Re: Dependence on nonfree software

[Christopher Dimech]

> Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2020 at 5:53 PM
> From: "Alfred M. Szmidt" <ams@gnu.org>
> To: "Christopher Dimech" <dimech@gmx.com>
> Cc: svetlana@members.fsf.org, savannah-hackers@gnu.org
> Subject: Re: Dependence on nonfree software
>
>    > How is that different from a latest version that is not documented,
>    > and free software?  After all, you don't need to provide the source
>    > code for the free software server program.
>
>    Use the Gnu Affero GPL and the free software server program must be
>    provided for users of the server software.
>
> Are you suggesting that the requirement for hosting software on
> savannah should require that the server program must be under a Affero
> like license?  That would be very much excessive, and unfriendly
> towards free software projects that do not use such a license.

If people do not use the Gnu Affero GPL on programs that will run on
servers, then others would not be required to provide their users
with the source code, effectively making the software nonfree when
the code is changed or used.  It is not excessive, it is there to
solve a real problem.  The Gnu Affero GPL will become extremely important
in the next few years.