[linux-elitists] How is it possible to have a dual licensed Linux Distro.

[Jim Thompson]

James Sparenberg wrote:
> All,
> 
>   I came across this today on Linux Devices.  Being less that savvy on the 
> license side, I'm curious how someone thinks this can be done, as it looks 
> like they are re-licensing GPL'd software.  
> 
>   The first line in this article 
> -- http://www.linuxdevices.com/news/NS3953873333.html is "A company 
> maintaining a dual-licensed Linux distribution for x86-based routers ....."  
> and frankly to my puny mind seems like a big no no.  However I could be 
> wrong.

They can dual-license the parts they add, as long as they're not 
"extending" GPLed code.

I think this was more to the point:
http://marc.info/?l=openbsd-misc&m=118836617815218&w=2

Of course, in this case, Reyk's code (which is clearly based on Sam 
Leffler's "HAL", if you can read both source bases) is being stripped of 
its "dual license" and being put GPL-only.

Here's the kicker.  Sam gave Luis and Jiri *explicit permission* to 
remove the BSD part of the dual-licensed code.   As the author, he can 
do this, of course.

I think he did it just to kick Reyk and Theo in the shins, or perhaps to 
  "force" a court adjudication of the real status of Reyk/OpenBSD's 
"Open HAL".

Jim