Op 20-03-15 om 11:41 schreef Carsten Agger: > > > On 03/20/2015 11:26 AM, Paul van der Vlis wrote: >> Hello, >> >> Somebody asks me to support a nice program with a AGPL license. >> >> It is free as in speech, but not as in beer. If you want to use it for >> more then 5 users, you have to pay a fee, > That's fine! Anyone will be able to make a version with unlimited users > with no fee requirement and distribute it, though!
Only the people with enough skills, and who want to do that. Realize it's software for enterprise users, not for home users. >> The source is available but the Makefile is missing. The developer says >> it's to make it a bit more difficult to build it yourself. Eventually >> for removing the registration. >> >> It's a complex Java program what depends on many third party components >> (all free), so maybe it's not so easy to make such a Makefile, no idea. >> >> What's your opinion? > > It's up to developer whether to supply a Makefile with the source code > or not. > > However, I'd consider it bad form, and if that program ever becomes > popular, someone could and should create a fork with the Makefile > included. In a way, I'd say it undermines the intention of freeing the > program, as it provides obstacles to people building their own version > without "reverse engineering" the build process. In all cases, > discouraging people from building their own version contradicts the > spirit of free software. It may also violate some free software licenses > (though I can't think of any examples right now). > > There's absolutely nothing wrong with creating free software with > built-in registration requirements, but that does not mean that one > should put obstacles in the way of users wanting to exercise freedom no. My problem is, that I cannot check if the sourcecode can create the binary. > 1. If you, as a supporter, can get the Makefile from the main developer, > everyone else should be able to get it too. He would give me the Makefile, and some other interested developers. But I would not publish it when he does not want that. You will understand. With regards, Paul van der Vlis. -- Paul van der Vlis Linux systeembeheer, Groningen http://www.vandervlis.nl/ _______________________________________________ Discussion mailing list [email protected] https://mail.fsfeurope.org/mailman/listinfo/discussion
