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this post was submitted on 11 Sep 2024
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Linux
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).
Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.
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And they DO NOT CARE if you don't actually use or install the extensions (unless something has changed, the guest add-ons are part of the free open source part, it's the extensions for things like USB 2 support that aren't free for commercial)
You can use it freely, by license, but they'll come after you anyway
I'm still pissed that they bought Sun, so many great products now controlled by those assholes... Virtual box, MySQL, Solaris, Java...
I've just seen quite a few posts about companies getting audited by Oracle over Virtual box and Java
The only license that VirtualBox and the Guest Additions are even released under is GPL3. I do not even see a dual license.
What remedy are they proposing when they come after you? I am not sure I would even take their call or respond to their letter. If I did, I would just send them the GPL text, announce that we are complying, and tell them to pound sand.
I suppose it might be fun to tell them that I got it via IBM or Red Hat or something and to take it up with them. But I probably would not actually be dishonest about. As above, if I got a letter asking me to pay for their GPL software, I would just mutter “idiots” and throw it away. If they want to persist, it would only cost them money and I would continue to respond the same way.
The extension pack does cost and is licensed differently from the core product
I did try that tact, more or less, but the fact is they kept harassing our licensing people and it just wasn't worth it so we removed every copy of it and used something else
And the truth is, Oracle can throw an ungodly amount of legal hassle at people if they want, right or wrong... Just because you're in the right and should win doesn't mean there'll be anything left of you on the other side, and they won't have felt a thing while destroying you out of capriciousness
They're pure evil and even their fully open source products should be avoided like the plague that they are. Hopefully someone will fork them at some point so we don't have to be tied to that shitty company, but until then, better to just leave them alone, because it's just not worth the hassle.