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Danfun64
10-21-2013, 07:11 PM
When and if this project becomes open source, what license will it use? While the graphics are obviously copyrighted, the code could still be freely licensed (I hope). If released, I would appreciate it if the code would have no restrictions on commercial use or modification.

Chris Miller
10-21-2013, 07:21 PM
I would think the GPL, but a developer could answer it better.

Zim
10-22-2013, 02:28 PM
You mean the ZC based automated driving system is going to need a license?
Just kidding.

Saffith
10-22-2013, 03:30 PM
GPL was the plan, but I don't think that's set in stone. Since there's no way to publish the encryption code without rendering existing quests' passwords useless, there'd probably be an exception made so we could keep that part private.

Danfun64
10-22-2013, 05:36 PM
How would you do it in such a way that the code could be compiled on anything supported by alegro 4? IMO, if kept non-free, the encryption library should be endian-independent and processor-independent. Also, can you present the code in a way so that if someone wants to remove the non-free encryption library, it can be done easily?

I'd also like to note, if you don't open source the encryption library or remove it completely...




.....your program won't be fully usable in a free environment. If your program depends on a non-free library to do a certain job, it cannot do that job in the Free World. If it depends on a non-free library to run at all, it cannot be part of a free operating system such as GNU; it is entirely off limits to the Free World.

So please consider: can you find a way to get the job done without using this library? Can you write a free replacement for that library?

If the program is already written using the non-free library, perhaps it is too late to change the decision. You may as well release the program as it stands, rather than not release it. But please mention in the README that the need for the non-free library is a drawback, and suggest the task of changing the program so that it does the same job without the non-free library. Please suggest that anyone who thinks of doing substantial further work on the program first free it from dependence on the non-free library.

Note that there may also be legal issues with combining certain non-free libraries with GPL-covered free software. Please see the question on GPL software with GPL-incompatible libraries (https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#GPLIncompatibleLibs) for more information.

SUCCESSOR
10-22-2013, 07:00 PM
It isn't a library but simply code that will be left out from the released source. So the open source builds wont support passworded quests. It is a decision I disagree with but we've had this debate several times and another one wont do any good.

Chris Miller
10-22-2013, 09:28 PM
The whole encryption thing hadn't occurred to me.
Would the LGPL license be any better?

Nicholas Steel
10-23-2013, 06:17 AM
They could just branch the project, one branch lacks the encryption and is open source, while the original product remains entirely closed?