I guess you could explain it the same way that John Travolta explained the basics of marijuana laws in Amsterdam, NL to Samuel L. Jackson in Pulp Fiction.
(Jules and Vincent driving in a car)
Jules: Okay now. Tell me about the GNU GPL.
Vincent: What do you want to know?
Jules: Well, it's about free software, right?
Vincent: It's free, but it has some standards. I mean you can't just write a GNU GPL program and restrict it's usage. You're supposed to provide the source code.
Jules: That's the GNU GPL?
Vincent: Yeah, it breaks down like this: It's legal to copy it, it's legal to have access to the source code and, if you're a programmer that wants to add to it, you can as long as your additions to the code go under the GNU GPL. It's legal to keep the program free, which doesn't really matter 'cause-get a load of this- if a company wants to add to your program and not offer the source code, it's illegal. Taking GNU GPL'd programs and not offering the source code is a right that companies don't have.
Jules:That did it, man. I'm f***ing GPL-ing my program. That's all there is to it.
you don't get mod points because your an ac... unless you're one of the weenies that posts anonymously when he/she makes a shitty post to protect their stupid karma
Oh God.. Wow. This just works way, way too well. I mean, like, you can keep going with it...
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VINCENT: You'll dig it the most. But you know what the funniest thing about Open Source software is?
JULES: What?
VINCENT: It's the little differences. A lotta the same shit we got here, they got there, but there they're a little different.
JULES: Examples?
VINCENT: Well, in KDE, you can embed a web browser in your file manager. And I don't mean that you're using the web browser for your file manager like in Win98 either. They give you a plug-in browser, like you can install or remove any browser you like anytime you want, like in Opendoc. And in GNOME, you can embed like Mozilla or drawing apps or whatever into anything. Also, you know what they call their image editing program?
JULES: They don't call it Photoshop?
VINCENT: No, they use UNIX there, they wouldn't know who the fuck Adobe is.
JULES: What do they call it?
VINCENT: The "GIMP".
JULES:(repeating, grinning softly) The "GIMP". What do they call their word processor?
VINCENT: Well, the word processor is still Office, but they call it "OpenOffice".
JULES: What do they call their IDE?
VINCENT: I dunno, I didn't code anything. But you know what they use in Open Source software to configure their webservers instead of preferences dialogs?
JULES: What?
VINCENT: Text files.
JULES: Goddamn!
VINCENT: I seen 'em do it. And I don't mean a couple of extra options, they fuckin' do everything with that shit. Like, they drown you in it. Anything you wanna change about the way the webserver looks, you have to open up this big-ass file named "httpd.conf" and search through the file for the place where they explain what words to put where if you want it to act a certain way.
JULES: Uuccch!
(Cut to shot from inside the G4 tower case as Vincent and Jules open up from the side panel, reach in, and pull out two.45 automatics laying near the back, loading and cocking them.)
JULES: We should have shotguns for this kind of deal.
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OK.. obvious, not funny/relevant.. I'm sorry.. I'm sorry!!! I just couldn't resist..!! Please don't hurt me. ^_^
All I needed to know, I learned from Pulp Fiction (Score:4, Funny)
(Jules and Vincent driving in a car)
Jules: Okay now. Tell me about the GNU GPL.
Vincent: What do you want to know?
Jules: Well, it's about free software, right?
Vincent: It's free, but it has some standards. I mean you can't just write a GNU GPL program and restrict it's usage. You're supposed to provide the source code.
Jules: That's the GNU GPL?
Vincent: Yeah, it breaks down like this: It's legal to copy it, it's legal to have access to the source code and, if you're a programmer that wants to add to it, you can as long as your additions to the code go under the GNU GPL. It's legal to keep the program free, which doesn't really matter 'cause-get a load of this- if a company wants to add to your program and not offer the source code, it's illegal. Taking GNU GPL'd programs and not offering the source code is a right that companies don't have.
Jules:That did it, man. I'm f***ing GPL-ing my program. That's all there is to it.
Re:Mod Parent Up (Score:1)
Mr Pot: meet Mr Kettle.
matthew (not anon
Re:All I needed to know, I learned from Pulp Ficti (Score:4, Funny)
-----
VINCENT: You'll dig it the most. But you know what the funniest thing about Open Source software is?
JULES: What?
VINCENT: It's the little differences. A lotta the same shit we got here, they got there, but there they're a little different.
JULES: Examples?
VINCENT: Well, in KDE, you can embed a web browser in your file manager. And I don't mean that you're using the web browser for your file manager like in Win98 either. They give you a plug-in browser, like you can install or remove any browser you like anytime you want, like in Opendoc. And in GNOME, you can embed like Mozilla or drawing apps or whatever into anything. Also, you know what they call their image editing program?
JULES: They don't call it Photoshop?
VINCENT: No, they use UNIX there, they wouldn't know who the fuck Adobe is.
JULES: What do they call it?
VINCENT: The "GIMP".
JULES: (repeating, grinning softly) The "GIMP". What do they call their word processor?
VINCENT: Well, the word processor is still Office, but they call it "OpenOffice".
JULES: What do they call their IDE?
VINCENT: I dunno, I didn't code anything. But you know what they use in Open Source software to configure their webservers instead of preferences dialogs?
JULES: What?
VINCENT: Text files.
JULES: Goddamn!
VINCENT: I seen 'em do it. And I don't mean a couple of extra options, they fuckin' do everything with that shit. Like, they drown you in it. Anything you wanna change about the way the webserver looks, you have to open up this big-ass file named "httpd.conf" and search through the file for the place where they explain what words to put where if you want it to act a certain way.
JULES: Uuccch!
(Cut to shot from inside the G4 tower case as Vincent and Jules open up from the side panel, reach in, and pull out two
JULES: We should have shotguns for this kind of deal.
-----
OK.. obvious, not funny/relevant.. I'm sorry.. I'm sorry!!! I just couldn't resist..!! Please don't hurt me. ^_^
Re:All I needed to know, I learned from Pulp Ficti (Score:1)