On Sun, Mar 30, 2008 at 01:25:40PM +0100, computer tech
wrote:
> Hi there
>
> I run my own website and would like to link to
FreeBSD.
People link to the FreeBSD website all the time, without
getting specific
permission, and nobody minds. In fact, in general, I think
the fine
folks at the FreeBSD project probably like it when people
link to them,
and encourage it. Since the FreeBSD project is an open
source project,
and not so much a "company" per se, you're
probably not very likely to
get a direct, "official" response by posting your
request to this mailing
list.
>
> Normally I know most people just go ahead and link
anyway, however I always
> believe in asking as I know some people / companies
don't like linking to
> other websites so I would like to know if its ok to add
FreeBSD to my links
> page when I get this part up?
>
> Secondly I am currently doing my systems page on my
website and currently
> doing network based systems and the operating system
would be FreeBSD and a
> few other distributions of linux, what I would like to
know is would I be
> allowed to host the image files of amd64 and i386 if
not would I be allowed
> to link to your download page so visitors can get
these?
Technically, FreeBSD is a BSD Unix and Linux distributions
are not -- so
FreeBSD is not a "distribution of Linux". They
have different OS
kernels, different typical core utilities, and different
typical
development processes. In fact, the term "Linux"
in "Linux distribution"
refers to the Linux kernel -- and since FreeBSD doesn't use
the Linux
kernel (it uses the FreeBSD kernel), it's wholly inaccurate
to call it a
"distribution of Linux".
When you ask about hosting "image files", I assume
you mean disk imates,
i.e. the ISO files for creating installation CDs. That
being the case,
FreeBSD itself is largely distributed under the terms of the
BSD license,
with a couple of additional bits using other open source
licenses (like
gcc, which is distributed under the terms of the GPL). That
means you
can legally distribute it all you like. Additional software
such as that
found in the ports collection, on the other hand, is
sometimes
distributed under other licenses -- and you might want
double-check
exactly what you'll be distributing. As far as I'm aware,
the basic
install CD should be free of such encumbrances, however.
On the other hand . . . you're probably better off just
pointing a link
at the download pages on freebsd.org instead. This ensures
that people
will have the most timely, up-to-date access to disk images
possible.
If you're really interested in providing download bandwidth,
however, you
may want to look into providing an official up-to-date
mirror of FreeBSD
downloads and the ports collection. I haven't looked into
that myself,
so whatever's involved in doing so is something you should
investigate.
I imagine it must be a little less involved than it would be
for Debian
GNU/Linux, however -- and I *have* looked into that in the
past.
--
CCD CopyWrite Chad Perrin [ http://ccd.apotheon.org
]
Ben Franklin: "As we enjoy great Advantages from the
Inventions of others
we should be glad of an Opportunity to serve others by any
Invention of
ours, and this we should do freely and generously."
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