DJB's software components

[Stephen John Smoogen]

On Dec 3, 2007 10:10 PM, Matt Domsch <Matt_Domsch at dell.com> wrote:
> On Tue, Dec 04, 2007 at 05:48:24AM +0530, Tom spot Callaway wrote:
> >
> > On Mon, 2007-12-03 at 16:19 -0600, Callum Lerwick wrote:
> > > On Mon, 2007-12-03 at 13:32 +0100, Matej Cepl wrote:
> > > > Which was the reason I was shocked DJB released qmail under public domain
> > > > and why I would always prefer at least MIT/X/BSD-no-appropriation/CC-au
> > > > always. IIRC, sqlite is the only substantial software which is under
> > > > public domain and there is a reason for that.
> > >
> > > IANAL, but doesn't this mean he's effectively released it under *every*
> > > license ever written? :) Are we going to have GPL and BSD forks battling
> > > it out now?
> >
> > Its possible, but Public Domain means something closer to "no license"
> > than "every license". We could see forks battling it out, but somehow, I
> > doubt this will happen.
>
> Right - really "no license".
>
> Public Domain means anyone is free to take it and use it however they
> want - including pulling into another app and re-licensing it.
>
> One of the ways people can contribute to GNU projects is to explicitly
> assign copyright of code to the FSF.  The other way is to disclaim
> your work into the public domain, at which point the GNU project
> maintainer may pick it up and include it in a GNU-licensed
> application.  Changes to the code will carry the FSF copyright, and
> the whole will carry the GNU license.  (see
> parted/libparted/labels/gpt.c for such an example if you're curious).
>

Oh dear god.. there is the nightmare of my tech support life.. gqmail..



-- 
Stephen J Smoogen. -- CSIRT/Linux System Administrator
How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed
in a naughty world. = Shakespeare. "The Merchant of Venice"