From: stephen.hill@... (Steve Hill)
Date: 2001-08-15T20:51:15+09:00
Subject: [ruby-talk:19768] Re: General (GUI/license) questions

Sean Middleditch <elanthis@users.sourceforge.net> wrote in message news:<20010814113217.A16332@awesomeplay.dyndns.org>...
> On Wed, Aug 15, 2001 at 04:09:29AM +0900, Armin Roehrl wrote:
> > 
> > > extensible.  Never releasing software before, I have no idea what licence
> > > to put it under.  GPL?  LGPL?  BSD-style?  I have no experience in these
> > > areas; I've never tried reading them through.  What would be most
> > > beneficial to the Ruby community?
> > 
> > That is a near-religious discussions. I try to put it very simply, please 
> > correct me & don't kill me for simplifying a far more complex thing:
> > 
> > GPL: Everybody can use your software, but they can't sell it if it's part
> > of a bigger project; i.e. the Linux-Kernel is GPL
> 
> Close.  The thing is, anyone can use your code, sell it, whatever, but it
> has to stay open source.  The idea here to ensure that people can't take
> advantage of your code.  However, no company is likely to ever seriously
> consider using your code - you can sell GPL software, but who would bother
> buying it, when the code must be available for free?
> 
Closer :-) The GPL says that you have to distribute (or make
available) the source with the code. So anyone you sell your code to
must get the source, and have the right to modify it and / or sell it
on with the same licence -i.e. with the complete source. I don't think
that the "who would bother buying it" question is quite fair. It
depends on what you are doing in which market with who as your
customer.
> > 
> > LGPL: mainly used for libraries.. i.e. people can use your software in a 
> > bigger project and still sell it.  i.e. most GNU libraries are LGPL
> 
> Pretty close, ya.  Your code stays open, but it's a little more feasible
> to companies developing commercial apps, since their code does not have
> to be open.
> 
> > 
> > BSD: Everybody can do with your software what they want.. as long as due
> > credit is given.  think FreeBSD
> 
> Right on.  ^,^
> 
> > 
> > You could simply say.. you put it out under the Ruby-license.
> > Please look at: http://www.ruby-lang.org/en/LICENSE.txt
> > 
> 
> If it helps any, here are some simple rules for licenses, as far as the above
> three are concerned:
> 
> If you don't want someone to take advantage of your code and make a real
> profit it off of it without your permission, pick GPL.
> 
> If you really want your code to be open, but you also want it to be acceptable
> in a commercial environment, go with LGPL.
> 
> If you really don't care what happens with your code, just so long as it's out
> there and usable by other people, go with BSD.
> 
> And yes, this can be a religous experience, picking a license.  I actually
> use all three, depending on what my project is.
> 
> > 
> > I hope this helps,
> > 
> > Armin.
> > 
> > -----------------------------------------------
> > Armin Roehrl, http://www.approximity.com
> > 
> > "The best way to predict the future is to invent it."
> >                                           --Alan Kay