Re: [Phpgroupware-developers] Open It ALL

[Dan Kuykendall]

Alex Borges wrote:

> LICENSES
> The FSF wants us to be a GPL/LGPL (at the choosing of each contributor)
> project. Savanah obviously enforces this in its terms of use.
>
> This means that the terms of the GPL and the LGPL have to be complied to
> in ALL of the code that forms part of the phpgroupware project.
>
> What is the phpgroupware project, in phisicall terms? Okay, its code in
> the savanah cvs. 
>
> If your code doesnt comply to the GPL or the LGPL, you CANNOT have it in
> savannah CVS. It is contrary to savanah's terms of use.
>
> Such is the case of the jscalendar, which i love, and illegally have it
> installed in my servers. I say illegally because it is illegal to have
> NON-GPL/LGPL code linked to GPL/LGPL code. You cant, for example, have BSD code
> linked to GPL code, because the BSD license forces an advertisement
> clause, which is incompatible with the GPL. 
>
> As the advertisement clause in  jscalendar breaks provissions in the
> LGPL license, it is NOT LGPL and the rights the LGPL grants distributors
> are VOID, and so normal copyright  applies, which means, you cant
> distribute it, change it...etc.
>  
Correct.

> ASSIGNMENTS
> The FSF requires copyright on software to be assigned to them in orther
> to be part of the GNU project. 
This is not correct. The FSF makes no such requirements. Its an optional 
thing, that they will do if projects want, but it is NOT required.

> For this matter, the FSF also provides with a way for contributors 
> NOT to assign copyright but to send in a disclaimer permitting us 
> to use their software. You can see that in 
> http://www.gnu.org/prep/maintain_6.html#SEC5.
>  
This is certainly an option.

> The point is that that is the policy of the FSF and, if we want to 
> be GNU software, we have to comply.
>  
Right, we need to comply. but the FSF is flexible on some of these 
issues, so we need to decide how to best apply things to the project.

> So now, maybe most ppl here (significant contributors) do not WANT
> phpgroupware to be GNU software. If there is consensus about this, then
> the discussion is over and we carry on to savanna-nongnu or whomever
> that will have us. For most of the core team that would be going back on
> your word, but anyone is entitled to change their minds.
>  
I dont think there is any major movement to change from being a GNU project.

> If you still want to be GNU software, then why get upset when you are
> asked for assignments? Or why get upset when other developers leave
> because they dont want their software to be a part of GNU (like luca,
> who was long gone anyway)?
>  
No one should be forced to do assignments. There are alternatives. This 
should also not exclude the contributor from being able to vote or hold 
a position in the CT.

> I think that, for the benefit of the project a single direction is
> needed. We cant have three leaders all pulling in their directions
> without any attempts to find consensus.
>  
No worries here. It will all work out.

> We are not that many, the project is still growing and being adopted,
> but this kind of thing can make us loose people, and i dont need to really 
> spell out the dangers of that.
>  
Please do. We are not bound by a lose of sales which would put us out of 
business.
People come and go, for various reasons. So Im not sure what "dangers" 
you are worried about.

> So, developers, make up your mind. Do you want this software (as in
> 'code in savanah cvs') to be gnu software or not?
>  
Yes it is GNU software.

Dan