A lengthy debate that began with a suggestion to dual license the Linux kernel under the GPLv2 and the GPLv3 [story] continues on the Linux Kernel Mailing List. Throughout the ongoing thread Linux creator Linus Torvalds has spoken out on the GPLv2, the upcoming GPLv3, the BSD license, Tivo, the Free Software Foundation, and much more.

Right now, Linus ain’t happy, not at all. Especially about GPLv3. He considers the anti-Tivoization provisions in the new license, which keep you from crippling hardware containing software using the license, to be…well, take it away Linus...

"The license changes keep coming. While work is wrapping up on the GNU General Public License version 3 (GPLv3), the Free Software Foundation has released the first discussion draft of the Affero GPLv3."

Now that the GPLv3 has been finalised and is now released (and we’re starting to see projects adopting it), many of us in the free software community have been wondering what Linus Torvalds’ stance is on the final version.

"For all that a great deal of attention was given to the arrival of the GPLv3 (Gnu General Public License, version 3), few software developers announced plans to move their programs to this new license. Now, open-source programmers are beginning to give the new license a try."

"The Free Software Foundation today released the final version of the new GNU General Public License, GPLv3. Novell welcomes and supports GPLv3 and we appreciate the collaborative process that led to its conclusion."

SugarCRM is to adopt Version 3 of the GNU general public license (GPLv3) for the next release of its open source CRM software after coming under pressure from its user community to move away from its own Sugar Public License.

I've been trying to make sense out of the new Version 3 of the General Public License and I've got to tell you, I can't yet.

Why is this GNU smiling? Because with a political flourish the Free Software Foundation has released the final versions of both GPLv3 and LGPLv3. IBM has given its blessing but there is, as yet, no white smoke rising from Portland, where Linus Torvalds has expressed his preference for GPLv2.