SCO still offers ‘infringing’ Linux source code

Have a look, IBM.

By Ashlee Vance in Chicago • Get more from this author

Posted in Servers, 8th August 2003 00:49 GMT

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SCO has told the public that its version of Linux is no longer for sale due to its legal pursuit of IBM and Linux users. That much is true. In fact, the code does not cost a penny with SCO providing a rather swift download site for SCO Linux.

Close to 30 Reg readers have sent along the following link that leads directly to a FTP download of the Linux kernel, at the time of this report. It's part of SCO's OpenLinux 3.1.1.

The funny thing about this source code, which does appear to be on a SCO server, is it's use of the 2.4 Linux kernel. That's the very kernel that has SCO's knickers in a twist.

SCO has claimed that IBM illegally threw Unix code into versions of Linux with the 2.4 kernel and above, and launched a $3 billion lawsuit to prove its point. IBM has fired back against SCO today with its own lawsuit, claiming that SCO cannot make claims to Linux code, since it sold its own version of Linux under the GPL. Big Blue's lawyers might be pleased to find SCO is still in the Linux distribution business to this day.

This link to SCO's code has been talked about for quite awhile, so we wonder why the legal team of Boies Inc. would let it stay up. ®