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HP Launches FOSSology Open Source Tracking Tool

Posted by kdawson on from the it-is-not-a-lawyer dept.

cpudney writes "An article in Computerworld UK reports on a new open source analysis initiative launched by Hewlett-Packard. The FOSSology Project's mission is to 'build a community to facilitate the study of Free and Open Source Software by providing free data analysis tools.' The first such tool reports how an open source project is licensed. Rather than simply collecting a project's advertised license, the tool analyzes all of the source code for a given project and reports all of the licenses being used, based on the license declarations and tell-tale phrases that identify software licensing. A video demonstrating the tool applied to abiword is available. The FOSSology source code is licensed under GPLv2."

3 of 62 comments (clear)

  1. Video Summary: 2 files not compatible with GPL by benad · · Score: 5, Informative

    For those that don't want to load the video, there is two files in Abiword (hash.cpp and tword.cpp) that use the original BSD license (with the "obnoxious" advertising clause) and are incompatible with the project's GPLv2 license. Oops.

  2. Don't Let SCO see this. by WallyDrinkBeer · · Score: 5, Funny

    This could be a disaster.

    SCO will run Linux through this tool and find out all the stuff in their that has /* Copyright 1982 SCO */ in the headers.

    Arghh.

  3. not if the advertisement clause is present by keeboo · · Score: 5, Informative

    Please feel free to learn more about this issue.