spaetzblog

Stuff that doesn't matter
LWN reports on an analysis by David Wheeler on a new memorandum from the US department of defense. Main takeaways (emphasis mine):
  • "In almost all cases, OSS meets the definition of 'commercial computer software' and shall be given appropriate statutory preference..."
  • the DoD is "required to conduct market research... [and should] include OSS [in the research] when it may meet mission needs".
  • "if you use a binary program, you must either have a warranty or the source code for a program."
    I do wonder how this confirms with eg any standard Windows EULA whose warranty is restricted to damage payments of ... 5$ or so?
  • "To effectively achieve its missions, the [DoD] must develop and update its software-based capabilities faster than ever,[...]. The use of Open Source Software (OSS) can provide advantages in this regard...".
It seems the Department of Defense has understood Open Source better than many companies...
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