I recently spent some time browsing my favorite website, Distrowatch.com, where they provide weekly news updates on the latest developments in the world of Linux distributions. This week, I noticed that a new distro had been added to their list: SDesk. Given its intriguing name, I decided to take a closer look and discovered that it utilizes a programming language called 'Blue'.
What caught my attention was that to use this Blue programming language, one must pay $131! As someone who values open-source principles, I found this surprising, especially since many Linux distributions are built on the idea of free and open collaboration.
Other websites also features links to a previous GitHub page for Blue, which was removed. Without knowing the original license used by that project, it's unclear whether using paid-for programming language in an open-source operating system would be legally acceptable. As I'm not a lawyer nor an expert online, I'd love to hear from anyone who might have insight into this matter.
To me, it seems counterintuitive for a Linux distro to incorporate proprietary programming tools that require payment to edit or modify code. This goes against the fundamental nature of open-source collaboration, where code is freely shared and repurposed. It's an interesting development, to say the least what are your thoughts?
dead-github link https://github.com/SteveStudios/Blue
--edit
also when finding the link duck duck go said it was GPL V3
I don’t have any problem with an open source tool using a proprietary language or build tool, but I certainly would never contribute to it.