Re: [myhdl-list] Proposal to change license of wwww.myhdl.org

[Jan D. <ja...@ja...>]

On 05/02/2011 04:45 PM, Christopher Lozinski wrote:
>> Let's see, what problem could that be?
> MyHDL is not going anywhere fast.  Of course just this morning that
> lovely Spanish introductory python material showed up, as if to
> disprove my beliefs.  But the larger issues is still there.  The
> class libraries, the board interfaces, the test cases are just not
> there.    To be specific, it does not have the functionality I need
> to build my project.  And nothing visible is happening on the mailing
> list.
>
>> Right from the start, you made it very clear that you were looking
>> for a closed-source project.
> That is not entirely correct.  I rather like the idea of the core
> being LGPL, meaning you are not allowed to make money reselling it.
> I like the idea of the class libraries and content being more open,
> like Zope public libraries, meaning you are allowed to resell them.

This illustrates very well why it so tiresome to discuss
with you. You change opinions all the time, without getting
the basic facts right.

Now you suddenly like the LGPL. I guess I should be happy,
but I'm not. You were against it for the wrong reasons, and now
you like it, also for the wrong reasons.

The difference between (L)GPL and "public" licenses is not that
you are allowed to resell or not. If you manage to sell (L)GPL
licensed software for millions of dollars, I think you would
instantly become Richard Stallman's biggest hero. The ultimate
proof of his concept. (It may not be easy, but that is really a
different issue.)

The difference is whether you can close the source of a modified
version, or not. With (L)GPL you cannot, with "public"
licenses you can. In the worst case, if two projects are
based on my codebase, and mine stays open and yours is closed,
you could start making legal troubles about my project, based
on my own hard work. That is why I don't like "public"
licenses (and why I think Richard Stallman is a genius, for
making free software *feasible*.)

>> Actually, some went to work immediately with considerable efforts.
>>
> Let me correct you.  Chris Felton and Jan Coombs, did brilliant
> work, but we later learned we were working under different
> assumptions.

Such an unfortunate order of events should be avoided.

>> There must be something in your approach that they dislike very
>> much.
> That is very clear to me.  There are those, Richard Stallman
> included, who do not like companies make money off their software,
> and so despite the good marketing name, "open source",  they close
> the source to commercial use.   Coming from the Zope community, I had
> not understood how strong those sentiments were.

Again, the facts are wrong. (L)GPL is not about closing
the source to commercial use. It is about keeping the source,
and its derivatives, open to any use.

Anyway, you suggest that the reason why people over here dislike
your approach is that they are "open-source heroes". Perhaps,
I don't know. I would be really surprized though, and my
guess is the reasons are much more down-to-earth.

> But in this case, we have a problem, that MyHDL is not growing as
> fast as we would like, and furthermore, the class libraries and test
> harnesses are barely there.   They certainly do not meet my needs.
>
> I am just pointing out a problem.  Please do not shoot the messenger.
> I would appreciate it if those who  agreed with my position would
> also speak up.

The diagnosis is not really the problem. I have posted a similar one
on April 4 myself, so I have no intention to shoot the messenger.

>> The real question is how it is even possible to waste so much
>> goodwill in such a small period of time.
> I like the saying, "Hard on issues, soft on people".  Please let us
> stay focused on what it takes to build MyHDL into the thriving
> community that it deserves to be.  Let us figure out what strong
> medicine this weak patient needs.  I am sorry if strong medicine
> tastes bad.

A bad taste doesn't make it a strong medicine.

-- 
Jan Decaluwe - Resources bvba - http://www.jandecaluwe.com
     Python as a HDL: http://www.myhdl.org
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