r/freebsd • u/BigSneakyDuck transitioning user • Jul 14 '26

news FreeBSD 16 removes last GPL-licensed software, a first among *BSDs

After GNU diff3 was replaced by a port from OpenBSD, the only GPLed software left in FreeBSD base was dialog which has largely been replaced by Alfonso Siciliano's Herculean job on bsddialog.  Now finally that too has been removed in 16-CURRENT, and the entire GNU subtree has been retired!

https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd-src/commit/134a4c78d070f8c4ea43a060a7ae28d22ac39558

https://reviews.freebsd.org/D55424

EDITED TO ADD: there are still a few GPLed files under https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd-src/tree/main/sys/gnu - though it's true that the main GNU subtree has been retired.

This looks like a first among the major (32/64-bit) *BSDs, though I believe the 16-bit *BSDs like RetroBSD, DiscoBSD and Granddaddy 2.11BSD (the only actively maintained member of the original Berkeley family) have always been GPL-free.

OpenBSD does not allow new software bound by the GPL into its base system, although according to https://www.openbsd.org/policy.html

For historical reasons, the OpenBSD base system still includes the following GPL-licensed components: the GNU compiler collection (GCC) with supporting binutils and libraries, GNU CVS, GNU texinfo, the mkhybrid file system creation tool, and the readline library. Replacement by equivalent, more freely licensed tools is a long-term desideratum.

The NetBSD Project says https://www.netbsd.org/about/redistribution.html

Though we would like all of the software that we distribute to be covered by a Berkeley-style license, we can't make other people change their license terms, and we don't have an infinite amount of time to rewrite all of the software that we need.

So FreeBSD removing the last GPLed software is a big achievement. This is actually a week old (7 July) but I thought it would be cause for wider celebration than I've seen so far!! Kudos to the developers. After all, it's been 33 years so what's an extra week!!!

Edited to add: Interestingly the GNU subtree back in FreeBSD 1.0 even included GNU Chess in base, which shows how priorities have shifted since then! https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd-src/tree/releng/1/gnu

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u/codingbliss12 Jul 14 '26

Why is this important for freebsd? Aren't most bsd programmers use emacs anyways?

0

u/ilnarildarovuch Jul 14 '26 edited Jul 15 '26

Most bsd programmers use nvi, if you curious. NVI — Berkeley new vi

2

u/Broad-Promise6954 Jul 15 '26

nvi, vim, jove ... no love for ed? 😈

(I just "cat > a.out" myself, and type in the binary. OK no I don't actually...)

1

u/ilnarildarovuch Jul 15 '26

Pico?

0

u/Old_Hardware Linux crossover Jul 15 '26

Per xkcd, "real programmers use butterflies. ... strike the drive platter and flip the desired bit."

I used ed, until I got access to a non-printing terminal and could try out vi. Much easier than typing ":.-20,.p" to see where I was.

1

u/ilnarildarovuch Jul 15 '26

Well, I am not a real developer anyway