Hi Terry. This sounds like really interesting work and look forward to seeing
it.
However, we can only accept code into OpenSimulator core under the three clause BSD license. The extra clause you are
talking about sounds much more like an AGPL license [1]. That particular license requires any changes to be distributed
if a service is provided over the network (as opposed to the GPL, where sources are only required if a binary is
distributed).
I will try not to get into the ideological aspects of this. There are pros and cons - for instance, an AGPL like
license may make more code available than would otherwise be the case, but it also scares off contributors who fear its
affect on any code they don't want to release (this has been the case for corps such as IBM).
In practice, the BSD approach appears to have served us well. It does lead to a split with any *GPL licensed code as it
can't be contributed to core (apart from LGPL binaries or those with FLOSS exceptions). I would say this is one of the
reasons why the previous GPL licensed Mumble module is not more widely used, though even this may change with the
improvements/implementation of the OpenSimulator/Mono.Addins package management system that Diva talks about elsewhere.
The contribution agreement that James references below is one we require when significant new features are contributed
(other core developers have these on file). It doesn't require any copyright assignment (the owner continues to own the
code) but it has certain extra clauses assuring that the code is not derived from inappropriate sources (e.g. GPL'd
code) and that any required patent licenses are granted (similar to the Apache open-source license). The IP rights
grant is where any patent licenses are provided back to anybody downloading the code.
If you do choose to go with a license other than BSD, I would urge you to use a recognized OSI license [2]. And in
principle, one can have a BSD licensed region module and all other Mumble parts under another license, though this may
affect whether it could be accepted into core. Of course, the Vivox module is in core and that is for a completely
proprietary service...
The improvements/impl of OpenSimulator package management/Mono.Addins may make it more viable to keep a module outside
of core yet make it reasonably easy for people to automatically download and install. Again, this has pros (you retain
complete control, use what license you like) and cons (no automatic fixes if core changes, lower visibility).
Best,
Justin
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affero_General_Public_License
[2] http://opensimulator.org/wiki/Organization#Membership
On 05/01/15 16:10, James Hughes wrote:
This is good news and I would love to see the code in core OpenSim. Here
are the rules that govern submission of code to the project:
http://www.overte.org/faq.html
http://www.overte.org/contribution-agreement.html
http://www.overte.org/ip-rights-grant.html
These rules have served us well in the past as evidenced by the
longevity and user base of OpenSimulator and also by the wealth of code
that has been entrusted to the project by countless others. The license
which OpenSimulator is distributed under allows much freedom and does
not encumber anyone with requirements that would possibly be detrimental
to their projects. While it does open the possibility that one might
make private modifications to the code, it also ensures that one can
safely use the code to base important projects on within a framework of
terms that allow for minimal legal entanglements. Allowing one exception
to these rules pollutes the philosophy, encumbering all users who
currently base projects on OpenSimulator and opens the door for more
exceptions, which would destroy any confidence in the project as a base
for serious work.
OpenSimulator has been made significantly better by contributions from
countless others in the way of both new functionality and bug fixes. I
am confident your new work would benefit from the same attention that
other works in the codebase have seen in improvements and functionality
over time.
What all that said, hopefully you will consider the value of all the
code within the OpenSimulator project and why it is useful to so many
and see that the best way to contribute is within the framework that we
all have so far.
-BlueWall
On Sun, 2015-01-04 at 20:39 -0500, Terry Ford wrote:
Hi All,
Digital Worlds Group, LLC has recently contracted with a viewer
developer to help us to create a new Murmur/Mumble Voice solution for
OpenSim.
We have most of this solution ready for use, but it does need some
further work.
The solution requires viewer code, opensim code, and the murmur server
to be installed and used.
We currently have a version of Firestorm with the required code.
This viewer code will be on a publicly accessible git repository for
all to access and should be easy for all other viewers to grab and
include in those releases as well.
This solution uses the latest available release of the Murmur Server.
We plan to release the OpenSim code as Open Source as well, and
intended on using a BSD 3 clause license, but we want to ensure that
any and all future changes to this code are contributed back to the
community.
We hope our code will be included into OpenSim core so that everyone
can benefit, but we want to know if anyone would take issue with an
included clause that specify all changes to the code be contributed
back to the core?
Commercial or private use of the code will be permitted for any use,
without exclusions, but we want to make sure that everyone can benefit
from any changes others make as well, making this a true community
owned project.
Anyone have any reservations about such a declaration in our license?
Thanks.
--
______________________________________________________________________
Terry Ford
Digital Worlds Group
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--
Justin Clark-Casey (justincc)
OSVW Consulting
http://justincc.org
http://twitter.com/justincc
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