Yes, GPL and AGPL are quasi-free software. They impose constraints that source code must be included. This makes certain uses of the software impractical, including most commercialization efforts. Sometimes, if you want your work to have impact, you have to commercialize it. Would you argue that MacOS hasn't had impact? Would it have had the same impact if Apple had to release the source code? Would Berkeley Unix have had the same impact if Apple had not used it? BSD allows commercialization, GPL (in effect) does not. Having more constraints makes it less free than having fewer constraints, no?
Therefore, BSD is more free than GPL. For this reason, we keep Ptolemy II free of GPL and AGPL code. So it will have more impact... Edward On 3/1/10 3:21 PM, Peter Reutemann wrote: >> I've been using the itextPDF mechanism Christopher describes below, >> and it's far more convenient than the other alternatives if you >> are going to use the PDF in Latex. The reason it is more convenient >> is that it exports the PDF on a correctly sized page. With the printing >> mechanisms you get it on an 8.5x11 (or A4) page, or you have to manually >> set the page size, which is a royal pain... >> >> Too bad that code is AGPL'd. If it weren't, we could just include >> it with Ptolemy II. But AGPL is not truly "free software." >> It is encumbered quasi-free software... > > Huh? iText is released under the GNU AFFERO GENERAL PUBLIC LICENSE v3: > http://itextpdf.com/terms-of-use/index.php?page=AGPL > > Do you really consider projects released under the GPL or AGPL > quasi-free software? > http://www.fsf.org/licensing/licenses/licenses.html > > These two licenses at least force you to provide the source-code as > well, when you're making the project publicly available. In contrast > to BSD licenses which quite often result in closed-source software > (e.g., Mac OSX uses FreeBSD and NetBSD code). > > Don't wanna start a flame war, just my 2c on this topic... > > Cheers, Peter -------------- next part -------------- A non-text attachment was scrubbed... Name: eal.vcf Type: text/x-vcard Size: 351 bytes Desc: not available URL: <http://mercury.nceas.ucsb.edu/kepler/pipermail/kepler-users/attachments/20100301/527e1213/attachment.vcf>
