| Freespire changes name, Linspire goes free (as in beer) for a time |
Aug. 31, 2005
In a short story with a happy ending, the developer of a "free" version of Linspire called Freespire has agreed to change the name of his project, and Linspire Inc. is offering free copies of Linspire Linux "for a few days" (details below).
Freespire, which first popped up on Distrowatch.com last week, originally described itself as a free variant of Linspire Linux, with proprietary components and trademarks removed.
But the "Freespire" name was too close for comfort for Linspire, which is no stranger to trademark issues, having gone through a lengthy confrontation with Microsoft that resulted in its name change from Lindows Inc. to Linspire Inc. last summer.
"I found out about [Freespire] a few days ago when I returned from a business trip," Linspire CEO Kevin Carmony told DesktopLinux.com. "My reaction? It was no different than when I see people take code from any of our open source projects (Nvu, Lphoto, Lsongs, etc.). It's a good thing. I worried about the name."
Following a conversation with Carmony, Betts agreed to change the project's name.
"'Freespire' was the term I gave to a private project I had been working on," explains Betts on his website. "The project was comprised of various open source components, taken from the freely available source repository for the Linspire operating system. Somehow my project got submitted to Distrowatch.com as a bona-fide Linux distribution. I can only assume whoever did this had good intentions, unfortunately it was done without my consent."
"The Freespire project is changing its name, as it is creating confusion and misunderstanding," Betts states on the Freespire site, which was blank or inaccessible from Friday midday until Tuesday night. "The new name is under discussion ... a temporary codename of 'Squiggle' has been assigned to the project." Betts is currently accepting suggestions for a new name for the project at the Squiggle general discussion site on Linspirenetwork.com.
Third-party license concerns
Carmony said he "shared a couple of emails with Andrew Betts and told him Linspire supported his project, but just to make sure and work with our people so he didn't distribute any of the third-party licensed software."
Linspire has licenses with Sun Microsystems, Apple, Microsoft, Bitstream, and others to distribute products such as Java, Flash, Real, Windows Media, fonts, QuickTime, mp3, even some licensed songs and photos, Carmony said.
"Andrew (Betts) was very helpful in working with us to make sure and not violate any of the third-party licenses. We don't want to upset any of our licensees, and Andrew certainly understood and was very cooperative. We also discussed how the name 'Freespire' was confusing, as it implied you were getting a 'free' copy of 'Linspire,' which isn't certainly the case. When you remove parts of Linspire, it's clearly not Linspire any longer. He voluntarily agreed it would be a good idea to change the name, which he told me he's planning on doing. I know he also didn't want people to assume Linspire was behind his project," Carmony told DesktopLinux.com.
Linspire goes free (as in beer) "for a few days"
Carmony told DesktopLinux.com that in response to the Freespire situation, Linspire is now offering those following the Freespire story a coupon for a free version of Linspire, good "for a few days." Linspire updated its coupon page Wednesday to say the offer will end on Sept. 6.
"We thought it would be fun, for all of those who were looking at this project, to experience a true 'Freespire,' to give away a free digital copy of Linspire for a few days!" Linspire says on the coupon web page.
Related Stories:
(Click here for further information)
|
|
|
Approaching the Linux Desktop
The purpose of this paper is to help organizations evaluate the Linux desktop against their own enterprise needs and discover what benefits the Linux desktop might bring to their organizations.
Migrating To Linux: Application Challenges and Solutions
Several solutions exist to help organizations migrate in an orderly fashion from Windows to Linux desktops. This paper establishes the characteristics of an ideal cross-platform solution and reviews these alternatives in light of this ideal standard. The paper takes a closer look at the pros and cons of various solutions and outlines the business benefits that can be achieved.
Linux Advantages: Publicly Available Information on Linux Software
This paper offers a brief summary of readily-available Linux information to help businesses sort out this widely misunderstood operating system.
Top 5 Strategies for Managing Linux
Despite continuous evolution in the manageability of Linux, a 2006 survey cited manageability concerns as a top reason why organizations are hesitating to adopt Linux. Levanta believes Linux can be as manageable, if not more so, than other operating systems by following key strategies. These strategic recommendations were developed from experiences in numerous customer environments, both large and small.
Why Choose Novell for Linux?
This paper outlines the benefits of switching to the Linux platform and choosing Novell as a high-performance, enterprise solution.
Enterprise Linux Selection Guide
Considering moving your enterprise to the Linux operating system? Since there are so many similar versions, choosing the right one can be tough. This paper offers a clear process to help you make an informed decision and get the features, support, and cost that are right for your business and technical needs.
Overcoming Challenges in Managing Linux
Levanta has created a new administration model with innovative technology that breaks down the barriers to making the most of Linux systems. This paper will provide an in-depth look at the workings of Levanta’s product, the first Linux appliance of its kind.
SUSE Linux Enterprise 10 for Retail Businesses
Discover why major retailers have switched to SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop in the back office. SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 is a low-cost desktop that offers a complete set of productivity applications and interoperates seamlessly with the other Windows, Macintosh and UNIX desktops in your store.
Moving to a Linux Desktop
Migrating from Windows to Linux on the desktop can be a substantial undertaking because it has the potential for touching -- and perhaps disrupting -- every user in your organization. Unlike a data center (server and infrastructure) migration that is largely transparent to users, the cultural and administrative transitions and environment readiness required to support a Linux desktop migration are extensive.
Seven Good Reasons to Exchange Exchange
This paper describes seven compelling reasons why you should switch from Exchange to Scalix.
|
|
|
|
|
news feed
