[Mageia-webteam] Need help for mageia-app-db's licence

[andre999]

Samuel Verschelde a écrit :
>
> Hi,
>
> In the process of releasing mageia-app-db 0.1, we have to fix licensing issues.
> Could someone help us on that ?
>
> I never released free software before, so I'd like to know what to do once the
> licence has been chosen :
> - create a simple LICENSE file at the root of the project ?
> - add a notice in every source file ? (there are lots of them, many
> automatically generated by the framework mechanisms)
> - other ?
>
> Among the possible licences, there's Gnu Affero GPLv3, which forces anyone
> running the software (or one of its derivatives) on a server to make the
> source code available to users. However, I don't know if this license is
> compatible with our XML-RPC querying sophie.zarb.org when needed (does the Gnu
> Affero GPLv3 imply that we must also give sophie's source code to users (sophie
> being a separate project from Olivier Thauvin), and does it imply that sophie
> should be under the Gnu Affero GPLv3 licence ? I think not but I'd like to be
> sure.
>
> Regards
>
> Samuel Verschelde

Hi Samuel

I'm no expert, but reading the Affero GPLv3 licence, it looks like it is 
what you're looking for.

In section (1) Source Code, it requires releasing "Corresponding 
Source", defined as :
----
The "Corresponding Source" for a work in object code form means all the 
source code needed to generate, install, and (for an executable work) 
run the object code and to modify the work, including scripts to control 
those activities. However, it does not include the work's System 
Libraries, or general-purpose tools or generally available free programs 
which are used unmodified in performing those activities but which are 
not part of the work. For example, Corresponding Source includes 
interface definition files associated with source files for the work, 
and the source code for shared libraries and dynamically linked 
subprograms that the work is specifically designed to require, such as 
by intimate data communication or control flow between those subprograms 
and other parts of the work.
----
So it wouldn't require you to release sophie source code, since you are 
only using it unmodified.  It is not part of mageia-app-db.

Under the heading "How to Apply These Terms to Your New Programs",
  it suggests attaching a brief copyright notice at the beginning of 
each source file, with a pointer to where the full notice is found.
Also adding info on how to contact you by "electronic and paper mail"

See http://www.gnu.org/licenses/agpl.html

Regards
André