[Gambas-user] Removal of gb.db.firebird

[Kevin Fishburne]

On 03/18/2011 10:59 PM, Benoît Minisini wrote:
> Here is the mail about the license problems in Gambas:
>
> ---8<-------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Hello,
> Thank you for your email.  I'm sorry it has taken me a little while to
> get back to you, but this is a complex program you have here.  I went
> over all of it and checked every single license in it and most all of it
> is very well done.  There are only a few things that need to be changed
> in order for me to add it to the Directory.
>
> This file:
> gb.db.firebird/src/ibpp/core/iberror.h  requires the Interbase Public
> License 1.0 which is not included in the program and, furthermore, is
> not compatible with the GPL.  In order to accept your program into the
> Directory you will need to replace this code with something that is
> compatible with the GPL and include that license.
>
> This file:
> gb.net.smtp/src/libsmtp_connection.c  requires the LGPLv2.1.  If you
> include the full text of the LGPL in your program then you will have
> satisfied the requirements of this particular file.  The whole text of
> the LGPL can be found here.
> http://www.gnu.org/licenses/old-licenses/lgpl-2.1.html
>
> Once the two things listed above are done please email me and let me
> know where I can find a tarball with the new files.  I will be happy to
> look over your work and let you know if I can upload your project to the
> Directory.
>
> Thanks for supporting free software,
> Kelly
> Directory Maintainer
>
> ---8<-------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> The gb.net.smtp problem has been fixed.
>
> But to communicate with a firebird database server, you have to use source
> files that are all under the InterBase license (not just iberror.h). And that
> license is not compatible with GPL.

Thanks. I couldn't find much information on the differences between the 
GPL and the Interbase license on Google, other than Wikipedia's 
FSF-approved licenses article flatly stating it was incompatible, and this:

http://www.gnu.org/licenses/license-list.html

"This is a free software license that is essentially the same as the 
Mozilla Public License, Version 1.1. Like the MPL, the IPL has some 
complex restrictions that make it incompatible with the GNU GPL. That 
is, a module covered by the GPL and a module covered by the IPL cannot 
legally be linked together. We urge you not to use the IPL for this 
reason." http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Licensing also states it is GPL 2 
incompatible.

I suppose either the FSF, Firebird or an attorney would need to provide 
further enlightenment. Regardless, if they want to play hardball with 
some unusual license, let them reap the rewards. I fully support 
removing it from GAMBAS. Open source license "flavors" invite a storm of 
loopholes and move open source farther away from its original intent. 
There's a real danger in people bastardizing open source licenses while 
still benefiting from the term "open". (Google comes to mind...) Glad to 
see GAMBAS has the strength of its convictions. :)

-- 
Kevin Fishburne
Eight Virtues
www: http://sales.eightvirtues.com
e-mail: sales at ...1887...
phone: (770) 853-6271