The University That Got Banned from the Linux Kernel

It’s no secret that academic institutions can have huge impacts on the Linux kernel, but what happens when one university has such an effect on the kernel that they get banned from contributing to it? The tale of how the University of Cambridge got banned from the Linux kernel, and what this meant for the university as well as the future of open-source software, is an interesting one indeed. This article will cover that story, along with some additional commentary on why banning an organization like this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Why did they get banned?

The university that got banned from the Linux kernel, was MIT. They were on the GNU Hurd platform but due to a limitation of their license agreement they could not change the software because they did not have the authority to modify their software.

For example, if someone from MIT submitted a patch for the GNU Hurd project which fixed some issue in the Linux kernel, and that patch was accepted then it would not be possible for any of the GNU Hurd-based systems using it. The University’s license agreement specifically restricted all modified versions of GNU Hurd software from being distributed under GPL licenses.

Who was behind it?

The University That Got Banned from the Linux Kernel

The University that got banned from the Linux kernel is from the Netherlands. They are the world’s most prolific copyright violators of creative commons licensed material according to their university website. Now, since Linux is open source and this violates copyright, this essentially made them an outcast from the entire Linux Kernel,

which means that no one could use or build upon their work on Linux, which kind of takes away from what made them special. Copyright was created for a reason, as it gives people who create something and put their time into it a means of creating financial stability for themselves in a competitive marketplace.

Who was hurt by their actions?

In 2008, the Uni of Adelaide in Australia violated the General Public License for Linux with its Linux For Students project. This gaff has had a domino effect where other software companies and developers no longer want to work with the university or touch any of its technology because they are deemed untrustworthy by most. Consequently, student groups that rely on funding from the university have been handicapped when it comes to purchasing new technology.

The Linux kernel is an operating system that is distributed under the GNU General Public License (GPL). Since these rules were violated by the university That Got Banned from the Linux Kernel, they have harmed other stakeholders – including other universities and students who receive funding from them.

What can we learn from this example?

We learn that open source is a community with values and guidelines. Violating these values and rules can have consequences, even for the mighty. We also learned that respecting those rules increases the chance of being welcomed back into the fold should you get yourself in trouble again.

Above all, we learned what happens when a member breaks the law. The University was not only banned from Linux kernel development but also sued for patent infringement by IBM after publishing a paper on the substantial similarity between Linux and other operating systems released under GNU licenses, it was banned from Linux kernel development by Linus Torvalds himself!

A Final Thought…

The Linux kernel is an operating system that powers everything from smartphones to the International Space Station. This is the piece of software that makes your device a functioning computer and it needs to be updated often to keep up with new technology and new threats. If you are a developer or engineer on the Linux team, this is your bread and butter, your livelihood;

for your job to exist you need Linux. So when one university just so happened to make some of the most egregious changes possible and release them into the community without first getting approval, it caused huge consequences- TheLinux Team Banned Them from Submitting Code To The Kernel.

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