Linux license

[cozzmin]

I would like to use Linux and StarOffice at work (for commercial purposes.. I think) and I'd like to know if I need some license for this.
I'm not a Windoze sustainer, I like Linux even I do not know to much about it.
Somebody told me that I must to buy a Linux distribution. How much does it cost?
Thank you! and sorry for my English. :confused:

[X_console]

You don't need a license to run Linux. I'm not sure about Star Office though. You may need to buy a license for Star Office. Linux is free. You can buy the distribution for a dollar at www.cheapbytes.com (http://www.cheapbytes.com) or just download the ISO and burn it onto a CD from www.linuxiso.org (http://www.linuxiso.org)

[Mithix]

This is my understanding, and I'm pretty sure it's correct, but understand it is not the be-all end-all of Linux licensing©©©

Linux itself as well as almost all distributions are licensed under the GNU General Public License© This means that you can use them and distribute them for free without any sort of license, as long as you don't modify the kernel code itself ¥I think¤© So, you can buy one copy ¥or download one copy¤ and install it on all the machines you want©

[Bradmont]

A correction to Mithix's post:
You can modify the kernel, or do whatever else you want to do with/to it.

[X_console]

Not just the kernel. A lot of programs that come with Linux are under the GPL. If you want to be on the very safe side, then use Debian as everything in the CD is under the GPL.

[Ryeker]

StarOffice is free, even for commercial use.

[klamath]

use Debian as everything in the CD is under the GPL.

No -- everything on the CD is covered by a license deemed by the OSI to be 'open source'. That could include GPL, LGPL, BSD-type, Apache, MPL, etc.

You can modify the kernel, or do whatever else you want to do with/to it.

Except distribute it under a non-GPL license.

[Unruly]

Basically, You can do whatever you'd like with any distro, except for the rules in the GPL and stuff... (sorry, sick, can't think)

Modify the kernel, hell, do whatever with it... No licences required :D

[StanLin]

If I understand Red Hat's conditions correctly, you can even copy and sell Red Hat's Linux as "Cozzmin Linux" but you cannot stop someone from copying and selling Cozzmin Linux. You have to keep it public which is why it is called a General Public Licence.