad many Linux enthusiasts have been dismissive and derisive toward the Hurd project over the years.
Fancy new features and exotic hardware driver-support are becoming less important to me.
That's one among many reasons I'm becoming more interested in just GNU.
I'm planning to drop out of the corporatized software scene and become a GNU hippy.
I'm confident that making such a choice won't lead me into isolation.
More people than ever are seeing that freedom is the top priority.
It's time to take our attention away from those who don't put freedom first.
aboutblank
16 years 22 weeks 2 days 20 hours ago
There's nothing inherently
There's nothing inherently wrong with being a corporate citizen. The problem is when these citizens control "a power that should not exist" over the rest of society. This happens when a software proprietor deprives the user of the four freedoms causing the user to become helpless and divided with relation to that proprietary software. The act of **selling computer programs** do not subject users into helplessness and division. The act of **distributing proprietary programs** (whether gratis or for a fee) does subject the user into helplessness and division and this is what is evil and we should not participate in it to remain free citizens.
Balzac
16 years 22 weeks 2 days 20 hours ago
Corporations are dominating all aspects of society today.
Under the current circumstances, freedom is precious and rare. I don't want to waste time with software projects who serve corporations before individuals.
If the leadership of a particular software project is only partaking in free software as a means to make money, I'm not inclined to use their software.
Already, I'm wondering if I should be seeking an alternative to MySQL. I've read that Sun Microsystems is going to go forth with a "mixed source" strategy.
"Mixed source" means they steer a free software project to work closely with a proprietary software project. If you buy the proprietary software, you can get more from the free software it works with. Zend does this with the proprietary Zend optimizer.
That's not sincerely free software. They are trying to create incentives for me to give up my freedom and they are misleading a software community.
I'd like to own a company myself some day, but I'm not at all enthusiastic about using software which is part of an anti-social business plan, even if the license happens to be a free software license.
I'm sure people have noticed by now, that forking major software projects doesn't happen very often, so it does matter which software projects in which we choose to invest our time and attention.
Having said that, I'm still a LAMP developer because it still beats using proprietary software. But I am looking toward emerging free software projects which might take their commitment to freedom a step further than some of the earlier corporatized projects.