MPL license and lazarus
Brought to you by:
anthonysteele
Menu
▾
▴
Hello.
We want to integrate some code formatter into lazarus. We found that jedi code format is the best at moment (at least between free code formatters), but jcf has MPL license which is incompatible with lazarus license :(
Have you ever thought to release jcf under dual license? Lazarus is a GPL application and cannot be linked with MPL code. Usually dual license solves the problem.
If you release it under gpl/lgpl/modified lgpl (as lazarus and fpc) we will be able to integrate your formatter into lazarus. Ofcource process is not that easy - we should adapt delphi code at first for FreePascal and later for LCL.
FreePascal and lazarus already collaborate with another jedi projects and some jedi code already released under dual license. If you release code formatter under dual license it will be great.
Thanks.
Paul Ishenin.
Hi
I have no objection to dual-licensing the code formatter under GPL. It has been raised before. What do I need to do in order to make this happen?
My use of the full JCL and JVCL libraries was raised as an interop and versioning problem. Is the solution here to include some cut-down Jedi in the formatter code tree?
I asked about what is needed and got answer that it is enough to write something like:
Alternatively, the contents of this file may be used under the terms of
[some gnu license]
You are free to limit the alternative license to some conditions.
If you choose the GPL or LGPL, then you must provide not only the
sources, but also the compile scripts (e.g. Makefiles) 'for the
preferred form of the work for making modifications to it'.
As I know for delphi you already have compile scripts (can bpg be treated as compile script?). And we will do compile scription for FreePascal/lazarus if you accept.
Paul Ishenin.
So, modify the licence headers? I can look into doing that over the weekend.
Is GPL or LGPL preferred? The JCL and JVCL code linked in cannot be legally linked under the greater GPL, unless you have that under GPL as well, and the IDE pluggin certainly cannot be used in the Delphi IDE under the greater GPL. But I suppose they are all covered by the MPL already.
Delphi doesn't use makefiles or build scripts, but the project files (.dpr, .bpg) serve the same purpose.
Note that not all of these are maintained anymore – the .dfm form format changed after Delphi 7, and getting it to build in Delphi 7 or earlier versions would require a copy of all the forms.
Is the JCL/JVCL code an issue at all?
AFAIK .dpr files are enough.
GPL: derived work must be GNU license too.
LGPL: allows dynamic linking to GNU license incompatible code.
modified LGPL as used by the FCL and LCL: allows static and dynamic linking to GNU license incompatible code.
Lazarus needs the code formatter in the IDE, which is GPL, so any of the three licenses are sufficient. It's your decision, if you want to allow more.
I think I need to decode few acronyms since not everybody familiar with lazarus and freepascal :)
FCL - freepascal component library
LCL - lazarus component library (as VCL).
I think I will go for the full GPL - if you want to link to this code, you can already do so under the terms of the MPL. That's how the IDE Plugin is legal.
Hi
JCF 2.37 is now avaialble, with a Dual licence of MPL 1.1 or GPL 2.0 or greater.
Have fun, guys.
Big thanks. We will start soon.