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Re: [Xen-users] Xen License

greno@xxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
This sounds like more Microsoft-reseller scaremongering. But you do need to be aware of the licenses for any software that you intend to sell/offer/provide/support for your customers. A lot of distros are GPL / BSD / etc. and some are commercial offerings such as RedHat / Suse. If you want someone backing you up, it can often pay to use a commercial offering.

Even Debian (which takes a very 'pure' view of things either being free and open - or not in Debian) has the option of installing non-free components. That isn't enabled by default, but they are there. If software is under GPL or BSD, then no-one can stop you offering a service based from it, stop you charging for that service, or charge you for the priviledge. But there are non-free elements in some distros (or other bits you get from elsewhere) that you may need to be aware of - and for some of those (Fraunhofer and MP3 come to mind) a fee may be payable to a third party for a patent licence).

But that's a far cry from the implied threat that started this thread - which sounded very much like an MS droid claiming that MS needs their tax before it's legal to run Linux.

--
Simon Hobson

Visit http://www.magpiesnestpublishing.co.uk/ for books by acclaimed
author Gladys Hobson. Novels - poetry - short stories - ideal as
Christmas stocking fillers. Some available as e-books.

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