basic questions

Chuck Swiger chuck at codefab.com
Sat Feb 12 22:29:14 UTC 2005


Xavier Noria wrote:
> 1. Free Redistribution
> 
> Since this condition explicitly talks about redistribution within a 
> software distribution that contains software _from different sources_, 
> my understanding is that it does not apply to redistribution of the very 
> software alone, as if I want to pass it to my friend. Is that right?

OSD #1 does not apply to the source code alone.

> If it was the case I don't see whether copying of the software itself is 
> covered in the definition, which surely signals some misunderstanding on 
> my side.

See OSD #2.

> 6. No discrimination about fields of Endeavor
> 
> Is there an example of a software that provides its source code and does 
> not satisfy this?

Several of the roguelike games, such as Moria, Angband, probably Omega:

http://www.hut.fi/~eye/roguelike/moria.html

"  This software may be copied and distributed for educational, research, and
    not for profit purposes provided that this copyright and statement are
    included in all such copies."

> 9. License Must Not Restrict Other Software
> 
> MySQL seems to restrict this _outside_ the license, as metaconditions 
> under which you can get a license for the database. But MySQL is one of 
> those paradigmatic Open Source programs, why that is not a contradiction?

Does this answer your question:

http://www.mysql.com/company/legal/licensing/foss-exception.html

> 10. License Must Be Technology-Neutral
> 
> Does this mean that an Open Source license cannot be presented by some 
> particular installation software so that the user is presented with an 
> accept button? 

No, presenting the license via a dialog box is fine.  But the license cannot 
prevent someone from forking a new version of the software which does not have 
an automated acceptance.

> Or does it mean that _the license wording_ says anything about it?

That's right.

> If it was the latter, do you have an example of a license that mentions 
> some interface for its acceptance or some other violation of this 
> restriction? I've googled for "click-wrap" but didn't find an example. 
> (The more popular de product the better.)

Try getting the source code to Java from Sun.

-- 
-Chuck




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