Post #3537799
2026-07-02 16:28 UTC
Are they using any original GNU coreutils code as reference? My understanding is nothing is 1:1. They’re trying to build, from the ground up, a totally new codebase that has the same user-facing functionality but under the hood is idomatic Rust code (so nothing like the GNU C code)
They are recreating something that matches behavior not using licensed GPL code. Which is the same way the GNU coreutils were a recreation of the proprietary Unix tools in an effort to provide open source alternatives.
Like you wouldn’t say “An appropriate amount of work to slap a GPL license on somebody else’s work” in reference to GNU recreating the Unix tools, so why say it here?
Replies (1)
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@cockmushroom@reddthat.com 2026-07-02 19:51
I may not but then I wouldn’t need to say that because as you acknowledged, but don’t actually seem to understand, the USP of coreutils or GNU was not simply an api, but open source technology and they delivered on that in ways where the actual merits of their contribution are unambiguous. If the “rewrite it in rust” crowd were forthcoming about shelling out the real work to c then there’d be absolutely nothing to talk about here, but then we also wouldn’t have windows sidelining their fancy modern powershell for a 2nd order rehash of unix tools by people who likely never used them. inb4 they buy a license too.