[Savannah-hackers] Re: mldonkey licensing

[Mathieu Roy]

Note: I add address@hidden in "To:" field so they can verify if I'm not 
mistaking. Please address@hidden people, can you check my message?

MLdonkey <address@hidden> said:

> Yes, that is right. mldonkey sources are provided via savannah CVS
> server. I didn't know that tarballs also had to be provided, since it
> is possible to get the sources for each version via CVS tags. For next
> release, I will provide the sources as a tarball.

It would be nice if you can do so for the current version too. 
The idea behind this is to provide easy access to the source code -
there're not so many people familiar with advanced usage of CVS tags.

To conform with the license you chose, you must provide a source tarball for
each binary tarball.

Please check this for a full explanation:
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#TOCSourceAndBinaryOnDifferentSites


> >  Are "the protocol files" part of mldonkey? Are "the protocol files"
> >  required in order to run mldonkey?  If so, it means that your
> >  project depends on undefined licensed software - that we cannot
> >  qualify as free.  You never talked about this particular
> >  requirement.
> 
> No, the eDonkey protocol files are not distributed as sources with
> mldonkey. They are not required to compile and run mldonkey. Only the
> eDonkey plugin depends on these files. I found it was more convenient
> for mldonkey users to have a binary version of these files in the
> package to directly compile this plugins with other ones, instead of
> putting this plugin on another site, and have each mldonkey user
> download it separately. If it is required, I will do it anyway.
> 
> Without this plugin, mldonkey still contains a lot of functionnalities:
> - Access to Open Napster, Gnutella, OpenFT, Soulseek and Direct
>      Connect networks.
> - Two different GUIs.
> - Different libraries and Ocaml modules that can be used independantly
>      of mldonkey core.
> - A chat program.

Ok.
I personally think it would be better to release also the protocol
files as Free Software (I do not understand why you don't do so) but
your are the author and have the right to do what you want with thoses
files.

As long as mldonkey can run without thoses files, it still can be
hosted on savannah.

As long thoses files are not licensed under a GPL-compatible license 
(an undefined license can be, potentially, proprietary), they cannot
be hosted on savannah.  
 
Also, as far I understand, you cannot legally link a proprietary module
to a GPLed software (as we can consider thoses protocol files -
undefined can be interpreted as proprietary)

The only way to link proprietary files with GPLed software would be
adding exception close as explained in: 
http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#LinkingOverControlledInterface

But another problem is the fact that on Savannah we, savannah hackers,
explicitely expressed that projects hosted shouldn't make advertisement for
non-free softwares, and adding links to this proprietary protocol files
would be such an advertisement.
 
> >  This two problems are very serious to us: it constitutes violation of
> >  the license you chose and, so, a serious injury to the savannah policy.
> 
> >From my point of view, the GPL licence is applied to each ocaml source
> file of the mldonkey CVS repository, allowing other developpers to use
> them in their projects. If the 1% of the code which is not opened,
> which is only part of one mldonkey plugin, forces us to leave savannah
> and to remove the 99% remaining sources from the open-source domain, I
> don't understand the final goal of GNU anymore.

The final goal of GNU is to free computers, at 100%.
If a free software becomes dependant on non-free software, it becomes
lesser and lesser free itself.

We're glad that you write free software while you may write
proprietary software and that you choose Savannah as your host, but
the fact that you do not release this protocol files complicates a lot
the situation. 

About mldonkey, the GNU's final goal would be having an mldonkey 100%
free. 
GPL license helps in this way, and savannah policy too.
If you respect GPL -and you must do so to be hosted here- that would
really helps someone who distribute mldonkey + a free protocol module
for edonkey. That would be completely legal and easy.

Can you now explain your plans?

Regards,

-- 
Mathieu Roy
 
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