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To Apple, "open source" is a one-way street. They can take other people's work, but beyond that is where they draw the line.

Of course some moronic organization can claim to be able to "certify" any bone-headed corporate license as "open source." This is why I prefer the term "free." Not because I'm a huge Stallman fanatic, but because the OSI people are just a bunch of stupid sell-outs.

Neither the Free Software nor the Open Source movements try to fix the "problem" of selling software. You might want to read up on them.

Anyway, in between GPL and BSD license, there's always the LGPL.

Well, the LGPL makes little sense in the case of an application, so it is not really "in between" the two. A closer approximation of "in between" GPL and BSD is probably the Artistic license.* On the other hand, some people will probably state the the Mozilla Public License is more in the middle.**

On the other hand, nevermind. A flame war pitting GPL vs. BSD is bad enough, but a flame war picking a more centrist open source license is probably worse.

* The Artistic license allows modified versions to be provided with documentation along with the standard version.

** The MPL only requires source code to be provided for one year.

Anyway, in between GPL and BSD license, there's always the LGPL.

Well, the LGPL makes little sense in the case of an application, so it is not really "in between" the two. A closer approximation of "in between" GPL and BSD is probably the Artistic license.* On the other hand, some people will probably state the the Mozilla Public License is more in the middle.**

On the other hand, nevermind. A flame war pitting GPL vs. BSD is bad enough, but a flame war picking a more centrist open source license is probably worse.

* The Artistic license allows modified versions to be provided with documentation along with the standard version.

** The MPL only requires source code to be provided for one year.

There is no double standard.

The standard is honesty -- Debian has it, and Microsoft doesn't.

Debian is just a bunch of guys, mostly volunteers, trying to make the best Linux distribution they can.

Microsoft, on the other hand, is the company that:

1. Sabotaged Java:

> Strategic Objective [is to] kill cross-platform Java by grow[ing] the polluted Java market.

2. Defrauded Their Own Customers:

> At this point its [sic] not good to create MORE noise around our win32 java classes. Instead we should just quietly grow j++ share and assume that people will take advantage of our classes without ever realizing they are building win32-only java apps."

3. Blackmailed Apple:

> Gates informed those Microsoft executives most closely involved in the negotiations with Apple that the discussions "have not been going well at all." One of the several reasons for this, Gates wrote, was that "Apple let us down on the browser by making Netscape the standard install." Gates then reported that he had already called Apple's CEO (who at the time was Gil Amelio) to ask "how we should announce the cancellation of Mac Office...."

4. Is Trying To Sabotage Linux:

> OSS projects have been able to gain a foothold in many server applications because of the wide utility of highly commoditized, simple protocols. By extending these protocols and developing new protocols, we can deny OSS projects entry into the market.

5. Stole from Stacker. Stole from Go. Sabotaged WordPerfect. Sabotaged DR-DOS. Commited perjury in a federal court. Sabotaged GeoWorks. Sabotaged AmiPro. Paid companies to break their contracts with Netscape. Fudded DR-DOS. Fudded OS/2. Is currently fudding Linux. And so on.

In short: Microsoft is a criminal organization. If we treated Microsoft the same as Debian, then _that_ would be a double standard.

Way to be about seven years behind the times. The OSD is courtesy of the Open Source Initiative and serves as one of the best expositors of what "open" actually is. Before it was the OSD, it was the Debian Free Software Guidelines, governing what could and could not be included in the Debian main distribution.

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OMITTED from the Company's Pleadings,
UN-INVESTIGATED by the Detective,
it caused IMMEDIATE ACTION by the CEO,
READ the LETTER that started it all!

Why 23 million telecommuters need to be worried about this case
Or: How your life can land into the "wrong hands".

Twenty-three million telecommuters (IATC 2003) access their employer's network from home. Some use their own personal computers, while others use a computer their employer assigned to them by their employer. Some bring their laptop to and from work. Do you? Should a dispute arise between you and your employer, you may be exposed to the legal tactics and strategies used by Chip's employer.

The company can file a police report, show logs of your network activity, convince the often insufficiently sophisticated police that your behavior is suspicious and claim they are in "fear" of the loss of their property and/or trade secrets and potentially millions of dollars of profits . If you're a programmer, that is your job description permits you to "appropriate" huge source code downloads with only even less uploads - exposing you to a "claim" of theft of your company's confidential and proprietary information and trade secrets . All the while you are having an exchage with the CEO by

1. Microsoft knows that Intel had a lot more to do with the PC's success than Microsoft did. Intel continuously improved their product, and reduced prices, while Microsoft barely managed to keep up, making poor copies of other companies' software, years late. Microsoft is afraid, correctly, that Intel still has the power to move the industry forward, with Microsoft unable to follow.
   
2. With the growing acceptance of Linux, Intel no longer has to hold back, while Microsoft catches up (as, for example, when an entire decade passed between the introduction of the 80386, and Microsoft's eventual use of its memory management capabilities). Intel can now move forward with things like 64-bit, multi-core, and parallel CPUs, with the necessary operating system support in place to allow Intel to sell their products. But that OS is going to be Linux, because Microsoft can't improve Windows fast enough to keep up.
   
3. Intel has made it clear that they are no longer going to be held back by Windows. When Microsoft could not make Windows run efficiently on a 64-bit CPU, it was AMD, not Intel, that compromised their design, and wasted 64-bit CPU real estate in order to add the 32-bit support to overcome Microsoft's weaknesses.
   
4. In order to stop Linux, Microsoft is trying to decommoditize PC hardware, with hidden interface specs (as described in the Halloween document). NVidia and ATI have gone along with Microsoft, cutting back on their help for Open Source driver developerment (instead, during this embrace stage, providing closed source drivers, and increasingly complex interfaces). AMD has also gone along, for example, when AMD gave Microsoft the necessary information to fix the AMD "Processor Bug," but Linux developers were left out in the cold, until they figured out the problem for themselves. Meanwhile, Intel has comtinued to keep their specs open, even going so far as to release a series of platform specs just for Linux.
   
5. Intel is now cooperating with Apple, a company that just recently broke out from under Microsoft's thumb. With the availability of Safari, Mozilla, and OpenOffice for OS/X, Microsoft can no longer threaten Apple, as they did when Microsoft wanted Apple to stop supporting Netscape. With its new freedom, and the cheaper Intel hardware, Apple may be a real threat to Microsoft, for the first time. Plus, like Linux, and unlike Microsoft, Apple will be able to add timely support for new PC hardware developments.
   
6. Lastly, there's payback -- a big motivation for Gates. When asked, Intel refused to lie to the DOJ for Microsoft, instead providing truthful evidence about Microsoft's activities, such as when Microsoft was pressuring Intel to stop helping Sun improve Java for the x86.

I wonder if he's been reading a certain letter from Peru?

The source might be available, but you still wouldn't have an "Open Source" project. The OSI Open Source definition states in part 5, "No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups".

You couldn't even restrict Nazis or Al Qaeda from using your software if you want it to be considered Open Source.

Just wondering

1) You say "All projects will be licensed under OSI acceptable licenses."

2) The OSI definition says "The license shall not restrict any party from selling or giving away the software as a component of an aggregate software distribution containing programs from several different sources. The license shall not require a royalty or other fee for such sale."

3) The linked article states "The Community Codebase is free for all members of eBay's Developers Program and PayPal Developer Network."

So - if what you say is true, I don't see how ebay is going to restrict the source to eBay/PP developer network.

Can anone confirm that the licenses will actually be OSI approved? (as someone else has pointed out the term "open source" has no legal meaning)

http://www.opensource.org/docs/definition.php

Open Source is a registered trademark of the Open Source Initiative. You cannot call something open source if it does not meet the requirements of the definition

Some developers are simply ignorant of the standards and alternatives, and/or they don't understand the long term consequences of letting one company control the standards.

Some developers understand the alternatives, and the long term consequences of not using open standards, but they are simply too lazy, or amoral, to be bothered doing anything about it.

And Microsoft, of course, is practising their usual brand of sabotage, trying to pollute the standard so only their products will work.

Microsoft's schemes have always relied on the ignorance and laziness of developers and users. In this case, Microsoft intentionally tweeks products like Frontpage and MS Word to produce non-standard HTML.

This was an even bigger problem in the past, when Microsoft could use HTML that relied on bugs in Netscape to cause it to crash. But Mozilla and Firefox are, fortunately, higher quality products.

This was part of a bigger plan to stop Netscape, and leave Microsoft with a monopoly on web browsers, and thus the Internet itself. Other steps Microsoft took included paying companies to break their contracts with Netscape, threatening Apple with the loss of MS Office for the Mac, if Apple didn't stop supporting Netscape, and so on. You can read more about it the the DOJ case against Microsoft.

In recent years, Microsoft's strategy of polluting standards was expanded to try to block the progress of Linux and other Open Source products, as one Microsoft analyst stated in Microsoft's infamous Halloween document:

> OSS projects have been able to gain a foothold in many server applications because of the wide utility of highly commoditized, simple protocols. By extending these protocols and developing new protocols, we can deny OSS projects entry into the market.

And, finally, you can see another example of Microsoft's strategy at work, when they used it to try to sabotage the Java standard, as shown in the evidence in Sun's case against Microsoft, in the following quote from a Microsoft marketing presentation:

> Strategic Objective [is to] kill cross-platform Java by grow[ing] the polluted Java market.

Along with Microsoft's reliance on the ignorance and laziness of their customers, as shown in this quote:

> At this point its [sic] not good to create MORE noise around our win32 java classes. Instead we should just quietly grow j++ share and assume that people will take advantage of our classes without ever realizing they are building win32-only java apps."

So, it's up to you. You can be lazy and use development tools that create websites that only work in Internet Explorer. The long term result will be an Internet that is largely controlled by a single company, and, as history has shown, is essentially stagnant.

Or, you can support shared and open standards, and ensure an Internet where innovation and free enterprise can thrive, and the people in developing nations can afford to get a foot in the door to help lift themselves out of poverty.

For myself, I always start out by developing websites that follow standards. I then test them in Mozilla, Firefox, Safari, and Opera, and they usually work fine, with some minor adjustments.

Then I test them in Internet Explorer, and decide how much additional effort I am going to spend. Getting around the non-standard quirks in IE can often double my development effort. I will be glad when IE's share shrinks to the point where Microsoft is forced to fix their product, and follow standards.

Also, lest we forget Microsoft has open source'd code too.

No, they haven't:

http://www.opensource.org/

KFG

Again:
A) The Program OUTPUTS images generated by the themes to the Clients X Server. This is important. The GPL license does not restrict what you can do with the output of a GPL program. You can capture the output from the X Server with a screen shot, put it on the web, or reproduce it in printed media. Reread the GPL license.

B1) The GPL comes under effect only when you distribute the result outside of your organization. You are entirely free to use the GPL source code as you wish as long as you do not distribute the derivative outside of your organization.
B2) The theme plug in DDL library used by applications for GTK+/GNOME and KDE is LGPL licensed. You can link and distribute NON-GPL licensed code that links to those DDLs.
B3) The applications are distributed seperate from the themes and the applications are in no way dependent upon a any theme to run.
B4) It is the users, NOT the application distributer, who get the applcations to load individual themes. Because the end user does so within their own organization, they are free to do so : see (B1)

As I understand it: stuff you contribute to BSDs can be pirated by msft, and others, and put into their binary code.

The code is not pirated. The BSD license allows for distribution and modification of the code w/o the restrictions that the GPL places on code (namely that you must keep the code open).

> Not letting them sell a product the way they want to in the name of "competition" is BS.

That is correct. As Ayn Rand has explained, the antitrust laws are contradictory, and ineffective, and have mostly been used to punish success. I disagree with them, even when used against a desrving target like Microsoft.

Instead, the law should be going after Microsoft for their real crimes. These generally involve extortion, sabotage, and fraud, and there are many examples:

1. Extortion:

Bill Gates threatens to harm Apple, if Apple does not stop doing business with Netscape:

> Gates informed those Microsoft executives most closely involved in the negotiations with Apple that the discussions "have not been going well at all." One of the several reasons for this, Gates wrote, was that "Apple let us down on the browser by making Netscape the standard install." Gates then reported that he had already called Apple's CEO (who at the time was Gil Amelio) to ask "how we should announce the cancellation of Mac Office...."

2. Sabotage:

Microsoft strategy to destroy shared standards, in order to block competition from Linux:

> OSS projects have been able to gain a foothold in many server applications because of the wide utility of highly commoditized, simple protocols. By extending these protocols and developing new protocols, we can deny OSS projects entry into the market.

A Microsoft marketing presentation describes how they will sabotage Java:

> The "strategic objective" is to "kill cross-platform Java by grow[ing] the polluted Java market."

3. Fraud:

Microsoft's plans to defraud their customers regarding the Java compatibility of J++:

> "At this point its [sic] not good to create MORE noise around our win32 java classes. Instead we should just quietly grow j++ share and assume that people will take advantage of our classes without ever realizing they are building win32-only java apps."

Once you get away from the antitrust laws, and start looking at the real crimes, then the proper punishment becomes more obvious, namely, jail time for various Microsoft officials.

The public is best served by Free Market competition. It is also our right to compete in a free society.

Unfortunately, competition can be subverted by those who are willing to break the law. And by methods similar to the above, and other fraudulent means (paying people to lie, in magazine articles, letters to the editor, etc.), Microsoft has managed to destroy better products and competitors without actually having to compete. Microsoft's behavior, and methods, are more like those of a crime syndicate, than a competitive business.

When there is competition, some people become very rich, while increasing the wealth of society as a whole. But when companies use criminal means, they can become rich, while causing great damage to society as a whole. The latter is the case with Microsoft.

And the damage has been great. To give just one example, Microsoft's sabotage of Java in web clients has delayed the development of e-commerce by at least half a decade, at a cost to the world of tens of billions of dollars. I sometimes wonder what that would translate to in lost lives.

Similarly, Microsoft used sabotage and fraud to stop competition in the PC OS market (DR-DOS, Geoworks, OS/2), in PC applications market (WordPerfect), and in the PC browser market (Netscape). As a result, new developments involving the PC (thin clients, PVRs, grid supercomputers, 64-bit computing), and the Internet (tabs, interactive web clients) stagnated for years until new competitors, such as Linux and Mozilla, came along, enabling the new development

Not so much.

"The advertising clause in the license appearing on BSD Unix files was officially rescinded by the Director of the Office of Technology Licensing of the University of California on July 22 1999. He states that clause 3 is 'hereby deleted in its entirety.'"

I would advise that likewise, the same is true today, though it is certainly changing for the better. Within our "community", it is still PC to bash Microsoft because that is what is expected.

Microsoft, within the past couple of months, has changed its business tactics from spreading FUD, as has been shown in the Halloween Documents (BTW, have these been shown to be anti-MS FUD?), to recognizing the validity of it's opensource competition.

Perhaps we as a community should extend the same professional courtesy, for once? No more anti-Microsoft FUD ...

Kris Kerwin
kkerwin@insi__REMOVE_ME__ghtbb.com

"It is a list of examples. I'd say installing software you bought blatantly falls within the realm of a "Fair Use". I'm sure virtually any judge will agree."

I'm quite sure that installing software counts as fair use--and section 117 allows you to alter your software, but only as far as the modifications allow you to install/use the software.

I haven't seen any other part of title 17 that contradicts 17 USC 106 (the owner of copyright under this title ... has the exclusive rights to do and to authorize ... [the preparation of] derivative works based upon the copyrighted work).

"Well, the GPL and similar licenses do not need to grant you that permission."

Hmm? The following parts of the GPL mention modification:

Preamble: We protect your rights with two steps: (1) copyright the software, and (2) offer you this license which gives you legal permission to copy, distribute and/or modify the software. ...

2. You may modify your copy or copies of the Program or any portion of it, thus forming a work based on the Program, and copy and distribute such modifications or work under the terms of Section 1 above, provided that you also meet all of these conditions: ...

4. You may not copy, modify, sublicense, or distribute the Program except as expressly provided under this License. Any attempt otherwise to copy, modify, sublicense or distribute the Program is void, and will automatically terminate your rights under this License. ...

5. You are not required to accept this License, since you have not signed it. However, nothing else grants you permission to modify or distribute the Program or its derivative works. These actions are prohibited by law if you do not accept this License. ...

The Creative Commons and MIT licenses also grant the licensee permission to modify/prepare derivative works--because otherwise that right is reserved to the copyright holder.

While I agree that EULAs are bullshit, and that the folks on debian-legal are, for the most part, overly paranoid, I believe they have stated in the past that they require a license to grant the right to prepare derivative works because otherwise, US copyright law reserves that right to the copyright holder.

That's the wrong SCO. The SCO Group, fromerly Caldera Systems International, acquired various Unix properties as well as the SCO name from the Santa Cruz Operation, now Tarantella, in 2000, and sued IBM in 2003.

Microsoft has brought in money for the SCO Group, but that has no particular relationship to its investment in the Santa Cruz Operation.

So I say again, where is this mystery project of yours?

Actually... don't tell me, I would never buy anything from you, not with your attitude. Never mind.

I know that making something available doesn't make it free, and vice versa. I told you that my software isn't available except to my customers. You seem to have gotten your nose in a wringer over that. You do realize that the "open" in open software doesn't mean "available to all", don't you? Let's go look that the definition at http://www.opensource.org/docs/definition.php, OK?

In conclusion, I'm sorry to have lost you as a potential customer... wait a minute, on second thought I guess I'm not sorry. I already have more clients than I know what to do with, so there's no need to deal with trolls.

I didn't say I wanted it to be GPL, nor did I say that I wanted it to be "free". You said it was "open-source", so I asked where it was.

Software that is GPLed is, by defintion, open source.

There is no mandate under the GPL to release the sotware to the public or make it generally available, only to make the source open to those to whom you distribute binaries.

By your "where is it?" question, you seem to be assuming that open source software must be publically available. This is not the case.

So, they are going to teach open source skills? What is that? And whom in the business world regards open source skills as highly regarded?

Don't businesses just hire the best person with the skills they want? Is there such a thing as an open source skill? I have heard of open source, but never of open source skills (except for this self promotion by Sun.

Now, being someone who deals in Linux, Unix and "gasp" Windows, I can tell you that knowledge of these operating systems, their software, their programming all help and are highly regarded. But just the phrase "open source skills"?

Let's be realistic here...there are no open source skills; there is just a conduit into the universities by claiming their students are missing out on fundamentals of the changing business world. And the person's whispering this into the Deans' ears are the ones who stand to gain the most. This is just a marketing approach to further propogate their market share (not that I am against it at all; that's what business is for). But, let's call it what it is:

Teaching students to use their products so the companies benefit later.

I think it might not be a bad idea to amend the GPL to insist that no Communism or politically misaligned countries / organizations should be able to use it.

I think it might not be a bad idea to amend the GPL to insist that no Communism or politically misaligned countries / organizations should be able to use it.

I think it might not be a bad idea to amend the GPL to insist that no Communism or politically misaligned countries / organizations should be able to use it. This would help combat some of the negative sterotypes facing OSS.


Aside from the fact that it would then no longer be open source (see point #5), I cannot even begin to believe how STUPID and POINTLESS this would be.

Chances are that the country has no obligation to honour the license. And there's not much you can do about that.

Second, most GPL code is licensed under a "version 2 or (at your option) any later versioN" license. So if a country wanted to use GPLed software, couldn't because of a stupid thing in it saying "no communists", and for some reason couldn't change the law to allow it, they would just license it under an older version of the license.

Sure we do. Anyone can use and contribute to OSS. Communists and capitalists, europeans and africans, muslims and christians. Anyone!
Open Source is just one out of many ways to break down the barriers between us.

And make sure you read the definition of Open Source.

Read section 5:
The license must not discriminate against any person or group of persons.

So if Cuba wants to use Linux, then they should be allowed to! Anything else would be completely stupid and anti-OSS.

I think it might not be a bad idea to amend the GPL to insist that no Communism or politically misaligned countries / organizations should be able to use it.

Hmm. That's a very interesting way of describing the situation. I like it. It provides a very high-level point of view that I had not been forced to think about before. Thanks. You know, I don't know if I'm that fond of the GPL after all. I think I would rather both worlds have their way, instead of one license being viral and forcing its way. Of course then I would have to argue equally against completely closed source software for the same reason. Very interesting indeed. I had better go and do some more learning about the open source licenses instead of relying on opinions (the GPL seems to be favoured throughout Slashdot).

Actually, the way I read it...

Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.

I don't remember seeing ANY notification. So while they CAN use the code, they HAVE to put the "above copyright notice". So while they aren't hypocrites, they are, since they have violated the terms of the license, and are therefore in violation of the law.

BSD licenses are great, but they don't work for everyone. There's a good comparison of the different licences at the zesiger license page: Zesiger License

Here's the quick version, copied from the website:

The Zesiger License aims to fill the gap between the GPL and the BSDL, by combining the best features of both, which are briefly listed below:

The GPL is by far the most popular, and one of the most debilitatingly restrictive of the open source licenses. It's occasionally used for open source versions of commercial software, since it allows companies to release source code to their customers, without allowing them to use the code in competing products.

• Does not permit incorporating into proprietary products
• Stifles innovation by making improving products unprofitable
• Ensures derivative works will also be open source
• Prevents commercial competitors from using your sources

The BSDL is an excellent license for hobby-type projects that hope to attract the attention of a business that might want to commercialize it. It's less popular than the GPL, but it's the least restrictive of the ones compared here. It's almost entirely unsuitable for commercial software though, since it relinquishes nearly all rights - It does nothing to protect commercial interests.

• Permits incorporating into proprietary products
• Encourages innovation by making improving products potentially profitable
• Does not ensure that derivative works will also be open source
• Does not prevent commercial competitors from using your sources

This license has the best features of the BSD and GPL licenses rolled into one. Open source projects released under this license will remain open source, while still providing ample time for innovators to keep their improvements proprietary until they are rewarded for their work.

• Permits incorporating into proprietary products
• Encourages innovation by making improving products potentially profitable
• Ensures derivative works will also be open source
• Prevents commercial competitors from using your sources

The intent statements are interesting too:

To give enough rights to innovators that they may profit from improvements that they make to open source products, while ensuring that their work eventually becomes available to other innovators, so they are able to do the same, for the benefit of the end-users.

To ensure that no court or other politically influenced body shall ever have any authority over the products released under this license.

To prevent the rapid changes in laws from having any meaning to the innovators and end-users of products released under this license.

Hopefully this new Indian license will try to protect the nature of open source while freeing people to do as they please with it the way the Zesiger License tries to.

BSD licenses are great, but they don't work for everyone. There's a good comparison of the different licences at the zesiger license page: Zesiger License

Here's the quick version, copied from the website:

The Zesiger License aims to fill the gap between the GPL and the BSDL, by combining the best features of both, which are briefly listed below:

The GPL is by far the most popular, and one of the most debilitatingly restrictive of the open source licenses. It's occasionally used for open source versions of commercial software, since it allows companies to release source code to their customers, without allowing them to use the code in competing products.

• Does not permit incorporating into proprietary products
• Stifles innovation by making improving products unprofitable
• Ensures derivative works will also be open source
• Prevents commercial competitors from using your sources

The BSDL is an excellent license for hobby-type projects that hope to attract the attention of a business that might want to commercialize it. It's less popular than the GPL, but it's the least restrictive of the ones compared here. It's almost entirely unsuitable for commercial software though, since it relinquishes nearly all rights - It does nothing to protect commercial interests.

• Permits incorporating into proprietary products
• Encourages innovation by making improving products potentially profitable
• Does not ensure that derivative works will also be open source
• Does not prevent commercial competitors from using your sources

This license has the best features of the BSD and GPL licenses rolled into one. Open source projects released under this license will remain open source, while still providing ample time for innovators to keep their improvements proprietary until they are rewarded for their work.

• Permits incorporating into proprietary products
• Encourages innovation by making improving products potentially profitable
• Ensures derivative works will also be open source
• Prevents commercial competitors from using your sources

The intent statements are interesting too:

To give enough rights to innovators that they may profit from improvements that they make to open source products, while ensuring that their work eventually becomes available to other innovators, so they are able to do the same, for the benefit of the end-users.

To ensure that no court or other politically influenced body shall ever have any authority over the products released under this license.

To prevent the rapid changes in laws from having any meaning to the innovators and end-users of products released under this license.

Hopefully this new Indian license will try to protect the nature of open source while freeing people to do as they please with it the way the Zesiger License tries to.

For those that are interested, here are my prized OSS Windows applications and their links. Sorry for such a long post, but hopefully this'll be interesting to someone.
Entertainment:
Audacity
Version: 1.2.3
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/audacity/
A fast multitrack audio editor and recorder for Linux, MacOS, and Windows. Supports WAV, AIFF, Ogg, and MP3 formats. Features include envelope editing, mixing, built-in effects and plug-ins, all with unlimited undo.
Battle for Wesnoth
Version: 0.9.1
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.wesnoth.org/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/wesnoth/
The Battle for Wesnoth is a turn-based strategy game with a fantasy theme. Supports online multi-player.
Blender
Version: 2.36
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.blender3d.org/
Open source software for 3D modeling, animation, rendering, post-production, interactive creation and playback. Available for Windows, Linux, Irix, Sun Solaris, FreeBSD or Mac OS X.
CDex
Version: 1.51
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://cdexos.sourceforge.net/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/cdexos/
CDex is a CD-Ripper, thus extracting digital audio data from an Audio CD. The application supports many Audio encoders, like MPEG (MP2,MP3), VQF, AAC encoders.
Celestia
Version: 1.3.2
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://celestia.sourceforge.net/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/celestia/
Celestia is real-time 3D space simulation which lets you travel through our solar system and to over 100,000 stars in our neighborhood.
Glest
Version: 1.0.9
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.glest.org/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/glest/
Glest is a project for making a free 3d real-time customizable strategy game. Current version is fully playable, includes single player game against CPU controlled players, two factions with their corresponding tech trees, units, buildings and some maps.
Scorched 3d
Version: 38.1b
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.scorched3d.co.uk/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/scorched3d/
Scorched3D is a 3D remake of the popular 2D artillery game Scorched Earth. Scorched3D can be played against the computer, other players and remotely across the internet or LAN.
VLC Media Player
Version: 0.8.1
License:

For those that are interested, here are my prized OSS Windows applications and their links. Sorry for such a long post, but hopefully this'll be interesting to someone.
Entertainment:
Audacity
Version: 1.2.3
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/audacity/
A fast multitrack audio editor and recorder for Linux, MacOS, and Windows. Supports WAV, AIFF, Ogg, and MP3 formats. Features include envelope editing, mixing, built-in effects and plug-ins, all with unlimited undo.
Battle for Wesnoth
Version: 0.9.1
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.wesnoth.org/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/wesnoth/
The Battle for Wesnoth is a turn-based strategy game with a fantasy theme. Supports online multi-player.
Blender
Version: 2.36
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.blender3d.org/
Open source software for 3D modeling, animation, rendering, post-production, interactive creation and playback. Available for Windows, Linux, Irix, Sun Solaris, FreeBSD or Mac OS X.
CDex
Version: 1.51
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://cdexos.sourceforge.net/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/cdexos/
CDex is a CD-Ripper, thus extracting digital audio data from an Audio CD. The application supports many Audio encoders, like MPEG (MP2,MP3), VQF, AAC encoders.
Celestia
Version: 1.3.2
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://celestia.sourceforge.net/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/celestia/
Celestia is real-time 3D space simulation which lets you travel through our solar system and to over 100,000 stars in our neighborhood.
Glest
Version: 1.0.9
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.glest.org/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/glest/
Glest is a project for making a free 3d real-time customizable strategy game. Current version is fully playable, includes single player game against CPU controlled players, two factions with their corresponding tech trees, units, buildings and some maps.
Scorched 3d
Version: 38.1b
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.scorched3d.co.uk/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/scorched3d/
Scorched3D is a 3D remake of the popular 2D artillery game Scorched Earth. Scorched3D can be played against the computer, other players and remotely across the internet or LAN.
VLC Media Player
Version: 0.8.1
License:

For those that are interested, here are my prized OSS Windows applications and their links. Sorry for such a long post, but hopefully this'll be interesting to someone.
Entertainment:
Audacity
Version: 1.2.3
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/audacity/
A fast multitrack audio editor and recorder for Linux, MacOS, and Windows. Supports WAV, AIFF, Ogg, and MP3 formats. Features include envelope editing, mixing, built-in effects and plug-ins, all with unlimited undo.
Battle for Wesnoth
Version: 0.9.1
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.wesnoth.org/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/wesnoth/
The Battle for Wesnoth is a turn-based strategy game with a fantasy theme. Supports online multi-player.
Blender
Version: 2.36
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.blender3d.org/
Open source software for 3D modeling, animation, rendering, post-production, interactive creation and playback. Available for Windows, Linux, Irix, Sun Solaris, FreeBSD or Mac OS X.
CDex
Version: 1.51
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://cdexos.sourceforge.net/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/cdexos/
CDex is a CD-Ripper, thus extracting digital audio data from an Audio CD. The application supports many Audio encoders, like MPEG (MP2,MP3), VQF, AAC encoders.
Celestia
Version: 1.3.2
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://celestia.sourceforge.net/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/celestia/
Celestia is real-time 3D space simulation which lets you travel through our solar system and to over 100,000 stars in our neighborhood.
Glest
Version: 1.0.9
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.glest.org/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/glest/
Glest is a project for making a free 3d real-time customizable strategy game. Current version is fully playable, includes single player game against CPU controlled players, two factions with their corresponding tech trees, units, buildings and some maps.
Scorched 3d
Version: 38.1b
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.scorched3d.co.uk/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/scorched3d/
Scorched3D is a 3D remake of the popular 2D artillery game Scorched Earth. Scorched3D can be played against the computer, other players and remotely across the internet or LAN.
VLC Media Player
Version: 0.8.1
License:

For those that are interested, here are my prized OSS Windows applications and their links. Sorry for such a long post, but hopefully this'll be interesting to someone.
Entertainment:
Audacity
Version: 1.2.3
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/audacity/
A fast multitrack audio editor and recorder for Linux, MacOS, and Windows. Supports WAV, AIFF, Ogg, and MP3 formats. Features include envelope editing, mixing, built-in effects and plug-ins, all with unlimited undo.
Battle for Wesnoth
Version: 0.9.1
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.wesnoth.org/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/wesnoth/
The Battle for Wesnoth is a turn-based strategy game with a fantasy theme. Supports online multi-player.
Blender
Version: 2.36
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.blender3d.org/
Open source software for 3D modeling, animation, rendering, post-production, interactive creation and playback. Available for Windows, Linux, Irix, Sun Solaris, FreeBSD or Mac OS X.
CDex
Version: 1.51
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://cdexos.sourceforge.net/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/cdexos/
CDex is a CD-Ripper, thus extracting digital audio data from an Audio CD. The application supports many Audio encoders, like MPEG (MP2,MP3), VQF, AAC encoders.
Celestia
Version: 1.3.2
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://celestia.sourceforge.net/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/celestia/
Celestia is real-time 3D space simulation which lets you travel through our solar system and to over 100,000 stars in our neighborhood.
Glest
Version: 1.0.9
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.glest.org/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/glest/
Glest is a project for making a free 3d real-time customizable strategy game. Current version is fully playable, includes single player game against CPU controlled players, two factions with their corresponding tech trees, units, buildings and some maps.
Scorched 3d
Version: 38.1b
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.scorched3d.co.uk/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/scorched3d/
Scorched3D is a 3D remake of the popular 2D artillery game Scorched Earth. Scorched3D can be played against the computer, other players and remotely across the internet or LAN.
VLC Media Player
Version: 0.8.1
License:

For those that are interested, here are my prized OSS Windows applications and their links. Sorry for such a long post, but hopefully this'll be interesting to someone.
Entertainment:
Audacity
Version: 1.2.3
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/audacity/
A fast multitrack audio editor and recorder for Linux, MacOS, and Windows. Supports WAV, AIFF, Ogg, and MP3 formats. Features include envelope editing, mixing, built-in effects and plug-ins, all with unlimited undo.
Battle for Wesnoth
Version: 0.9.1
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.wesnoth.org/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/wesnoth/
The Battle for Wesnoth is a turn-based strategy game with a fantasy theme. Supports online multi-player.
Blender
Version: 2.36
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.blender3d.org/
Open source software for 3D modeling, animation, rendering, post-production, interactive creation and playback. Available for Windows, Linux, Irix, Sun Solaris, FreeBSD or Mac OS X.
CDex
Version: 1.51
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://cdexos.sourceforge.net/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/cdexos/
CDex is a CD-Ripper, thus extracting digital audio data from an Audio CD. The application supports many Audio encoders, like MPEG (MP2,MP3), VQF, AAC encoders.
Celestia
Version: 1.3.2
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://celestia.sourceforge.net/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/celestia/
Celestia is real-time 3D space simulation which lets you travel through our solar system and to over 100,000 stars in our neighborhood.
Glest
Version: 1.0.9
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.glest.org/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/glest/
Glest is a project for making a free 3d real-time customizable strategy game. Current version is fully playable, includes single player game against CPU controlled players, two factions with their corresponding tech trees, units, buildings and some maps.
Scorched 3d
Version: 38.1b
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.scorched3d.co.uk/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/scorched3d/
Scorched3D is a 3D remake of the popular 2D artillery game Scorched Earth. Scorched3D can be played against the computer, other players and remotely across the internet or LAN.
VLC Media Player
Version: 0.8.1
License:

For those that are interested, here are my prized OSS Windows applications and their links. Sorry for such a long post, but hopefully this'll be interesting to someone.
Entertainment:
Audacity
Version: 1.2.3
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/audacity/
A fast multitrack audio editor and recorder for Linux, MacOS, and Windows. Supports WAV, AIFF, Ogg, and MP3 formats. Features include envelope editing, mixing, built-in effects and plug-ins, all with unlimited undo.
Battle for Wesnoth
Version: 0.9.1
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.wesnoth.org/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/wesnoth/
The Battle for Wesnoth is a turn-based strategy game with a fantasy theme. Supports online multi-player.
Blender
Version: 2.36
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.blender3d.org/
Open source software for 3D modeling, animation, rendering, post-production, interactive creation and playback. Available for Windows, Linux, Irix, Sun Solaris, FreeBSD or Mac OS X.
CDex
Version: 1.51
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://cdexos.sourceforge.net/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/cdexos/
CDex is a CD-Ripper, thus extracting digital audio data from an Audio CD. The application supports many Audio encoders, like MPEG (MP2,MP3), VQF, AAC encoders.
Celestia
Version: 1.3.2
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://celestia.sourceforge.net/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/celestia/
Celestia is real-time 3D space simulation which lets you travel through our solar system and to over 100,000 stars in our neighborhood.
Glest
Version: 1.0.9
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.glest.org/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/glest/
Glest is a project for making a free 3d real-time customizable strategy game. Current version is fully playable, includes single player game against CPU controlled players, two factions with their corresponding tech trees, units, buildings and some maps.
Scorched 3d
Version: 38.1b
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.scorched3d.co.uk/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/scorched3d/
Scorched3D is a 3D remake of the popular 2D artillery game Scorched Earth. Scorched3D can be played against the computer, other players and remotely across the internet or LAN.
VLC Media Player
Version: 0.8.1
License:

For those that are interested, here are my prized OSS Windows applications and their links. Sorry for such a long post, but hopefully this'll be interesting to someone.
Entertainment:
Audacity
Version: 1.2.3
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/audacity/
A fast multitrack audio editor and recorder for Linux, MacOS, and Windows. Supports WAV, AIFF, Ogg, and MP3 formats. Features include envelope editing, mixing, built-in effects and plug-ins, all with unlimited undo.
Battle for Wesnoth
Version: 0.9.1
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.wesnoth.org/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/wesnoth/
The Battle for Wesnoth is a turn-based strategy game with a fantasy theme. Supports online multi-player.
Blender
Version: 2.36
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.blender3d.org/
Open source software for 3D modeling, animation, rendering, post-production, interactive creation and playback. Available for Windows, Linux, Irix, Sun Solaris, FreeBSD or Mac OS X.
CDex
Version: 1.51
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://cdexos.sourceforge.net/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/cdexos/
CDex is a CD-Ripper, thus extracting digital audio data from an Audio CD. The application supports many Audio encoders, like MPEG (MP2,MP3), VQF, AAC encoders.
Celestia
Version: 1.3.2
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://celestia.sourceforge.net/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/celestia/
Celestia is real-time 3D space simulation which lets you travel through our solar system and to over 100,000 stars in our neighborhood.
Glest
Version: 1.0.9
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.glest.org/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/glest/
Glest is a project for making a free 3d real-time customizable strategy game. Current version is fully playable, includes single player game against CPU controlled players, two factions with their corresponding tech trees, units, buildings and some maps.
Scorched 3d
Version: 38.1b
License: GNU General Public License
Link: http://www.scorched3d.co.uk/
Sourceforge Site: http://sourceforge.net/projects/scorched3d/
Scorched3D is a 3D remake of the popular 2D artillery game Scorched Earth. Scorched3D can be played against the computer, other players and remotely across the internet or LAN.
VLC Media Player
Version: 0.8.1
License:

Why is this Free/Libre Open Source Software discussion always about being against Microsoft or other commercial companies that develop software.

Try to focus on the principles that are important - it might actually make sense to choose a commercial company to develop the software as long as the software adhere to the principles.

For example the principles in the bill that Peru introduced on the states use of software. The bill set forward some principles that all suppliers of software must follow:

http://www.opensource.org/docs/peru_and_ms.php

Microsoft of course tried to fight this bill since they don't want to follow these principles, but that's their business descision. The bill does not ban Microsoft or any other supplier for developing and delivering software to Peru.

It would really be nice if all other countries tried to follow this approach.

Is anyone keeping an online List of these research projects that MS has fundes? Like teh Halloween Documents found at OSI

Or in other words has there been any honest research on MS research?

Its becomming Important, as this shows persistant intent to deceive the consumer. Isn't consumer deception Against the Law?

As always, I end with my favourite link that I like to post in situations such as these. If you are cheered by the spectacle of a politician thoroughly demolishing Microsoft FUD, read on!

http://www.opensource.org/docs/peru_and_ms.php

I don't understand why the community has a problem with this in the first place. The original source code is still under the GNU license.

People who release code under the GPL are perfectly entitled to 'have a problem' with people breaching their software licence of choice.
Anyone who thinks it's OK for others to take their programs, close the source and release modified versions shouldn't be using the GPL - try the BSD licence instead.

With respect, ethics may be YOUR whole point behind free software but it is not everyone's point.

First open source (GNU) has no authority.

But that doesn't mean that the rest of the program can't be open source.

Yes, it does mean that, per the definition of "open source".

Everything you ever wanted to know about open source licenses and more!

Remember, anything you read here about open source licensing is only an opinion. Educate yourself!

• As a template license, it contains no corporate proper names, so it is usable by others without modification.
• The initial contributor sets the jurisdiction.
• Patent rights transfer is optional.
• Allows any licensee to enforce the license and go after violators. Therefore, you don't need to collect all the copyrights of the contributors' code before going after violators, which is nice.
• There are clear distribution obligations.
• There is an explicit definition of independent module. Therefore you can combine code under multiple licenses without contamination, as long as they are independent modules.

Another important license (at least as far as I'm concerned) is zlib, as that's about as close to public domain as you can get in Germany. German copyright law doesn't allow you to abandon your ownership of a work; if you have written it you have the copyright, period. (No, we don't have unlimited copyright; in Germany the copyright times out after 70 years, no matter how long the author lives.)

Occasionally I organize programming contests in a small forum. Of course all entries have to be delivered as publically-accessible sourcecode and most users would agree that by submitting them they implicitly put their code in the public domain. Since you can't do that over here I've started to put a link to opensource.org/licenses/zlib.php up with the rules, in case people want to legally release their code.