[ANN] Closure Compiler

Daniel Vainsencher danielv at netvision.net.il
Wed Mar 26 22:36:42 UTC 2003


I can tell you with some certainty that RMS would not say anything like
"infect all of Squeak". When I spoke to him personally about this
matter, he simply refused to continue the discussion on the basis of the
viral analogy.

Without claiming to represent him, it seemed to me he does insist that
the presence of GPLed code give some advantage to free software over
non-free software, for example, by precluding the distribution of the
latter in an image containing GPLed software. 

That's why I agree that having GPLed packages *in the image* is simply a
bad idea, and important package should have a more compatible license.
Why "other" licenses, such as BSD would be a bad idea, I have no idea.

I've also yet to hear a coherent argument as to why having GPLed
software in SM, but not distributed in an image, would be so
catastophic. 

The following by Andrew:
> I can only suggest that a Squeakmap 
> comprising incompatible licenses distributed for inclusion in the 
> monolithinc image is a killer problem.
is exactly vague enough to not answer the question. What is a package in
SM "distributed for inclusion in the monolithic image"? it's a piece of
code, loaded by the end user into his image. Andrew, are you stating
that this might be seen as a violation by someone other than the user?
Are you stating that this might be a violation at all, assuming no
redistribution of this image (a derived work, by RMS's interesting
definition) then takes place?

If you're not, I don't see the problem. If you are, please elaborate.
Andrew, if you are concerned that some of us are proposing policy
without understanding the rules of the game, then what would help is
clarity.

Daniel

Ned Konz <ned at bike-nomad.com> wrote:
> On Wednesday 26 March 2003 12:28 am, goran.hultgren at bluefish.se wrote:
> > I think the following pillars are important for the discussion:
> >
> > 1. SM should allow packages under different licenses. Right?
> > 2. Distros will be practically possible with SM1.1 using load
> > scripts.
> >
> > Obviously the "load script maker" will need to take care what
> > licenses the included packages are under - at least as a service to
> > the users of the load script. A load script is just an automated
> > way of installing packages from SM. It is not a distributed image.
> 
> I thought Andrew was warning against having conflicting licenses 
> *anywhere* in SM (especially GPL).
> 
> He had talked to RMS who thought that our situation was more like 
> using library routines than loading programs into an operating system 
> (and therefore loading a SM package that was under the GPL would 
> infect all of Squeak).
> 
> This is what Andrew said yesterday:
> ----------- cut -----------
> Be careful about the suggestion that we can survive well with a 
> Squeak-L main distro and various distributions under other licenses.   
> This probably (almost certainly) isn't so.
> 
> Some licenses (Squeak-L and GPL, for example) do not mix, and using 
> one 
> licenses for a distro and another for distributed code, however 
> comforting it may make one feel "technically speaking," is legally a 
> recipe for disaster.  While some of my lay colleagues on this list 
> disagree with me on this point, I can only suggest that a Squeakmap 
> comprising incompatible licenses distributed for inclusion in the 
> monolithinc image is a killer problem.
> 
> We have looked into this before, tried to negotiate with FSF for a 
> compromise, and it is presently their position that loading code into 
> our image is NOT legally equivalent under GPL to loading an 
> application 
> onto a computer with an operating system -- indeed, he goes further, 
> considering it to be the same as merging libraries into a single app.  
> I have spoken with RMS on this myself, and he is not sanguine about 
> letting things lie -- he doesn't want images to be mixed unless they 
> are all GPL, and he considers the entire image to be GPL'd by the 
> loading of a GPL package into the image.  (He feels similarly about 
> programs using GPL'd dynamic libraries on an operating system with 
> applications not GPL'd, by the way.)
> --------- cut -------
> 
> -- 
> Ned Konz
> http://bike-nomad.com
> GPG key ID: BEEA7EFE



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