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I don’t understand why people complain instead of taking FOSS they like, packaging it as an app, distributing it on the App Store & publishing the source. Does
by mch82 6y ago
I don’t understand why people complain instead of taking FOSS they like, packaging it as an app, distributing it on the App Store & publishing the source. Does Apple prohibit that?
I remember the days of very little Apple compatible software on the shelf at retailers, and no games. I was probably one of the first students to use a MacBook with OSX for CSCI 101 because many classes required Windows. That was lack of freedom. The App Store has more software than any other distribution channel at any point in my life.
Edit: I also love freedom from malware, which I understand is probably a temporary situation. But it’s been a good run so far.
- Wowfunhappy 6y ago> I don’t understand why people complain instead of taking FOSS they like, packaging it as an app, distributing it on the App Store & publishing the source. Does Apple prohibit that? Apple does not, but the GPL does.
- mch82 6y agoIf the source of the app is released by the author, what about GPL prohibits this? Edit: I ask because I’m curious to learn and because many systems run apps that are GPL without the whole system being GPL. For example, I love using GIMP on Windows.
- Wowfunhappy 6y agoSection 6 of the GPLv2 states: > You may not impose any further restrictions on the recipients' exercise of the rights granted herein. This conflicts with the App Store's Terms of Service, particularly it's "Usage Rules". https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/more-about-the-app-store-gpl-enforcement https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/more-about-the-app-store... This is of course different from merely running GPL software on a proprietary OS. In fact, iOS ships with GPL software on board.
- mch82 6y agoThat’s a helpful reference on GPL. I’ll save a link to it. Not sure this Stack Overflow is current/correct, but it appears other FOSS licenses might be compatible with iOS App Store terms. https://stackoverflow.com/questions/459833/which-open-source-licenses-are-compatible-with-the-apples-iphone-and-its-offici https://stackoverflow.com/questions/459833/which-open-source...
- user-the-name 6y agoNote that this applies only if you are using GPL software owned by other people. If you write entirely your own code, and include only more freely licensed dependencies, you can release your own code under the GPL and still distribute it on the App Store.
- Wowfunhappy 6y agoSure, but that's only because if it's your own code, you don't have to follow any rules at all. You can do whatever the heck you want, up to and including making the whole thing closed source.
- heavyset_go 6y agoApple will remove software from the App Store if they get a whiff of it including GPL code.
- mixmastamyk 6y agoIt costs time and money to do that. Who is gonna port, pay, and gonna do it?
- mch82 6y agoI understand it will take effort and don’t have answers for those questions.
- ddingus 6y agoThis is all a lot cheaper on open systems. Just saying. Eric Raymond explained why: use value. Open systems can be exploited easily and the people who use them get high use value because of all that. Incentives to port and build on known open systems are stronger, barriers to access lower. Result: more FOSS on said system