Re: Unhappy campers Linux Inside
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Re: Unhappy campers

 In article <207@fishpond.uucp> fnf@fishpond.uucp (Fred Fish) writes:
 >My understanding is that PH is the only one that is allowed to distribute
 >a complete minix distribution.  
 
 Fred,
 
 To the best of my knowledge, PH has no such restriction.  In fact,
 as of a year ago, PH had an active program to license MINIX to anyone
 who wants to use it for whatever purpose.  This specifically includes 
 building variants of the MINIX system such as "enhanced" MINIX.
 
 >There is apparently no place where I can send a check for $50 - $150 and
 >receive a complete, ready to install, copy of an enhanced minix that has
 >most of the common enhancements that are floating around as diff kits,
 >already installed and tested.  
 
 Although I didn't explore this specifically, I saw nothing that would
 preclude someone or some company from signing a license agreement with PH,
 building an "enhanced" version of MINIX, and then selling as many as 
 the market will bear.  The only rule is that this licensee (Company X)
 would have to behave like a business:  report each sale and collect a 
 license fee.
 
 The license fees depend upon the quantity Company X believes can be sold, 
 and require some amount of prepayment.  License fees appear to be fairly 
 reasonable, for example, perhaps US $50 at quantity 1000.  But for this 
 license fee, Company X must duplicate its own diskettes and produce its own
 release notes.  And answer its own phones, and handle customer gripes, and
 strike its own licensing agreements with the individuals who wrote the
 various add-on packages that make up eminix.  And so on..
 
 >If I'm wrong, and there is such a place to get a full 32 bit minix with
 >VM, hardware supported memory protection, and other assorted enhancements
 >such as GNU gcc, g++, emacs, etc, with full sources and binaries for the
 >entire system, preferably for an Amiga 3000, then please tell me.  
 
 I don't know of anyone who sells this, but that's not PH's fault..
 
 Al