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Apple Buys Open Source Printing Software

By BetaNews Staff, BetaNews

July 13, 2007, 12:23 PM

In a move that should help the company improve the printing capabilities in Mac OS X Leopard, due this October, Apple has acquired the source code to the UNIX printing software CUPS in addition to hiring the program's author. CUPS will continue to be available under its existing GPL2/LGPL2 license.

An acronym for Common Unix Printing System, CUPS enables computers to function as print servers by accepting print jobs from networked computers. CUPS has been used in Mac OS X -- which is built upon a UNIX core -- since 10.2 Jaguar after Apple abandoned plans to build its own printing software.

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By PC_Tool

posted Jul 13, 2007 - 12:52 PM

???

If it's under GPL, they could have "aquired" it any time they wanted to.

Score: 0

By ModderXManiac

posted Jul 13, 2007 - 2:16 PM

Not true, they'd have to buy the code if they wanted to put it in their OS since it's commercial.

It's illegal to take free code and put it in a retail product.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Jul 13, 2007 - 3:05 PM

Not as I understand it. According to GPL, they can use it, but must publish the source to any modifications they made to it.

Not saying that this is a bad idea, just wondering why the OSS crowd isn't up in arms over it. Had MS done this, there'd be hellfire on the horizon.

Score: 0

By pitdingo

posted Jul 13, 2007 - 4:27 PM

Weaksauce troll attempt...

OSS crowd probably does not care because: "CUPS will continue to be available under its existing GPL2/LGPL2 license."

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

edited Jul 13, 2007 - 4:57 PM

OSS whines about anyone who uses their code and doesn't contribute. Need an example?

Parallels Says Wine Was Given Modified LGPL Code

Does a Leading Windows Environment for Mac Violate the LGPL?

All recent. Of course, there are a plethora of others, but I'm sure you're aware of it. Just ignoring it so you can continue to troll.

Just try and tell me you wouldn't be spitting venom had it been MS and not Apple doing this. That would be amusing.

Score: 0

By dikbozo

posted Jul 14, 2007 - 5:10 PM

Troll, go away. You are just a 3 year old making noise when his mommy isn't paying attention to him. To your room, or no software tomorrow!

Score: 0

By pitdingo

edited Jul 13, 2007 - 5:35 PM

PC_Troll,

Your lack of reading comprehension never ceases to amaze. Again you demonstrate a total lack of understanding the topics under which you post.

"CUPS will continue to be available under its existing GPL2/LGPL2 license."

If you had any understanding of what the GPL2/LGPL2 license mean you understand my comments.

If M$ did this, i would bet you $10000000 they would take the code off the said license. That would be why people would complain.

Anyone that supports OSS would love to have a honest, respectable, M$ contribute to the community. However, M$ is a convicted Monopolist who is doing whatever they can to thwart and otherwise subvert OSS.

Score: 0

By PC_Tool

posted Jul 16, 2007 - 9:54 AM

*laughs*

By God, you're right.

I totally misread that line each time I saw it.

Seriously. WTH?

For some reason, I was completely under the impression that they meant the existing CUPS would remain under it's existing GPL license but that their software based off of it (branch) would not.

A strange assumption based poorly on what was written.

You are right. My reading comprehension on this one totally failed it.

I'll take my lumps on that one. At least someone here could read last Friday. :p

Score: 0

By pitdingo

posted Jul 13, 2007 - 2:25 PM

"It's illegal to take free code and put it in a retail product."

No. It's illegal to take licensed code, put it in _ANY_ product, and not abide by the license.

Score: 0

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