this post was submitted on 24 Feb 2024
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Linux
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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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Makes me wonder, are there closed-source desktop environments for Linux?
Not surprisingly, North Korea's Red Star OS has a closed source fork of KDE.
You got me curious. I found this.
"An example includes CDE (Common Desktop Environment), which was proprietary until 2012 before it was open-sourced. CDE was used in commercial UNIX versions like Solaris (before it became open source as OpenSolaris) and HP-UX."
Sounds like the common desktop
😎
Isn't so common
Android? It’s not wholly closed source similar to RedHat they’ve got closed source elements while using open source elements.
Linux and its kernel are based on GPL and so to distribute something using it would require a compatible license. That means a full distro can’t be anything but open source and actually be distributed in free or paid versions. That doesn’t mean there aren’t closed source interfaces being used personally or undistributed.
MaXX Desktop. A (authorized) clone of SGI's desktop environment, the developer is trying to make it open-sourced but due to some contractual agreement he has to talk with HPE (which currently holds SGI assets and rights) first and make a new contract, at least this is what he said AFAIK.
IRIX was Unix based with BSD extensions and I believe Maxx Interactive now runs on FreeBSD without Linux compatibility mode. So hopefully it won’t be long before it goes open source. Though I can’t understand why it would be needed outside of anything but nostalgia.
Wasn't Jolla's sailfish (for phones) also proprietary? At least the GUI shell?
It's a good question. I don't think there are any widely used ones, but I'd bet there are a few running around for internal use.
I think that due to the nature of Linux in general the only ways to have a successful proprietary software package is by being a hardware vendor, owning a whole format that is widely used and needs to be licensed, or having pretty serious multiplatform support. Desktop environments don't really fall under these.
But I could be way the hell off the mark. I'm just a rambling drunk.
Regarding internal use, if all the users of a piece of software can access the source code by asking to access it, then it's open source, according to GNU.