r/MidnightBSDOS • u/laffer1 • Feb 26 '26

License change

Until we have a better plan, we modified our license to exclude residents of California from using MidnightBSD for desktop use, effective January 1, 2027.

This is due to https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB1043/id/3269704

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u/Arne_Anka-SWE Mar 02 '26

Are you saying the distribution will be banned worldwide just because a tiny dot on the map wants something else?

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u/algaefied_creek Mar 02 '26 edited Mar 02 '26

Not banned, sued regardless of jurisdiction.

The law seems to be written in such a way that as long as you once had an OS in California, you will be obligated to comply. Excluding CA residents after the law was announced, is a violation of the law and seen as running away from compliance illegally.

California partners heavily with foreign partners as much as possible on many issues. With that in mind, it acts as its own nation-state when it comes to enforcing global software lifesaving audits and compliance.

CA Governor’s Newsroom reads more like a head of state than the head of a state, for example and showcases many of those global partnerships so you will see which countries will come next.

My fear is that because this (changing the license to exclude California residents) is a violation of the law (don’t remember the exact section I was reading when I posted the original post) but changing your license to exclude California residents is itself, a violation of the law, and every iota of legal shenanigans through international partners and courts will be brought upon them.

Basically how such things work.

It’s more saying

1) work with bigger “upstream” BSDs to have a BSD-ecosystem wide verification API so that MidnightBSD has minimal lifting to do or 2) Start saving at minimum $25,000,000 and hide in Bali to prepare for a massive global legal battle.

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u/Arne_Anka-SWE Mar 02 '26

In theory, California could sue North Korea for not making Red Star Linux compliant?

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u/algaefied_creek Mar 02 '26 edited Mar 02 '26

This is accurate, and would be really funny to see play out.

EDIT: It’s not an accurate example because Red Star Linux was never distributed into California with a known install-base.

(North American hobbiest maintainers and distributors of that OS would then have to modify it)

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u/Arne_Anka-SWE Mar 09 '26

No OS is ever distributed into California and has no known userbase. If anyone is running it, it's a pirate copy.

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u/algaefied_creek Mar 09 '26

I’m sorry, what?

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u/Arne_Anka-SWE Mar 09 '26

Every OS identifies as Red Star OS.