5 ms·

It is Apache v2 licensed, which means that Shumway is free software. So, if Shumway functions adequately then I imagine that the FSF will consider the task comp

It is Apache v2 licensed, which means that Shumway is free software. So, if Shumway functions adequately then I imagine that the FSF will consider the task complete. Believe it or not, the FSF and the GNU project don't demand that everything be GPL licensed.

pjmlp 13y ago
Which is great for the companies that take open source into their products and never return anything back.
- davexunit 13y ago
  I understand, which is why I personally prefer to use copyleft licenses. However, non-copyleft licenses like Apache v2 are still compatible with free software.
- icebraining 13y ago
  GPL isn't about (nor does it require) licensees to contribute anything back.
  - pjmlp 13y ago
    Hence the need of AGPL. I do a lot of development with closed source software as well, but when I do open source, I take the point of only using copyleft licenses.
    - icebraining 13y ago
      The AGPL doesn't either. We have a product based on a third-party AGPL licensed codebase and we're fully compliant even if we don't contribute everything back. You should really read up on the licenses and the intent behind them; contributing back was never the point.
    - Dylan16807 13y ago
      AGPL is questionably enforceable and still only requires contributions back in a very specific case.
- belorn 13y ago
  On the positive side, apache has a strong patent clause. It was so much admired, that FSF used it for GPLv3 (with the single adjustment regarding patent agreements).
m_mueller 13y ago
Since Apache can be relicensed as I understand, doesn't that mean GNU people could just slap GPL on there if that's what stops them using it? Isn't this how they usually integrate FF anyways, by renaming it something to something like Icyfox and changing its license?
- takluyver 13y ago
  'Iceweasel' is the branding Debian applies to Firefox (and 'Icedove' for Thunderbird). That's nothing to do with the code license, it's specifically about trademark and copyright on the names and logos.
  - belorn 13y ago
    Correct. I recommend https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceweasel#History_and_origin_of_name https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceweasel#History_and_origin_o... for more information. Please note this: The artwork in Firefox had a proprietary copyright license. As for the license: The rebranded programs are available under Mozilla's standard MPL/GPL/LGPL tri-license. Like Mozilla, the default icons are under the same tri-license, but unlike Mozilla, there are no trademark restrictions.
candeira 13y ago
Some years ago I wrote a comment on Slashdot[1] where I researched what GNU software isn't copyleft. Copying it here because it took me almost 20 minutes to find it again, and I want the info to gain some Google juice so I can find it next time I need it (maybe in 6 years?): [1] http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=225606&cid=18272276 http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=225606&cid=18272276 >>> NOTE: This was true as of 2007 These are all the GNU packages not under a copyleft license I have been able to verify. I have tried to err on the side of caution, which means all the packages listed here are GNU and not copyleft, but there might be some non-copyleft GNU packages that I have failed to list: Kawa [fsf.org]: licensed under the Kawa License [gnu.org], which is an X-11/MIT style license. Kawa is a Scheme/Emacs Lisp environment that runs on Java, in case you were wondering. GNU less [fsf.org]: the page says it is licensed under a SimplePermissiveNowarranty, but if you download the latest less tarball from ftp.gnu.org [gnu.org], you will find it is GPLd. However, older versions of less were non-copyleft [gnu.org], and they still are, as you can still download them. Ncurses [gnu.org], which is distributed under an X11-style license. Proto [fsf.org], which is is a tool for finding C and C++ function prototypes (someone please explain to me what that means), in the Public Domain. This one is not downloadable from the GNU ftp, but I guess that, if they list it as a GNU project, it must be. Quexo [fsf.org], xquery implementation using Kawa to compile to java bytecode. Under the Kawa license, which means an X11-style license. Speex [fsf.org], an audio compression codec for voice, under the Xiph.org license (a modified BSD) At least one other non-GNU programs is listed as being GNU on the directory, like Slib [fsf.org], a portable scheme library, which under a simple permissive non-warranty license.

pjmlp 13y ago

Which is great for the companies that take open source into their products and never return anything back.

davexunit 13y ago
I understand, which is why I personally prefer to use copyleft licenses. However, non-copyleft licenses like Apache v2 are still compatible with free software.
icebraining 13y ago
GPL isn't about (nor does it require) licensees to contribute anything back.
- pjmlp 13y ago
  Hence the need of AGPL. I do a lot of development with closed source software as well, but when I do open source, I take the point of only using copyleft licenses.
  - icebraining 13y ago
    The AGPL doesn't either. We have a product based on a third-party AGPL licensed codebase and we're fully compliant even if we don't contribute everything back. You should really read up on the licenses and the intent behind them; contributing back was never the point.
  - Dylan16807 13y ago
    AGPL is questionably enforceable and still only requires contributions back in a very specific case.
belorn 13y ago
On the positive side, apache has a strong patent clause. It was so much admired, that FSF used it for GPLv3 (with the single adjustment regarding patent agreements).

m_mueller 13y ago

Since Apache can be relicensed as I understand, doesn't that mean GNU people could just slap GPL on there if that's what stops them using it? Isn't this how they usually integrate FF anyways, by renaming it something to something like Icyfox and changing its license?

takluyver 13y ago
'Iceweasel' is the branding Debian applies to Firefox (and 'Icedove' for Thunderbird). That's nothing to do with the code license, it's specifically about trademark and copyright on the names and logos.
- belorn 13y ago
  Correct. I recommend https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceweasel#History_and_origin_of_name https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceweasel#History_and_origin_o... for more information. Please note this: The artwork in Firefox had a proprietary copyright license. As for the license: The rebranded programs are available under Mozilla's standard MPL/GPL/LGPL tri-license. Like Mozilla, the default icons are under the same tri-license, but unlike Mozilla, there are no trademark restrictions.

candeira 13y ago

Some years ago I wrote a comment on Slashdot[1] where I researched what GNU software isn't copyleft. Copying it here because it took me almost 20 minutes to find it again, and I want the info to gain some Google juice so I can find it next time I need it (maybe in 6 years?): [1] http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=225606&cid=18272276 http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=225606&cid=18272276 >>> NOTE: This was true as of 2007 These are all the GNU packages not under a copyleft license I have been able to verify. I have tried to err on the side of caution, which means all the packages listed here are GNU and not copyleft, but there might be some non-copyleft GNU packages that I have failed to list: Kawa [fsf.org]: licensed under the Kawa License [gnu.org], which is an X-11/MIT style license. Kawa is a Scheme/Emacs Lisp environment that runs on Java, in case you were wondering. GNU less [fsf.org]: the page says it is licensed under a SimplePermissiveNowarranty, but if you download the latest less tarball from ftp.gnu.org [gnu.org], you will find it is GPLd. However, older versions of less were non-copyleft [gnu.org], and they still are, as you can still download them. Ncurses [gnu.org], which is distributed under an X11-style license. Proto [fsf.org], which is is a tool for finding C and C++ function prototypes (someone please explain to me what that means), in the Public Domain. This one is not downloadable from the GNU ftp, but I guess that, if they list it as a GNU project, it must be. Quexo [fsf.org], xquery implementation using Kawa to compile to java bytecode. Under the Kawa license, which means an X11-style license. Speex [fsf.org], an audio compression codec for voice, under the Xiph.org license (a modified BSD) At least one other non-GNU programs is listed as being GNU on the directory, like Slib [fsf.org], a portable scheme library, which under a simple permissive non-warranty license.