No, I was trying to address the issue "how would you interpret the fact of market success for BSD". I would attribute it, to some degree, to the success of Linux
Sure, it seems clear that Linux has produced UNIX users that might not otherwise have become UNIX users, and that some of them have discovered (and liked) Free BSD systems. There is, of course, a compelling theory that the BSD's would have gone places faster than they did if Linux hadn't captured user attention like it did (back around Linux 0.99, I mean, not recently). As we keep hearing on Slashdot, Linus would have simply used BSD instead of writing a whole new kernel had the BSD lawsuits not muddied the waters. None of this is important any more, though. I just think it's good that the BSD's, and not just Linux, should be publicly visible as credible UNIX platforms.
and I would point out that the market success (not it's existence, you are correct that BSD predated GNU/FSF) of BSD was only made possible by GPL'd software.
Well, you can't make that claim about SunOS, Ultrix or NextStep, which are the best examples of BSD commercial succuss I can think of at the moment. Though I don't think you meant to. FWIW, I think that the current BSD's would be much less useful without the various GPLed software they use.
Re:If the BSD's succeed (Score:1)
Sure, it seems clear that Linux has produced UNIX users that might not otherwise have become UNIX users, and that some of them have discovered (and liked) Free BSD systems. There is, of course, a compelling theory that the BSD's would have gone places faster than they did if Linux hadn't captured user attention like it did (back around Linux 0.99, I mean, not recently). As we keep hearing on Slashdot, Linus would have simply used BSD instead of writing a whole new kernel had the BSD lawsuits not muddied the waters. None of this is important any more, though. I just think it's good that the BSD's, and not just Linux, should be publicly visible as credible UNIX platforms.
and I would point out that the market success (not it's existence, you are correct that BSD predated GNU/FSF) of BSD was only made possible by GPL'd software.
Well, you can't make that claim about SunOS, Ultrix or NextStep, which are the best examples of BSD commercial succuss I can think of at the moment. Though I don't think you meant to. FWIW, I think that the current BSD's would be much less useful without the various GPLed software they use.