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Jik Finkle started something of a firestorm with his piece claiming that the Free Software Foundation was reviewing Novell’s right to distribute Linux.

Now Joe Barr has neatly taken apart this silly idea bit by bit:

In the face of such towering ignorance, it may be worthwhile to note:

1. The FSF has absolutely no control over Novell’s distribution of Linux. None at all. Zero. It doesn’t matter a whit how much Stallman hates the Microsoft/Novell deal. It’s legal. It’s legit. It’s in full compliance with the GPL.
2. GPLv3 is still on the drawing board. Jumping to conclusions about the consequences of its impact on Novell is insanely irresponsible. Any changes to the current draft version of GPLv3 will go through the same public debate and discussion as have the previous drafts.
3. The odds of the Linux kernel ever moving to GPLv3 — so long as its current anti-DRM and other restrictive clauses remain in place — is about the same as mine being crowned Miss America. And I don’t even know Donald Trump.