SkyOS Forum

Hey

I just found this place off of Slashdot, and I was quite interested, and a little amused by this OS project.

You say that it uses an original kernel. Yet for some reason, it smells like a Linux distro. Why? Well for a start, have a look at the screenshots. The desktop icons appear to be ripped directly from KDE or SuSE. The FILE AND FOLDER icons are even ripped from KDE! Care to explain?

Secondly, I would ask why you seem to use GNU software when in fact the GNU GPL completely prohibits you from including/using said software in a commercial, non-free way. The Lesser GPL doesn't prohibit this, buuut, I can give one example where you've used GPL'ed software, just from a quick look at this site.

bash - GPL license. GNU page: http://directory.fsf.org/GNU/bash.html

Care to explain this?

And then there's the countless FOSS programs that you appear to have ported. Surely you aren't going to include them in your commercial OS?

I look forward to hearing your answers.

These aren't SuSE or KDE icons. These are icons made by Everaldo, and are being used in SkyOS with his consent.



The GPL does not prohibit the use of its apps in commercial endavours. Linspire is commercial too, you know. Please read the GPL more carefully.



BASH is indeed GPL, however, the above applies.

What do icons have to do with the Kernel?

@Foxy:

Please make yourself familiar with the GPL.

and make yourself familiar with the difference between kernel and software.
The kernel is the core of the os and if most software you see on the screenshots looks like linux software, that is only because this software is open source, thus making it possible to port it to any operating system you want, without needing a linux kernel. (notice kernel behind linux )
Linux is only a kernel on wich this opensource software can run.

@Foxy

The same can be said for several other open source projects, OpenOffice runs on Windows, also Firefox runs on Windows, and what about a lot of GPL-ed software that runs on Windows?

You pride yourself with coming here from Slashdot. I guess you're not a very constant reader, if you were, you would have understood what the GPL is and how it works.

do we really need to have this new threads in here every week? A little browsing through the forums shows that we've had the same questions asked many times before. SkyOS is built from scratch, the icons are not Linux exclusives, some of the ported software is GPL'd but that doesnt mean it can't be used on SkyOS and the developers are aware of the ports and are excited that the OS is using them. Slashdot? What's that? It's all about digg baby.

Not as amused as some of us are by your post

I find it interesting that Foxy hasn't posted back.

Just a troll.

Maybe so, but I thought he would at least make it interesting (more than a single post).

MS only pays him for the first post. Follow ups are on his own dime.

What he's getting paid!!!
What a injustice!

Foxy there are many OSS apps ported to many OSes

Apple, a commercial OS, has many gpl programs included with it: Bash, GCC, and so on.

lol, I've never been called a troll before. This was worth waiting for.



Okay, in that case I apologise. I was feeling a bit sceptical yesterday, as you no doubt noticed.

I do understand the difference between the kernel and the software that runs around it, but I mangled the post somewhat. Nevermind. I decided to imply the Linux thing purely for effect, and to see how you reacted. I was half expecting you to delete this post, and I'm impressed at the response you gave.



I forgot yesterday, I was doing a lot. It happens when you don't lurk at a forum regularly.



Not pride, simply stating facts. I have to put SOMETHING at the start of a first post other than 'Yo!'. Tbh I'm not part of the Slashdot crowd, since I'm not a 1337 coder or anything. It's just a good site for news and especially for opinion/alternative angles on those news stories.

In any case, as I understand it the GPL does not allow you to distribute it's software without passing on the rights granted by the GPL to others - in other words, giving access to the source code. How do you plan on doing this? I'm not exactly a FOSS expert, so I've not read about how others do this.



YOU are at fault here, since I in fact never stated that it's illegal for FOSS to be ported to non-free OSs. I may be being ripped up by a load of people here, but I can still poke a screwdriver in your eye if you slip up.


If you don't mind I think I'll stick around here. You've convinced me that this thing is genuine, so it warrants further investigation. I'm always interested in broadening my knowledge.