I'm Pat Shields, one of the software engineers working on ParallelR. I just wanted to make two points: no R code or previously gpl'd code can be found in any of the non-gpl packages in ParallelR. I'm sure that the phrase "derived works" is a legally subtle one, but all these packages include are R and occasionally python scripts (as well as the standard text documentation). If these are derived works, doesn't that mean that any R code is also, by extension, required to be GPL'd? If not, is it including these scripts in a package that forces the use of the GPL?
Also, I'm confused about your dimissal of the MCE example. If that code was a derivative work of R, how could it swap a GPL license for the BSD? I didn't think such a switch was possible. If it was, I'd imagine a lot more use of it, as a quick front project could make GPL software into BSD software after which all changes could go on behind closed doors. On Tue, Apr 21, 2009 at 7:38 PM, Matthew Dowle <mdo...@mdowle.plus.com>wrote: > Dear R-devel, > > REvolution appear to be offering ParallelR only when bundled with their R > Enterprise edition. As such it appears to be non-free and closed source. > http://www.revolution-computing.com/products/parallel-r.php > > Since R is GPL and not LGPL, is this a breach of the GPL ? > > Below is the "GPL and ParallelR" thread from their R forum. > > mdowle > It appears that ParallelR (packages foreach and iterators) is > only available bundled with the Enterprise edition. Since R is GPL, and > ParallelR is derived from R, should ParallelR not also be GPL? Regards, > Matthew > > revolution > Hello Matthew, ParallelR consists of both proprietary and GPL > packages. The randomForest and snow libraries GPL licensed, whereas the > other libraries we include have a commercial license(including 'foreach' and > 'iterators'). Stephen Weller > > revolution > I wanted to expand on Stephen's reply. ParallelR is a suite of > R packages, and it is well established that packages can be under a > difference license than R itself (i.e. not the GPL). For example, package > MCE is licensed under BSD, RColorBrewer is licensed under Apache, most of > Bioconductor is under the Artistic license and some are under completely > unique licenses (e.g. mclust). REvolution Computing developed all of the > code in ParallelR (except for the bundled GPL packages Stephen mentions), > and we decided to release it under our own license in REvolution R > Enterprise. > That said, we do already release components of parallelR, such as the > underlying engine, Networkspaces (also written by REvolution Computing) > under an open source licence. Also, we are likely to release some other > components including foreach and iterators, to CRAN soon. > David Smith > Director of Community, REvolution Computing > > mdowle > The examples you give (MCE, RColorBrewer, Bioconductor) are all > available for free including the source code. Their licenses have been > approved by the FSF. Free software and open source are the terms of work > derived from GPL licensed software. REvolution's packages 'foreach' and > 'iterators' are neither free or open source. Can you provide a precedent > for proprietary closed-source packages for R ? Is your policy approved by > the FSF ? > I don't object to REvolution. I am a fan of you making money from training > courses, consultancy, support and binaries. These are all permitted by the > GPL. However the GPL does not allow you to distribute work derived from R > which is either closed source or non-free. > R is GPL, not LGPL. > The above is my personal understanding. I am now posting to r-devel to > check, feel free to join the public debate there. > > Regards, Matthew > > [[alternative HTML version deleted]] > > ______________________________________________ > R-devel@r-project.org mailing list > https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel > -- Pat Shields Software Engineer REvolution Computing One Century Tower | 265 Church Street, Suite 1006 New Haven, CT 06510 P: 203-777-7442 x250 | www.revolution-computing.com Check out our upcoming events schedule at www.revolution-computing.com/events [[alternative HTML version deleted]] ______________________________________________ R-devel@r-project.org mailing list https://stat.ethz.ch/mailman/listinfo/r-devel
