Hello everyone,
I would like to start a discussion about how OpenBSD's copyright policy
applies to GPL-licensed software already present in the base system. In
this email, I will focus on FVWM.
Context summary:
The project's policy is to avoid adding new software licensed under the
GPL to the base system. Components that were already present have been
kept for historical reasons, and they will be replaced with more
permissively licensed alternatives when possible. The default window
manager for Xenocara, FVWM, remains in an old version due to licensing
changes that began with the 2.4.x series. Modern versions are available
in ports. A similar precedent was set with the old toolchain, GCC, which
remained in the base system until the switch to Clang/LLVM, at least on
the main platforms.
Practical issues:
1. Sticking with very old versions means missing out on improvements and
fixes from upstream sources, as well as providing an outdated experience
to new users.
2. Maintenance costs increase with age, requiring ad hoc patching to
build and run with changes in X, new architectures, etc.
3. Shipping an outdated graphical environment when there are current
alternatives in packages causes most users to immediately replace the
window manager after installing OpenBSD.
Concrete proposals to discuss:
A. Remove FVWM from the base system and retain only the window managers
fully aligned with policy, such as cwm and twm, in Xenocara. Anyone who
needs a modern version of FVWM can install it from the ports collection
(fvwm2 or fvwm3).
B. Replace FVWM in the base system with a window manager that is
licensed under a permissive license and is maintained (e.g. JWM). This
would offer a more user-friendly alternative to cwm without introducing
new code licensed under the GPL.
Questions for the list:
1. Do we agree that the base system should avoid "frozen" software?
2. If we remove FVWM from the base system, would you prefer option A,
which leaves only cwm and twm, or option B, which includes a more
user-friendly, permissively licensed window manager?
Best regards,
David.
Notes:
[1]: https://www.openbsd.org/policy.html
