FreeBSD Just Removed the Last of its GPL-Licensed Code

Per Hackaday, FreeBSD has removed the last GPL-licensed code from its operating system, completing a long-running effort that began in the project's early days. The specific change replaced the GPL-licensed dialog utility with bsddialog, a BSD-licensed alternative. While user-facing impact is minimal, the move reflects a philosophical split in open-source—the BSD license allows commercial adoption without reciprocal obligations, unlike GPL's requirement that derivative works remain open-sourced. This permissive approach has enabled FreeBSD and its components to appear in macOS, the PlayStation's Orbis OS, and the networking stacks of Windows and macOS. Over three decades in, FreeBSD remains healthy and active, even as the licensing wars continue elsewhere in open-source.

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