Please don't confuse GPL and open source. GPL, especially GPLv3, is designed to prevent companies from making any money from the software itself. GPLv3 is intended to destroy the software industry as we know it.
There are many other open source licenses (see http://www.opensource.org/licenses/category) that could be applied instead of GPL. See http://www.opensource.org/licenses/category. The BSD license, which is used for the opensim server code, imposes no arduous restrictions on the developer or user. The Apache 2.0 license is similarly unrestrictive. The problem with the GPL license is that anyone who examines the viewer code in order to improve the server potentially opens the server code to a lawsuit from the FSF. We need to develop a viewer using a license that allows developers to work on the client and server code without preventing people and companies from selling added-value plugins or modifications. On Feb 9, 3:42 am, Mark Malewski <[email protected]> wrote: > Jani, > > Personally, I think the viewer and server should remain open source/GPL, but > at the same time I do think that SpeedTree is a pretty incredible product. > > SpeedTree is probably some of the best "real-time" foliage I've seen. The > tree/forest rendering and level of detail of the distant trees, as well as > the bending branches and leaves rustle is nice, but I would keep the > RexViewer GPL/Open Source and then just create a separate RealXtend > "foliage" plugin module (as a separate title) that could be downloaded and > would interface with the OpenSource/GPL RexViewer (that would add support > for OgreSpeedTree/SpeedTreeRT to the RealXtend NG Viewer). > > Do the developers know if it would it be possible to create a separate > RealXtend ReX "folliage plugin module" using SpeedTreeRT, and OgreSpeedTree, > and OgreSpeedGrass? > > This way we could keep the ReX viewer completely open source/GPL, and users > could just download the RealXtend "foliage plugin module" to add the > OgreSpeedTree/SpeedTreeRT capabilities? > > This way we could keep the ReX viewer open source, but still have a > downloadable RealXtend "folliage plugin module", this way the module > would be considered a separate "licensed title" that would be installed > separately and work inside the OpenSource ReX NG Viewer. > This way we are not tying our hands or limiting ourselves with licensing > headaches, while users could easily download and add the RealXtend "foliage > module" (based on SpeedTree RT and OgreSpeedTree) and we could keep it as a > separate downloadable plugin module/program that would work with the Rex NG > Viewer. > > Mark > > > > On Mon, Feb 9, 2009 at 1:38 AM, Jani Pirkola <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hi, > > if the new ng viewer is not gpl, then it can be linked to commercial > > libraries like this one: > > >http://www.torusknot.com/ogrespeedtree.html?utm_source=ogre3d&utm_med... > > > Br, > > Jani > >http://www.cybertechnews.org- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ this list: http://groups.google.com/group/realxtend realXtend home page: http://www.realxtend.org/ -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
