> > about the *technical* reasons and differences. > Apache or GPLv2 is fine. Anything that is GPL-compatable will be acceptable.
Gnash is GPLv3, and it's on the OLPC. The latest versions of many other GNU programs are GPLv3 too, and will also make it into later OLPC releases as it gets rebased on later Fedora releases. Most "GPLv2" licensed software actually says "GPLv2 or any later version". This allows such software to be linked with, and/or converted to, later versions of the license. The Linux kernel is one of the few GPL programs that has stuck with GPLv2-only -- and it will probably not stay that way for the next hundred years. I negotiated with a lot of companies as co-founder of Cygnus, which develops and supports free software for companies that use it. (It's now part of Red Hat.) Licensing your code under Apache, GPLv2, GPLv2+, or GPLv3+ protects the "Four Freedoms" of its users and developers; see http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html . The practical difference is that later, people who modify GPL software can't take it proprietary. Often companies will improve free software, for their own use and the use of their customers. The GPL is the argument that makes their lawyers and managers let go of the improvements, rather than reflexively making them proprietary because that's what they learned in law school. See http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/pragmatic.html . Cygnus argued to every customer that freeing their changes is a good business practice, reduces later maintenance costs, reduces market fragmentation, etc. But "The license on the underlying software *requires* it" is the argument that carried the day every time. Any version of the GPL will do; I use the latest (and allow my software to be relicensed to later versions) because it's the best. GPLv3 isn't US-centric; it allows linking with software licensed under similar non-GNU licenses; and it disallows DRM that would prevent users from removing restrictions that somebody has inserted in it. (While DRM on music has started falling out of the market this year, it's still alive and kicking on proprietary software, video, digital television, and anywhere else that a monopoly wants control over its competitors and its customers.) You can never tell where your software will end up. I wrote the code that became GNU Tar, which now exists in every system that uses rpms or debs, including the OLPC. I am happy that it's been GPL since 1988, and is now GPLv3+. John _______________________________________________ Devel mailing list Devel@lists.laptop.org http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/devel