@Rocket Bitkeeper was not free - it was proprietary software and SaaSS.

The gratis license was a way for bitkeeper to advertise themselves at the cost of staining many Linux developers already poor reputation about not caring about the users freedom.

GNU and rms warned them of the consequences of proprietary software multiple times and they didn't listen; https://marc.info/?l=linux-kernel&m=103454948625224&w=2

Finally an Australia developer decided to try using netcat to access bitkeeper's server and discovered that it was a relatively simple protocol and displaying the metadata was trivial.

In response to that, the proprietary master withdrew their proprietary license and access and no Linux developer could use bitkeeper anymore and rms was right again.


Due to inability to continue developing Linux and the unwillingness to pass around patch tarballs as previously, Linus then decided to stop developing Linux and write a free version control system (git), what he should have done in the first place, rather than encourage people to surrender their freedom to proprietary software.

The "open source" line of thinking and its consequences has been a disaster for the human race.