A few days ago, some media reported on the possibility of free downloading the Elbrus operating system. Distribution links were provided only for x86 architectures, but even in this form, it could be a very important milestone in the development of this operating system.
One of the media headlines:
The developer of the Elbrus line of domestic processors has updated the section on specialized software on its website. The Elbrus OS for standard x86 architecture processors was freely available for download. Soon the developers plan to open its source codes.
Another headline of the same news:
Yes, it really could become a very important milestone in the development of the Elbrus OS. It could become, but unfortunately, it has not yet become (I hope that the keyword will be the word while)
How it ended before it started
The very next day after the publication of the news, the download links stopped working, and the site does not open. But even when the links to download the images were working, the speed fluctuated from 6,08KB / s to 54,0KB / s, and in the comments to the news there were messages βboot.x86_64.iso - 3.65 GB file, Opera says "2 days left" to downloadΒ»
Finally, the connection was lost on the afternoon of April 4, i.e. about a day after the publication of the news:
Here are the logs when I tried to download the already x64 version of the boot image:
wget --limit-rate=2500000 -c https://storage.mcst.ru/pdk/3.0.36/x86_64/boot.x86_64.iso
--2019-04-04 14:33:07-- https://storage.mcst.ru/pdk/3.0.36/x86_64/boot.x86_64.iso
Π Π°ΡΠΏΠΎΠ·Π½Π°ΡΡΡΡ storage.mcst.ru (storage.mcst.ru)... 80.84.125.19
ΠΠΎΠ΄ΠΊΠ»ΡΡΠ΅Π½ΠΈΠ΅ ΠΊ storage.mcst.ru (storage.mcst.ru)|80.84.125.19|:443... ΡΠΎΠ΅Π΄ΠΈΠ½Π΅Π½ΠΈΠ΅ ΡΡΡΠ°Π½ΠΎΠ²Π»Π΅Π½ΠΎ.
HTTP-Π·Π°ΠΏΡΠΎΡ ΠΎΡΠΏΡΠ°Π²Π»Π΅Π½. ΠΠΆΠΈΠ΄Π°Π½ΠΈΠ΅ ΠΎΡΠ²Π΅ΡΠ°... 206 Partial Content
ΠΠ»ΠΈΠ½Π°: 3923822592 (3,7G), 3307703777 (3,1G) ΠΎΡΡΠ°Π»ΠΎΡΡ [application/octet-stream] Π‘ΠΎΡ ΡΠ°Π½Π΅Π½ΠΈΠ΅ Π² ΠΊΠ°ΡΠ°Π»ΠΎΠ³: ««boot.x86_64.iso»».boot.x86_64.iso 17%[++++++++++> ] 648,23M 33,3KB/s in 41m 54s
2019-04-04 15:30:34 (24,7 KB/s) - ΠΡΠΈΠ±ΠΊΠ° ΡΡΠ΅Π½ΠΈΡ, ΠΏΠΎΠ·ΠΈΡΠΈΡ 679721193/3923822592 (ΠΡΠΏΠΎΠ»Π½Π΅Π½ΠΎ). ΠΡΠΎΠ΄ΠΎΠ»ΠΆΠ΅Π½ΠΈΠ΅ ΠΏΠΎΠΏΡΡΠΎΠΊ.
--2019-04-04 15:30:35-- (ΠΏΠΎΠΏΡΡΠΊΠ°: 2) https://storage.mcst.ru/pdk/3.0.36/x86_64/boot.x86_64.iso
ΠΠΎΠ΄ΠΊΠ»ΡΡΠ΅Π½ΠΈΠ΅ ΠΊ storage.mcst.ru (storage.mcst.ru)|80.84.125.19|:443... ΠΎΡΠΈΠ±ΠΊΠ°: ΠΠ΅Ρ ΠΌΠ°ΡΡΡΡΡΠ° Π΄ΠΎ ΡΠ·Π»Π°.
Π Π°ΡΠΏΠΎΠ·Π½Π°ΡΡΡΡ storage.mcst.ru (storage.mcst.ru)... 80.84.125.19
ΠΠΎΠ΄ΠΊΠ»ΡΡΠ΅Π½ΠΈΠ΅ ΠΊ storage.mcst.ru (storage.mcst.ru)|80.84.125.19|:443... ΠΎΡΠΈΠ±ΠΊΠ°: ΠΡΠ΅ΠΌΡ ΠΎΠΆΠΈΠ΄Π°Π½ΠΈΡ ΡΠΎΠ΅Π΄ΠΈΠ½Π΅Π½ΠΈΡ ΠΈΡΡΠ΅ΠΊΠ»ΠΎ.
ΠΡΠΎΠ΄ΠΎΠ»ΠΆΠ΅Π½ΠΈΠ΅ ΠΏΠΎΠΏΡΡΠΎΠΊ.
At the moment, the storage.mcst.ru server is unavailable, and all links to download images do not work.*
Please note that the expected image load time was more than two days, and the site was up for less than a day π
Now it remains only to guess whether the server could not cope with the load (but to eliminate such problems it was possible to publish installation images in the form of a torrent), or whether it was intended to show up, tease, and then say that the server could not withstand the load ;- (
At lor's wrote that they distribute the x86 installation image in torrents, but when you try to download it, the torrent client does not find peers.
magnet:?xt=urn:btih:1ff8a7de0e08ea7bb410f3a117ec19a4a88004b1&dn=boot.x86.iso
I myself also started downloading images from x86, and also fully managed to download only the first disk. After that, I thought that it would be better to download the 64-bit version and started downloading both ISO files at once. The idea of ββdownloading two images at the same time instead of a second disk turned out to be a mistake. And the x86 image did not download the second disk and there are no x86_64 images.
The final download progress was:
boot.x86.iso - 100%
disk2.x86.iso - 0%
boot.x86_64.iso β 679721193 out of 3923822592 (17%)
disk2.x86_64.iso β 706065116 out of 2216939520 (31%)
See what is available
It's good that the very first boot.x86.iso file remained, which I managed to download in full. Further under the spoilers are screenshots of the installation process:
Start installation
Selecting an installation image
Result of automatic hard disk partitioning
Selecting options for installation
One of the installation process screens
The installation process itself is skipped.
GRUB menu when booting Elbrus OS from hard drive
A couple of screenshots of the Elbrus OS boot process
Although not the first time, the system was installed and I became a legal user of the Elbrus OS π
OS Elbrus authorization screen
Versions of individual components:
What about sources?
Quotes from the material:
According to Trushkin, by revealing the codes, the company pursues marketing goals related to the promotion of MCST products, and also seeks to expand the community of software developers under the Elbrus OS.
MCST Marketing Director Konstantin Trushkin, in a conversation with CNews, noted that the source codes for the company's products are not yet available either for independent download or upon request, but the company intends to open them soon.
I also wrote a support request to clarify the issue with the source code. Here is the reply letter:
Hello!
This issue is under consideration.
β
Best regards,
************ ****************On 04/04/2019 09:41 AM, Alexander Ryabikov wrote:
> Good afternoon!
>
> Thanks for the x86 Elbrus OS that I downloaded from your site
>
> Please tell me where and how can I get the original
> code to view and study?
>
> Sincerely,
> Ryabikov Alexander
Thus, it turns out that the Elbrus OS sources are not available, and judging by the disconnected server, it is hardly worth hoping for their appearance in the near future.
But, as they say, there is a nuance ...
The basis of the Elbrus OS distribution kit is Linux. And as you know, Linux is distributed free of charge. viral GPL licenses. Clarification viral, means that derivative software products, which include the Elbrus OS, must be released under exactly the same or compatible license. In other words, such a license as virus is transferred for all derivative software products and cannot be undone.
By itself, a free virus license does not require you to distribute derivative software for free. It also does not require the mandatory publication of derivative software in the public domain. However, the license requires legal the user had the opportunity, upon request, to obtain the source codes of the software used. In this case, the source codes of OS Elbrus.
Previously, there could not have been any questions to the MCST regarding distributions, and even more so their source codes, since these questions could only be raised by legal users. And one could become a legal user only after signing an agreement or NDA (with an individual or legal entity). Such a restriction, although it violated the "spirit" of free software, but from the point of view of legislation, everything was more or less correct.
If you violate the NDA or the agreement, you will cease to be a legal user, and once you cease to be a legal user, you do not have the right to claim any of the freedoms guaranteed by the GPL license.
But everything changed at the time of the publication of the software distribution in the public domain! From that moment on, any user began to be able to download the Elbrus OS distribution kit. And after downloading it and installing it, it automatically became legal by a user who has access to the freedoms of the original GPL license:
- The program can be freely used for any purpose
- You can study how the program works and adapt it for your own purposes
- You can freely distribute copies of the program
- You can freely improve the program and publish your improved version
Moreover, these freedoms are determined not by the decision of the developer (in our case, MCST), but by the very fact of using the GPL license of the original distribution.
I want to especially note that these freedoms apply to all users who have downloaded and installed the Elbrus OS. That is, any the user has the right to receive the source codes of the used version of the software. And this right does not stem from the desire of the MCST (we want to open it, but we donβt want to), but from the property of the original GPL Linux license, on the basis of which the Elbrus OS was developed.
I sincerely hope that the decision to increase the attractiveness of the Elbrus OS by creating a community was serious and conscious. And the MCST company will not "pedal back", will be able to follow this path to the end and publish the source texts of the software, as required by the GPL.
Indeed, otherwise, in addition to serious reputational risks, it is possible that someone will try to test the strength of the Russian judicial system, demanding, as a legitimate user of the Elbrus OS, to open the sources forcibly, thereby creating a judicial precedent and testing the GPL license in reality Russian legislation.
Sentry, everything is gone or what should MCST do?
In connection with the publication of free access distributions of the Elbrus OS, a very interesting situation has developed. I see the following possible options for further action:
1. If the decision to publish distributions was not an individual error (and judging by the available publications, this decision was deliberate), then you need to go all the way and publish the sources, as required by the GPL. Moreover, this needs to be done promptly so as not to form a negative aftertaste in the potential community, for the sake of which everything was started.
In addition to this, it is still possible to determine the rules for using the Elbrus trademark so that there is no abuse, primarily by legal entities when trying to commercialize the situation that has arisen in their own interests. Moreover, such a restriction will not affect ordinary users in any way.
2. You can pretend that the decision to publish the install images was a mistake. Publicly announce this (possibly with the appointment of the guilty), and thereby try to give the status of unlicensed copies to existing installation images.
Theoretically, such a decision is possible, but it is difficult to say what will happen to the reputation of the MCST and its attempt to form a loyal community around the Elbrus OS. Moreover, it is not a fact that it will be possible to get rid of existing copies (for example, I am not going to delete mine).
3. It seems to me that the most negative scenario for the development of further events will be to leave everything as it is at the moment (there are ISO images for installation), but refuse to publish the source codes, as required by the GPL, or try to transfer them under the NDA.
Not only will this be a direct violation of the GPL license, which will negatively set the potential community against itself, but it will also create certain legal risks if such a decision is challenged in court.
What will I do?
For some time I thought about whether to write this final part of the article. And in the end I came to the conclusion that it is probably worth it, including in order to answer possible questions in advance.
So since I became legal user of Elbrus OS, I have all the rights guaranteed by the GPL license. But in view of some uncertainty that has arisen, for the time being (for a few days) I will refrain from publishing installation images so that the MCST understands the current situation and decides on its further actions. After that, most likely, I will exercise my right to distribute copies of the Elbrus OS to help form the community, as was originally planned by the MCST π
PS
Stay tuned for updates. I will update the article as new information becomes available.
P.P.S
It's good that there was enough karma to publish the material.
UPDATE 1
For publication in the hub βLegislation in ITβ, karma still wasnβt enough (already enough).
*) UPDATE 2
As stated in the comments:
They just realized that there are too many people who want to download and clog their channel, and uploaded everything to Yandex disk.
Here are the links:
- for x86_64,- for x86,
Source: habr.com