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Summary: Free-as-in-freedom software is more important than ever before; when companies like Intel speak about "Linux", however, what they have in mind is UEFI and Microsoft remotely controlling it (akin to a back door)

THIS morning we had clipped and then shared a new Linus Torvalds video where he avoids talking about Software Freedom and instead speaks of "Open Source" in reference to an era that predates that term by as much as 7 years.

"Software Freedom is crucial and it is being crushed along with general-purpose and/or open-ended devices (programmable, configurable computers)."Just over a decade ago Torvalds made it crystal clear that choosing the GPL (copyleft) was one of the most important decisions he had made. This is why GNU/Linux succeeded. Of course Torvalds does not like to talk much about GNU, either. That sort of changes how people understand history -- a subject also remarked on in the video above.

Software Freedom is crucial and it is being crushed along with general-purpose and/or open-ended devices (programmable, configurable computers). Git is being attacked by GitHub (proprietary and Microsoft-controlled) along with the software that's in there; that too is under attack and Microsoft has just been sued for the GPL violation it is not only facilitating but actively encouraging for profit.

The way we see it, Torvalds ought to speak more about Software Freedom; we don't expect him to do so (the Linux Foundation probably wouldn't permit this either), so instead we might see Linux becoming a legacy brand. As an associate put it today: "It's rather important to note that Torvalds still refers to freedom and reciprocity despite using the phrase "open source". So while he is definitely for backing the f-word [freedom] up with deeds, he remains very reluctant to say it out loud." ⬆