Greetings OpenAFS Community
I would like to introduce an OpenAFS community proposal to change the
licensing terms for future releases of the kernel components of OpenAFS.
Today OpenAFS is exclusively available under the IBM Public License
(IPL-1.0). Due to OpenAFS having some Linux kernel modules, the IPL is not
optimal for development and consumption of the kernel code on Linux. We're
proposing that, going forward, OpenAFS kernel components should be
available under a dual licensing model - the GNU GPL Version 2 and the
existing IPL-1.0. Based on a recent request from the community, IBM is
already in support of and working toward the dual licensing change for the
OpenAFS kernel components.
This change has many benefits for the OpenAFS community as well as users of
OpenAFS in Linux environments. Having the OpenAFS kernel code available
under the GNU GPLv2 will provide the appropriate licensing model for the
OpenAFS Linux kernel code that meets current Linux kernel licensing
standards. The time has come to institute this change and your agreement
and support is needed.
Among the many benefits of OpenAFS kernel components under the GPLv2
include:
Avoidance of tainting Linux kernels when OpenAFS kernel components are
installed
Ability to leverage modern Linux kernel features
Opportunity to distribute OpenAFS kernel modules in Linux distributions
Hosting of OpenAFS kernel support on POWER architecture
In order to realize the advantages of the dual-licensing model for the
OpenAFS kernel components, the following items need to be addressed:
Identify what OpenAFS source code needs to be licensed under the dual
licensing model - the GNU GPL Version 2 and the existing IPL-1.0.
Obtain agreement from all OpenAFS code Copyright holders to dual-license
their code contributions under the GPLv2 and IPL-1.0. This will be
accomplished with a new OpenAFS Contributors License Agreement (CLA) and
Corporate Contributors License Agreement (CCLA) to be drafted and used
for this effort.
Clean-room code module replacements in situations where Copyright
holders cannot be found or will not agree to the licensing change
Annotate each OpenAFS source file with the appropriate GPLv2 and IPL-1.0
notices.
Add MODULE_LICENSE("GPL and additional rights"); to the OpenAFS kernel
source files and other technical code updates.
We will have a discussion on the Dual Licensing effort during the AFS
Technologies Workshop -- June 14th through June 16th via a Virtual
Workshop during the "IBM Status Update" session on Tuesday, June 15th in
the 10:15 to 10:45 slot. We may also have a BOF session on this subject
later on Tuesday or Wednesday during the Workshop.
Here's a link to the AFS Technologies Workshop page:
https://workshop.openafs.org/afsbpw21/
The OpenSSL Community went through a similar license activity a few years
back and here is a pointer to that site.
https://www.openssl.org/blog/blog/categories/license/
A link to the CLA details that the OpenSSL effort used is
https://www.openssl.org/policies/cla.html
The OpenAFS Community might do something like this as well to help group
contributors with contributions and what area of the code it hits, etc.
Please use the [email protected] mailing list as the list to be
used for discussions regarding re-licensing.
Thanks for your help and support on this important initiative.
Todd DeSantis
IBM AFS Support
OpenAFS Foundation Board Member
