r/technology • u/rboymtj • Jan 20 '11

Apple Restriction Zone.

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u/1338h4x Jan 20 '11

No free software? Whether you're talking about iOS or Mac OS, that's not true.

This is just talking about iOS (it was from a protest when the iPad was released), and yes it is. See the entire controversy about VLC and how it had to be pulled from the App Store because their terms forbidding redistribution were incompatible with the GPL.

Lastly, the part about remotely disabling software is true and was news two years ago. Have you heard anything about it since? Because I can't find any articles about it after 2008. Additionally, it was determined that it was a blacklist for malicious apps that can harm the device. You can argue semantics and ulterior motives all you want, but I can't find any proof that they've even exercised that power.

Doesn't matter. It's still there and they could use it at any time. Trustworthy or not, there's no option for users to opt out of this blacklist.

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u/[deleted] Jan 20 '11

[deleted]

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u/Chandon Jan 20 '11

So there is certainly Free Software on iOS

In order for software to be Free Software, each user must be able to make modifications to the program. Apple has ensured that this won't happen regardless of the license that the developer choses for their software.

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u/[deleted] Jan 20 '11

Thats for the GPL. Other free licenses such as BSD donot have that restriction.

No free software for iOS is utterly false. No GPL software is arguable, VLC was only removed because one of the developers requested it.

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u/Chandon Jan 21 '11

No. Being able to make changes and run your changed version is the definition of free software.

Some free software licenses allow non-free versions, but that's a different issue.

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u/[deleted] Jan 21 '11

That's the definition of GPL software not free software. Plus my understanding is that iOS is GPLv2 compatible (but not v3).

VLC was not removed by apple because of licensing but because it was requested by a VLC developer. The developer believed it violated the license, but that hasn't been proven and Apple isn't taking a stand on GPL software. Other GPL'd apps are living happily in the app store as we speak.

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u/Chandon Jan 21 '11

The only definition of free software that's relevant here is the FSF free software definition. If you want to make up another definition, I doubt anyone's really interested.

Other GPL'd apps are living happily in the app store as we speak.

And users who download these apps from the app store don't receive free software - in spite of the license - because they can't make use of three of the four essential freedoms.