[Mageia-webteam] Need help for mageia-app-db's licence

Sat Jan 1 16:40:16 CET 2011

Samuel Verschelde a écrit :
+>
+> Hi,
+>
+> In the process of releasing mageia-app-db 0.1, we have to fix licensing issues.
+> Could someone help us on that ?
+>
+> I never released free software before, so I'd like to know what to do once the
+> licence has been chosen :
+> - create a simple LICENSE file at the root of the project ?
+> - add a notice in every source file ? (there are lots of them, many
+> automatically generated by the framework mechanisms)
+> - other ?
+>
+> Among the possible licences, there's Gnu Affero GPLv3, which forces anyone
+> running the software (or one of its derivatives) on a server to make the
+> source code available to users. However, I don't know if this license is
+> compatible with our XML-RPC querying sophie.zarb.org when needed (does the Gnu
+> Affero GPLv3 imply that we must also give sophie's source code to users (sophie
+> being a separate project from Olivier Thauvin), and does it imply that sophie
+> should be under the Gnu Affero GPLv3 licence ? I think not but I'd like to be
+> sure.
+>
+> Regards
+>
+> Samuel Verschelde
+
+Hi Samuel
+
+I'm no expert, but reading the Affero GPLv3 licence, it looks like it is 
+what you're looking for.
+
+In section (1) Source Code, it requires releasing "Corresponding 
+Source", defined as :
+----
+The "Corresponding Source" for a work in object code form means all the 
+source code needed to generate, install, and (for an executable work) 
+run the object code and to modify the work, including scripts to control 
+those activities. However, it does not include the work's System 
+Libraries, or general-purpose tools or generally available free programs 
+which are used unmodified in performing those activities but which are 
+not part of the work. For example, Corresponding Source includes 
+interface definition files associated with source files for the work, 
+and the source code for shared libraries and dynamically linked 
+subprograms that the work is specifically designed to require, such as 
+by intimate data communication or control flow between those subprograms 
+and other parts of the work.
+----
+So it wouldn't require you to release sophie source code, since you are 
+only using it unmodified.  It is not part of mageia-app-db.
+
+Under the heading "How to Apply These Terms to Your New Programs",
+  it suggests attaching a brief copyright notice at the beginning of 
+each source file, with a pointer to where the full notice is found.
+Also adding info on how to contact you by "electronic and paper mail"
+
+See http://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl.html
+
+Regards
+André
+