[CentOS-devel] Building a custom 2.6.9 kernel

Fri Feb 3 22:10:09 UTC 2006
Jim Perrin <jperrin at gmail.com>

> It may not be a strict requirement of the GPL but I think
> I've seen recommendations about packaging the source and
> documentation so as to make it easy to rebuild, modify
> and use in other ways.  Seems odd that anyone involved
> in redistributing GPL'd material would be so against
> that spirit...
>

RH very much supports this with RHEL software and kernels. it's
exceptionally easy to rebuild them if you do so in a proper
environment. RHEL is also the ONLY enterprise distro to release SRPMS
to the public without paying for them. SuSE had to spawn a seperate
fedora-like project to release their source, and SLES specifically
forbids rebuilds in their EULA. Mandriva is very similar.

The "problem" here is that rhel is under no obligation to release code
that builds in horrendously configured build environments, or in
drastically different environments.   I see no reason why they should
either. RH has been a champion of FOSS for quite some time (Netscape
Directory Server anyone?) and they show no signs of slowing that down.
Look at the kernel commits at kernel.org. Many of them are from RH.

Please don't confuse the actions of one person operating WAY outside
the bounds of sanity with RH's unwillingness to follow the spirit of
the GPL.


--
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety''
Benjamin Franklin 1775