Daniel J. Bernstein

Daniel J. Bernstein (DJB) is a l33t h4x0r and professor of mathematics at UIUC. He is the author of qmail and djbdns, a mailer and a DNS server noted for their secure design and association with epic trolling.

Qmail is notable for its software license, which forbids redistribution of modified versions. This of course raised the hackles of Lunix fanboys for whom principle demands that software be free.

DJB was the source of much lulz on the OpenBSD mailing lists when he swooped in to defend qmail's licensing policy after Theo de Raadt removed it from OpenBSD. The resulting flamewar ended in the infamous rejoinder:

From: Theo de Raadt <[email protected]>
To: "D. J. Bernstein" <[email protected]>
cc: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Why were all DJB's ports removed? No more qmail?
Date: Tue, 28 Aug 2001 00:17:16 -0600


> It [Netscape --Ed.] has been provided for years as a port. It has even been provided as a
> package on several of the CD-ROMs. Why haven't you been objecting to it?

No it has never been on the CD. The most restrictive source or binary
license on the CD is the GPL. I don't think vim or pine or pico made
it on either, since their licenses have tiny restrictions.

> Hypocrite.
>
> ---Dan
>

Why do you sign your email twice? 

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