Sep 8

Why I Hate SCO

On Sunday, responded to a comment about SCO, and it got me thinking. I finally dug down to the real thing about SCO that pisses me off. This may be obvious to a lot of people, but it had been lurking in the back of mind for a while until I finally shone a light on it.

SCO has made several claims as to how much of “their” code got into Linux — I’ve seen claims from 80 to “several hundred” lines. Well, the Linux kernel had 3 million lines of code at last count.

Let’s be generous and say there are truly 1,000 lines of code in the Linux kernel that do indeed belong to SCO. That’s…one-third of one percent of the OS. 0.33% My math was wrong: it’s even less. One-thirtieth of one-percent, not one-third.

So, do they want a small payment for the small amount of code they claim to own? No, they want $1,299 — basically the cost of a complete operating system.

Since when does 0.33% 0.033% of something entitle you to payment for the whole thing? You can buy Windows Server 2003 for $799, so $1,299 is more than the entire cost of an OS. What makes SCO think they get this for 0.33% 0.033% of the work that it took to build Linux?

The ilk behind SCO are freeloaders, trying to profit off the backs of someone else’s work, pure and simple. I rooted about SCO’s Web site for a few minutes to try and find a link for this story, and I actually came away feeling…dirty.

A mugger uses a gun to take what isn’t his. SCO is using the U.S. court system for the exact same purpose.

by Deane   September 8, 2003 9:14 AM   |
  tags: 
SCO, Linux

Comments

by Joe,   September 8, 2003 11:06 AM  

The really crappy thing is that SCO isn't using the courts system to get their money. They're using intimidation. By most accounts their claims won't hold up in court, so they're telling Linux users, "Pay us now so we don't sue". To most companies, $1,299 a server is much less expensive than even a court battle they will win, so they pay up. These guys have to be the biggest pack of slimy weasels around.

by Vladimir Lukyanov,   November 28, 2003 11:54 AM  

We are in a battle with SCO. We are the rghteous philsophers of Open Source. We will prevail. Users of Linux and FreeBSD have to stand up and say 'we are going to do this, together', the strength of Linux/Open Source is everyone bound in the community is not bound by profit but is bound by love, love to what they want to make, love to make other people happy. Darl McBride ( see http://www.sco.com/cdxpo/ ) made me sick, such a stupid individual who sees a metre ahead of his nose, sees only money, is our enemy. We do not want batlle but as it seems, McBride and others want GNU killed, we don't.

by Reality Check,   January 12, 2005 6:41 PM  

Of course, Red Hat or Novell's version of Linux at $1,299 is okay. Pick your poison folks!

by Reality Check Reality Check,   April 28, 2005 3:14 AM  

A slight difference, Reality Check: With SCO you pay regardless of your distro. You don't HAVE TO use Redhat or Novell.

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