Questions tagged [linux-distribution]

For questions about the various distributions of the Linux OS, such as their origins and specific impacts on the community.

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12 votes
3 answers
1k views

How did the first Linux distribution(s) develop?

In this question I asked why distribution are more common in the Open Source and Linux environment. It seems that a) open source makes the job easier for the distributor as it isn't needed to ask for ...
6 votes
1 answer
947 views

Can I modify a GPLv2 licensed kernel module without having the rest of my software GPLv2?

The company that I work for, develops a Linux-based in-house distro, which powers some hardware-based equipment. The project that I am working on, has some proprietary kernel modules, and proprietary ...
6 votes
2 answers
4k views

GPL for Embedded

I'm working in a company that develops and sells embedded systems. We are using Linux and some GPL software, alongside proprietary software. Some of the GPL softwares are modified to fit our needs. ...
13 votes
4 answers
2k views

Why do some GNU distributions with a Linux kernel convey GPL software online without providing source code?

I have noticed that some groups or organizations convey the GPL software without the source code. Such examples are: https://sourceforge.net/projects/serbian2014/files/Download/ as Serbian GNU/Linux ...
2 votes
1 answer
142 views

How to comply with GPL-2 when selling aggregate hardware with Linux?

Suppose I sell a robot, which contains Raspberry PI. Or somebody sells a workstation, which contains a PC and Monitor and WiFi router, each running Linux inside. Or a car workshop sells cars with ...
1 vote
1 answer
225 views

What GPL license to use on a Linux distro

What license should we use on a new linux distribution? I'm new in licensing and this really confuses me. Most "direct" programs, like desktop and the kernel itself, are licensed under GPLv2 ...
1 vote
1 answer
277 views

Selling / Providing Customers a Service on an Embedded Device with an Open Source OS

I have researched this question quite a lot on stackexchange but my thoughts are inconclusive, the different licenses involved and options by the distribution vendors are giving me a headache. My ...
2 votes
2 answers
234 views

distributing a linux server for commercial use

Let say you were to develop an embedded device powered by Debian, Ubuntu, etc. The device is plug an play. There is no need for the customer to SSH into your device and make modifications. However, ...
2 votes
1 answer
632 views

Why Linus Torvalds and The Linux Foundation should not sue distributions for trademark infringment?

If we go to the Ubuntu website, the first reference to Linux is mid-way through the page, as can be seen in this screenshot: Here in "More than Linux", the word "Linux" is written ...
2 votes
2 answers
106 views

How should I contribute to fix a possible bug in an open source project?

My distro (Gentoo) has added a patch to GCC that enables an internal macro. I already have enabled that macro in my CFLAGS for a while. I asked them on their IRC about this issue, that now GCC warns ...
3 votes
1 answer
735 views

Question on Red Hat's monetization model for RHEL

I've been trying out different Linux distributions when I came across Red Hat's Enterprise Linux (RHEL). I then started wondering how Red Hat gets money from the product. The Linux kernel is GPL which ...
-2 votes
1 answer
115 views

closed source binary in Linux image

I've got question about following situation: if i have closed source binary and device with Linux, i want to sell this device with Linux and closed binary in its filesystem. Is it legal to keep source ...
-6 votes
1 answer
136 views

Implications of powershell usage on Linux

Looking, in particular, at: PowerShell 6.0 Linux Administration Cookbook Prashanth Jayaram, Ram Iyer November 30, 2018 566 pages I just want to go in eyes-open, knowing any pitfalls of the ...
2 votes
0 answers
392 views

Which files in a Yocto (Embedded Linux) project should I provide to be compliant to GPL?

We are developing a Yocto based embedded Linux project, it uses Linux kernel (of course), some MIT libraries, some GPL libraries, and our own commercial applications. Since the GPL code is used to ...
1 vote
0 answers
106 views

How to update GPL licensed software distributed to a customer without providing the source code on each update?

This question extends my last question about 'How to comply with the GPL when providing auto updates'. Problem description: I want to distribute a Debian VM with Debian based docker containers, so ...
5 votes
1 answer
220 views

How to comply with the GPL when providing auto updates?

Problem description: I want to distribute a Debian VM with Debian based docker containers, so far I would just extract the entire source code after the VM is configured and provide the source code on ...
10 votes
1 answer
1k views

Do Fedora's export restrictions violate the GPL?

On the download page of Fedora, one finds this text: By downloading Fedora software, you acknowledge that you understand all of the following: Fedora software and technical information may be ...
3 votes
2 answers
310 views

Should I distribute the source code of the build tools for a Linux distribution

If I want to distribute a GNU/Linux distribution as a .iso, I must : Distribute the source code of the Linux kernel Distribute the source code of any GPL (or some other license) package included in ...
-2 votes
2 answers
166 views

Free or non-free distribution, what is the question?

I often read that some distributions contain non-free components while some other are free. As an end-user, I don't understand very well the difference between free and non-free distributions. What ...
7 votes
1 answer
1k views

Distributing commercial Docker container image with openjdk:8-jdk

I am building a docker image with the following dockerfile and then pushing it to an AWS ECR repository: FROM openjdk:8-jdk RUN ["mkdir", "/opt/mycompany"] COPY ["myapp.war/", "/opt/mycompany/myapp....
17 votes
2 answers
350 views

How can I get my program into a Linux distribution (Debian)?

Assume I have programmed a cool application and released it as open source. But not many people are using it, as most install their programs through their distribution of choice. Can I somehow add ...
2 votes
1 answer
136 views

Renting out remote access to VMs with a modified GPL kernel

As I have read you can modify and use the Linux kernel if you do not distribute the binary of that modified version. The confusion that I have is that, suppose that if AWS were to provide a kernel ...
63 votes
9 answers
8k views

Why do some people refer to Linux as GNU/Linux?

In some cases I have noticed that some people say GNU/Linux instead of just Linux. Why is that so? Do both terms mean the same or is there a subtle difference?
1 vote
2 answers
425 views

EOS - How to understand license agreement of Linux kernel derivative?

EOS (the industry-leading, Linux-based network operating system) runs across the entire portfolio of Arista’s network switches as well as in a virtual machine instance (vEOS). EOS operating system ...
1 vote
0 answers
67 views

Distributing a Linux distribution [duplicate]

If I were to take a Linux distribution (e.g. Debian, Ubuntu, etc.) and distribute their provided ISO verbatim, would I be required to provide the respective source code for all GPL software on the ...
2 votes
2 answers
1k views

how did Elastix move from GPL to proprietary?

I'm just scratching the surface for VoIP with Elastix. I notice that Elastix 2.x is "open source" but 5.x is proprietary? Looking into licensing from the manual on Elastix brings: http://www.3cx....
2 votes
1 answer
115 views

How open or proprietary are the various PBX systems?

Is the following situation with FreePBX standard for VoIP? Why Not Use FreePBX 13? Glad you asked. Despite the freepbx.org facelift1 and the eternal message that “The ‘Free’ Stands for Freedom,”...
1 vote
1 answer
89 views

Linux license in a European company

I would like to install Ubuntu or Debian Desktop on a PC from our company which is in the European Community. I was told that the company should pay for this license, because in EU they must. Do you ...
3 votes
1 answer
578 views

License of a Linux distribution

I'm helping a medicine student to build a Linux distribution which should include some imaging processing tools. The aim is give to the other students a bootable USB stick to be used for their ...
2 votes
1 answer
373 views

Maintaining a complex FOSS linux distribution

In my professional area some of the most advanced software tools are incredibly hard to install, build, and configure even for the teams who create the tools, let alone for less technical end users. ...
8 votes
4 answers
189 views

Why is open source software often shared via distributions?

Linux comes most often to your computer as a distribution. This distribution contains a lot more than only Linux: Browser, Editor, Games, Terminal, Spreadsheet and so on. But nearly all software in ...