> At 05:24 AM 5/17/2000 -0400, Rick Scott wrote:
> >On 16-May-00 at 22:43, Mark Hatch ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) wrote:
> > > At 10:06 PM 5/16/2000 -0400, Rick Scott wrote:
> > > >People seem to be trivializing the license problem. One of the biggest
> > > >problems
> > > >that I see with it goes as follows....
> > > >
> > > >- I contribute something to OpenMotif to make it a better product.
> > > >
> > > >- I cannot use those contributions on any of my comercial HP's, Sun's,
> > > >whatever. I wrote it, but I can't use it????
> > >
> > > I am not a lawyer... But I seem to remember that the original owner of
> > > a code, can make it available under different licenses and copyrights.
> > > For example, The Open Group is making Motif available under 2 copyrights
> > > and 2 license agreements with different rights, obligations and fees.
> > >
> > > I suspect that you could make additions that you write available under
> > > both LGPL and the IBM Public license as modified by The Open Group.
> > >
> > > This is certainly a hassle, but it at least preserves your access to
> > > your own code.
> >
> >However, if this code is part of OpenMotif, let's say added functionality
> >to Primitive.c, how do I manage to utilize this on a comercial OS, with a
> >bundled non-OpenMotif???
>
> Fair concern. You can't transfer those addons to HP.
>
> There is also the open source path to HP in that they might adopt your
> changes in a future release if they were blessed by whoever becomes the
> standard keeper for Motif.
>
> I think the more interesting subject here is who manages the standard? If
> the open source community, e.g. for example the lesstif team, were given
> responsibility for managing what Motif is, then the changes would get
> propagated to the proprietary platforms (delta the usual delays in OS
> releases). This is similar to the role Linus plays for the kernel.
Agreed, but it is the delays that concern me. If OpenMotif was not so
restricted I could simply build it on the comercial platforms that I need to
and carry on. Currently that is not an option.
This is not exactly like the role Linus plays. He does bless what goes into an
official kernel release, but he in no way has control of what parts I use,
replace, modify, or whatever. In the OpenMotif case, I am not allowed to use it
in some cases. I don't think I expressed that very well, but there is a big
difference.
>
> There is an interesting tradeoff here... No one would argue that the
> lesstif team is a "formal standards organization" or a hired gun for a
> standards body (e.g., Metrolink for X, and ICS for Motif support), and so
> might be quickly discounted. After all who would TOG or X.org contract
> with?
>
> However, I can think of very few groups of individuals that have the
> equivalent engineering knowledge of Motif... Reverse engineering requires
> you to know more of the nooks and crannies of a software product than the
> original developer... If the lesstif team had an incentive to take an
> active role in the development of Open Motif, think of the possibilities...
I have been thinking of the possibilities. I would love to "time warp" up to
the 2.1 functionality and continue from there. But I keep coming back to the
fact that as it stands now these possibilities will only be available to me on
Open Source (using the real definition) systems. This is completely opposite to
the way things were before LessTif. All the possibilities were available on
comercial systems. LessTif leveled the field, the same possibilities existed on
both systems. We even expanded the comercial penetration a bit. Okay, I had to
fix a couple of things along the way, but based on looking at the OPENBUGS file
LessTif is not the only thing that requires a couple of fixes. Now the table
has been tipped in favour of Open Source systems.
>
> X.org is meeting this week (today?). And although they probably will not
> make a decision, the topic of Motif maintainer will likely be discussed.
This could be interesting.....
>
> Mark
> Integrated Computer Solutions, Inc.
> Visual Development Tools for Professionals
>
> 617-621-0060 x108 (voice)
> 617-621-9555 (fax)
>
> 201 Broadway
> Cambridge, MA 02139
>
>
>
