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Straight from the horse's mouth (http://blog.mongodb.org/post/103832439/the-agpl http://blog.mongodb.org/post/103832439/the-agpl): "To say this another way: if
by acangiano 16y ago
Straight from the horse's mouth (http://blog.mongodb.org/post/103832439/the-agpl http://blog.mongodb.org/post/103832439/the-agpl):
"To say this another way: if you modify the core database source code, the goal is that you have to contribute those modifications back to the community.
Note however that it is NOT required that applications using mongo be published. The copyleft applies only to the mongod and mongos database programs. This is why Mongo DB drivers are all licensed under an Apache license. You application, even though it talks to the database, is a separate program and “work”."
- mark_l_watson 16y agoThanks. I had read that also a while back, so this sounds like the MongoDB developers offer a sort of waiver to the straight-up AGPL, effectively making it the GPL. In any case, kudos to the MongoDB developers; I have used it on almost every project I have done this year.
- psadauskas 16y agoIts a little different than the GPL. If you modify some GPL server code, and open that server up to "public" connections, you don't have to contribute back your changes, as long as you don't distribute the server itself. With the AGPL, however, you do. Some people, though, interpret that to also mean that any of your code that connects to an AGPL server must also be open-sourced; eg, you web app, if it connects to mongodb, you must provide the source. As far as I know, there's been no legal opinion if thats the case, and the mongodb devs have stated thats not how they read it, and thats not what they intend.
- ianb 16y agoI don't think anyone could argue that if you had an AGPL HTTP server that the AGPL would be applicable to browsers that connected to the server. So if the Mongo protocol is presented as an open protocol it seems unambiguous. Though if someone created an "open" protocol to someone else's AGPL code with the clear intention of bypassing the AGPL... it might get weird and awkward.
- psadauskas 16y agoRight, but I don't think anyone is arguing that. Its when you modify the AGPL server code, and open that up, you have to release your modification. So in you AGPL HTTP server example, the clients never are required to be open, but any changes you make to the server must have the source available.