Qt Going GPL

summer was the first to note that it looks like Qt 2.2 will be released under the GPL. This removes the licensing problem that is central to the age old (and very boring) KDE/GNOME flamewar. There's still nothing official appearing on Troll Tech's site, but this looks reasonable.

Comments

Re:Except Qt is copylefted.

[bockman]

QT Professional Licence costs are not a big issue for proprietary development, since the cost of one developer for a few days covers more than enough for it. So all Trolltech shall do is to convince managers that they can reduce work costs choosing QT over alternative free-as-in-beer toolkits.

IMO, big companies will still prefer GTK+, however, because they wouldn't like depending on Trolltech for strategic issues like a GUI toolkit.

dept: its-about-frigging-time

[Karma Sucks]

Good attitude, Commander. Troll Tech should be praised and thanked for bending backwards and forwards for the community like this. We really do not need your snide remarks here. Will GPL'ed Qt improve KDE acceptance by the community? I certainly hope so. I've always been a KDE fan and user regardless. Now I hope that KDE can compete with GNOME on purely technical grounds and not depend on who can shout louder in the PR wars.

Geez! Can we please kiss and make up already!

[Bruce Perens]

OK, I'm responsible for stirring this up long ago. But I endorsed the QPL, publicly thanked Troll Tech, and called off hostilities a long time ago. Yes, we had a license conflict issue that has now been dealt with.

Troll Tech has done everything necessary to accomodate the requests of the free software community. They have my sincere thanks, and should have yours, too.

Thanks

Bruce

Re:FSF now prefers Qt/KDE over Gtk/Gnome

[Eladio McCormick]

But given that FSF prefer libraries to be covered by the GPL rather than the LGPL, they should now consider Qt preferable over Gtk.

I don't think so.

The idea behind the RMS editorial you're thinking about is that the GPL is preferable when you are providing functionality not available in other libraries. The LGPL is meant for situations where you provide functionality that the non-free competition already provides.

Since there's plenty of GUI toolkits around, free or otherwise, I don't think it matters a bit. And, since Troll will sell you licenses to develop non-free software with Qt, the whole RMS anti-LGPL argument is kinda demolished in this case.

But this is all speculation, isn't it?

We have a level playing field

[tjwhaynes]

At last KDE and Gnome can go completely head-to-head because they are now both totally grounded in GPL licensing. So what does the future now hold?

Corporate take-up? Don't knock it - this is a potentially huge environment. Companies like to know where they stand, and simplified licensing is a huge bonus. Gnome already as a level of corporate acceptance as embodied by the formation of the Gnome Foundation to further the GNOME project. KDE may soon see itself in a similar position.

Interoperability? Both KDE and Gnome are continuing to push their infrastructures forward and both desktop environments are likely to start eclipsing the competition sooner or later (already have eclipsed the competition in some areas). It's likely that Gnome programs will always talk most efficiently to other Gnome programs, and similarly for KDE to KDE, it would be nice to see the arrival of some bridge mechanism to allow the two camps to exchange and inter-embed each others applications across the divide.

Flamewars? Almost certainly :-) At least now there won't be any (meaningful) wars over licensing ...

Cheers,

Toby Haynes

Announcement on Troll Techs site.

[shaka]

Look again!
There are two new announcements; Qt 2.2 released and Qt/Unix 2.2 being released under the GPL.

GPL not LGPL

[Tet]

Interesting choice. Going for the full GPL pleases the extremists, but it also has the side effect of allowing Troll Tech to protect their revenue stream. If they'd made it LGPL, then people could develop and sell proprietarty (closed source) apps using Qt. Being GPL prevents that, thus pleasing both sides. Those wanting to go that route can still purchase a Qt Professional Edition license from Troll Tech (something you had to do under the QPL anyway).

Left it a little late.

[not_cub]

"Eeek, gnome's catching up on us. Quick, GPL it".

I think they may have missed the bus on this one. If they had released Qt under GPL earlier, the whole KDE/gnome idiotic split could have been avoided.

Why is it companies never open source stuff when things are going their way? (eg Netscape waited til Microsoft had them by the balls).

not_cub

Debian

[pyth]

ARRGGHHH!!! Why does every good thing happen _after_ a Debian release!?!?!?

GPL virus has yeat another victim

[nchip]

For immedeate release 4th september 2000

The widespread virus called 'GPL' is spreading at alarming rate. Because most patients don't notice any symptoms, 'GPL' has managed to lurk it's way into so many lines of code, that many anylysts believe that all other copyright forms are about to become extinct. RMS, the author of the virus, has been spotted partying like a wild animal and laughing his beard off.

FSF now prefers Qt/KDE over Gtk/Gnome

[Per Abrahamsen]

Well, I have seen no announcement to that effect. But given that FSF prefer libraries to be covered by the GPL rather than the LGPL, they should now consider Qt preferable over Gtk.

Since companies like Red Hat have a interest in promoting development af Linux software, free or unfree, they should still have an interest in Gtk, because the LGPL allows their customers to develop unfree applications.

Reasons from GPLing from the authors

[FattMattP]

Freshmeat has an article by the Troll Tech guys talking about why they decided to go GPL.

Except Qt is copylefted.

[yerricde]

Because Free Qt is copylefted (choice of QPL or GNU GPL), companies still have to pay the Trolls to be able to port their proprietary winsoftware to free*n?x. GTK+ on the other hand, is lesser copylefted under LGPL; it will be more popular for proprietary apps such as your precious games.
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XGNOME vs. KDE: the game!