Digital announces a 64-bit version of Linux

[Richard Royston]

Rodney Thayer recently forwarded your message, which said:

>In Digital News & Review (V 12 N 14, July 24, 1995; pg. 10):
>
>"Linux lives with Red Hat
>
>Red Hat Software has announced an agreement with Digital to produce a
>version of Red Hat Commercial Linux to run on Alpha. Red Hat's Linux
>version also runs on 386, 486, and Pentium hardware platforms. The Red
>Hat Alpha version is the first Linux to run on a 64-bit system
>architecture. The final version of the operating system will be
>available  and shipping by the third qarter of 1995. No price
>information was available at press time.
>
>Linus Torvalds developed Linux as a project while a student at the
>University of Helsinki. The unique features of Linux is that its
>kernel does not use proprietary code. The original version has been
>enhanced by many Unix programmers throught the world, who have used
>the Internet to collaborate on improving it. The original version of
>Linux is still distributed at no charge to students and others who are
>interested in working with it.
>
>Red Hat Software... (203) 454-5500"

I believe the statement about the availability of the original version is
a fairly significant deviation from the linux and GNU standard licenses.
It seems to imply that source code is for an administratively restricted
set of people (as opposed to a self-selected subset of the population), and
the use of the word "still" makes one wonder how much longer this state
will continue at all.

The latest version of Linux, as opposed to any proprietary modules that
work with it, will always be available for free public distribution to
anyone.

In addition to the kernel, large numbers of the enhancements made by "many
Unix programmers throught the world" are also freely, and permanently,
available.

As far as I know there is no requirement to be interested in working with
it in order to receive the source code.  I find that source code provides
an excellent source of documentation on many aspects of systems I use.

It's obviously too late to affect what has already appeared in the JUL95
Digital News & Review, but can you do anything to bring these
considerations to the attention of those who prepare these kinds of
statements?

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Richard J. Royston                             AOI International Division
aoi!richard at ulowell.edu                        Triple I Corporation
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