Re: [Opengc-devel] status/Avsim conference update/RFC

[Damion S. <be...@cs...>]

Thanks for the feedback!

> I think, the "multi sim/platform support" should remain the primary
> "selling point" for OpenGC. ("Selling point" not meant literally here)

Agreed. We're still unique in that respect.

> Have you considered 'modularizing' OpenGC (not necessarily on the 
> binary
> level, eg. shared objects/dlls/plugins, maybe on the source level...)

<snip>

> That way, every user/developer of OpenGC could profit from those
> changes. I think such a development model is much more viable than
> having a(nother) closed source Glass Cockpit Software.

Ok. Do you think it would be possible to reach an agreement to 
relicense the "base code" portion of OpenGC under the LGPL or BSD?

> My ideas go along the lines of how Mozilla/Netscape or
> OpenOffice/StarOffice are orginized and developed.
> Both have a free version and also a commerical version with a few more
> things added to it that could not go into the free/opensource version.

There are a few technical issues (handling multiple GUI interfaces for 
example) that would have to be addressed, but they're probably not 
insurmountable.

> For me the most important about OpenGC is the fact its free software 
> and
> the code is open source.

Well, that's what I had hoped for as well. Any ideas about how to drum 
up more interest in contributing to the code base?

> I don't believe that there is a big market for this. Most of it is
> already taken by PM.

This is what I spent over an hour talking to Enrico about at the Avsim 
conference. He doesn't agree that PM will always dominate the market, 
and has in fact expressed frustration that he's a bit overwhelmed by 
requests for new features. He would like "competition", if only to 
relieve some of the development pressure.

> Why not set up a model (eg on "contractual basis") that all gauges that
> are developed (even for money) to be made free/opensource after its
> finished. What I mean is: some company wants a gauge for eg. their
> homebuilt aircraft systems. They pay you to write it. When its 
> finished,
> they load OpenGC and the gauge they paid for onto their hardware. They
> sell this hardware with OpenGC and that gauge in it to their homebuilt
> customers. You put that code into CVS. They got what they wanted. 
> OpenGC
> has another gauge. You earned some money.

This is what I spent a bunch of time talking to Austin about. He has 
similar relationships with several companies that use X-Plane in their 
businesses; they pay him to add features with the understanding that 
whatever is created gets rolled back into the main release of X-Plane.

I think this is a _very_ good model under which to operate. I have 
worked in close cooperation with a company called Kitware at work, and 
one of their main products (VTK) is released under a similar model. If 
you're curious, the copyright under which they release their code can 
be found at:

http://www.kitware.com/Copyright.htm

The difference I see here is that without the ability to "hold back" 
some features, in the case where _I_ am the company doing the homebuilt 
aircraft development, there is really no way to fund the development of 
gauges that require a cash investment. In other words, I'd be perfectly 
happy if the following were true:

1) OpenGC still exists as open source
2) Anyone can contribute code to the open source version
3) I'm allowed to develop closed source add-ons that make OpenGC viable 
in the homebuilt aircraft market.

This requires something along the lines of a BSD/LGPL license. As long 
as everyone can agree to switch to that, I'm perfectly happy. My ONLY 
interest is being able to pursue an interesting new avenue of 
development that I don't think is possible operating purely under the 
GPL. I have absolutely zero interest in stopping development of OpenGC 
if there's a way to keep it open source yet still pursue commercial 
goals.

Thoughts? Opinions? John - since you're the other major developer in 
the history of OpenGC, what do you think about this?

Cheers,
-Damion-

---------
Damion Shelton
Carnegie Mellon University, Robotics Institute
A408-o Newell Simon Hall
412.268.3866 (office)
412.818.8829 (cell)
412.268.6436 (fax)
http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~beowulf
---------
I hope that after I die, people will say of me: "That guy sure owed me 
a lot of money."