[OGo-Documentation] revised SuSE 9.1 Install Howto

[Chris H]

Helge Hess wrote:

> [I guess this belongs more on the discussion group]
>
> On Sep 30, 2004, at 5:20, Chris H wrote:
>
>> In fact the first thing I do  when some one  lends me their CD set
>
>
> Last time I heard "lending" of proprietary software is forbidden ;-)
>
> In fact 99% of the SuSE CD content are indeed free or OpenSource 
> software and obviously always was. Now the interesting thing is that 
> YaST, the installer, was proprietary software and was required to be 
> bought on a per host basis (not 100% on that one, could have been per 
> user as well). Obviously you can't install a SuSE without YaST, so 
> this ensured SuSE a license fee per copy (and also resulted in the ISO 
> image not being allowed to get copied).
>
> Fortunately this is all gone now with SuSE 9.1 and the GPL YaST, and 
> the move to a service model :-)
>
> Maybe I'm completely wrong (but I don't think so).
>
Slight but important modification..:)

No not wrong but a common misunderstanding around Yast.(We used to 
debate this to death on our local lug list here in Ottawa) The license 
that shipped with Yast(1)-(2) was specifically set up to protect SuSE's 
IP investment in that tool. While not GPL or even close, the license did 
not prohibit reditribution in any manner, only restricted the end user 
from recontruction, reverse engineering or amending Yast 'without 
written concent'. So it was perfectly OK with SuSE to redistribute the 
GPL components inclusive of yast provided you did not charge a fee for 
it. While somewhat repulsive for later versions of SuSE it was necessary 
early on as yast was essentially a collection of scripts in the earliest 
days derrived from Slackware and Partick V. SuSE's portion of the 
earliest releases was the development of Yast and extensive modification 
to fwvm2 if anyone remembers that as one of earliest (slick at that 
time) desktops tailored specifically to a german audience. When KDE1.0 
become stable and gold, this also changed and SuSE moved to KDE 
exclusively and then included Gnome based on consumer demand.

All this has now changed with Novell.  Yast is 100% GPL and Novell is 
actively working to develop a highbred corporate desktop based on KDE 
and Gnome intergration. Further, SuSE9.x personal and SLES9 are also 
composed of GPL software. In fact the bundling in SLES 9 is excellent. 
You can install a 100 percent GPL system available for download, 
enterprise class, and selectively add or remove Novell proprietary 
products. An SDK for Yast is also available for download. This means 
that you can effectively install and run SLES 9 past the 30 day trial 
period, minus updates, indefinitely. The status on updates I have not 
investigated yet, but as these are based on GPL products at minimum 
source code 'should' be made available if not binaries. Sorry not that 
far into it yet.

It must be stated in order not to misrepresent, I am a Novell Partner. 
So potentially there is a bias in my comments. However I presume them to 
be accurate. ..:) Clarifications or corrections most welcomed.

Regards

/ch