Re: Help needed to persuade apaches about the Classpath license.

[Dalibor Topic]

Meskauskas Audrius wrote:
> Hello, Mark,
> 
> Doing web search I found that one Apache group, Geronimo project,
> currently needs CORBA implementation, cannot find that they want and are
> about to write it from scratch. I suggested them to try our CORBA. I
> think it would be good; they can at least discover and report bugs, not
> already speaking about potential prospects to get more developers. That
> group do not want to use our work because they say our license is GPL.

It's GPL+"linking exception". Some people tend to assume that everything
from the FSF is published under the GPL, and are not aware of the
differences between the various licensing arrangements.

> Maybe you could help me to persuade that folk?

Afaik, TriFork[1] offered to the Geronimo project to donate their corba
implementation under the apache license already, and I believe they
should be fleshing out the details once the TriFork devs are back from
vacation, as I heard.

For the ASF, I guess an implementation under their own license is
preferable [2]. If the trifork talks do not work out, I guess the ASF
will look into other alternatives.

If you want to persuade them to think harder about classpath's license,
just submit a patch to Geronimo that uses GNU Classpath's ORB instead of
whatever they have atm. Having a patch that shows that GNU Classpath's
ORB works (better) for Geronimo would give your argument

cheers,
dalibor topic

[1]
http://mail-archives.apache.org/mod_mbox/geronimo-dev/200507.mbox/address@hidden
[2] Similarly to how FSF/Debian/anyone else prefers to distribute
software under terms it agrees with[3] and understands[4]. Different
people draw lines at different places. It's a complex world. Some people
are pretty weird [5], avoid them.
[3] 'GPL is a cancer' according to Microsoft's Steve Ballmer.
[4] See SCO's Darl McBrides' 'GPL is unconstitutional and void' rants.
And how IBM uses the GPL to kick SCO's butt in court. :)
[5]
http://www.voluntarytrade.org/newsite/modules/zmagazine/article.php?articleid=20