Re: [dev] [GENERAL] License manifest

From: Christoph Lohmann <20h_AT_r-36.net>
Date: Mon, 12 May 2014 22:02:57 +0200

Greetings.

On Mon, 12 May 2014 22:02:57 +0200 "Anthony J. Bentley" <anthony_AT_cathet.us> wrote:
> Christoph Lohmann writes:
> > On Mon, 12 May 2014 18:18:37 +0200 FRIGN <dev_AT_frign.de> wrote:
> > > Well, let's take a look at the GPL first: It's a strict free software
> > > license, which means that it doesn't permit incorporating or even
> > > linking a GPL-software without publishing the software itself under a
> > > free software license and/or ship the software with the source-code
> > > used.
> > > We at suckless agreed that there should be the freedom for everyone to
> > > use the software in proprietary software as well.
> > > That's why the GPL is often considered harmful, as it inhibits the free
> > > flow of knowledge and often leads to complete rewrites of software,
> > > just because the authors are pissed off by it.
>
> Not just people who dislike it. Even GPL lovers have to rewrite their
> software due to the GPL.
>
> Example: LibreCAD, a fork of QCad, which had been relicensed by the
> authoring company under the GPLv2. LibreCAD wanted to support AutoCAD's
> DWG file format. Unluckily for them, LibreDWG (a FSF project) is licensed
> GPLv3+, and the FSF refused to relicense. The GPL made the code so free
> they couldn't use it.

At least this allows a viral spreading of the license. It could be the
major factor for its survival strategy.

> > And, as OpenSSL shows, corporate assholes never really give back.
> > With the GPL you at least get their crown jewels, if they piss you off.
>
> Yeah, ask Landley how much useful code Busybox got out of all those lawsuits.
> Corporations are terrible at writing code. We don't want their garbage.

It’s not about the corporate garbage code, but to have the hardware
specs in the code and a way to build a new firmware for that hardware.
Yes, many releases of the Open Source code for various hardware requires
much work to be usable.


Sincerely,

Christoph Lohmann
Received on Mon May 12 2014 - 22:02:57 CEST

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