Request to relicense hash gnulib module to LGPLv2+
libguestfs (an LGPLv2+ library) uses the 'hash' module, which turns out to be "GPL". Actually this happened because we started to use it in a separate GPL'd utility program, but later on included this functionality in the core library, copying the same code from the utility but not checking the license of 'hash'. We'd therefore like to request that 'hash' is relicensed as LGPLv2+. If this is not possible, we will have to rewrite the code, probably implementing our own hash table, which would be a shame because hash works well for our needs. Notes: - the code doesn't appear to call exit (it does call abort), and so seems to be suitable for a library - hash-pjw which we also use is already licensed as LGPLv2+ - it looks like the original author was Jim Meyering (CC'd) - the dependencies are all LGPLv2+ Rich. -- Richard Jones, Virtualization Group, Red Hat http://people.redhat.com/~rjones virt-top is 'top' for virtual machines. Tiny program with many powerful monitoring features, net stats, disk stats, logging, etc. http://people.redhat.com/~rjones/virt-top
On Wed, Aug 28, 2013 at 06:51:11PM +0100, Richard W.M. Jones wrote:
libguestfs (an LGPLv2+ library) uses the 'hash' module, which turns out to be "GPL".
Actually this happened because we started to use it in a separate GPL'd utility program, but later on included this functionality in the core library, copying the same code from the utility but not checking the license of 'hash'.
We'd therefore like to request that 'hash' is relicensed as LGPLv2+. If this is not possible, we will have to rewrite the code, probably implementing our own hash table, which would be a shame because hash works well for our needs.
Notes:
- the code doesn't appear to call exit (it does call abort), and so seems to be suitable for a library
- hash-pjw which we also use is already licensed as LGPLv2+
- it looks like the original author was Jim Meyering (CC'd)
- the dependencies are all LGPLv2+
Any comments? Rich. -- Richard Jones, Virtualization Group, Red Hat http://people.redhat.com/~rjones Fedora Windows cross-compiler. Compile Windows programs, test, and build Windows installers. Over 100 libraries supported. http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/MinGW
On 08/28/2013 11:51 AM, Richard W.M. Jones wrote:
libguestfs (an LGPLv2+ library) uses the 'hash' module, which turns out to be "GPL".
Actually this happened because we started to use it in a separate GPL'd utility program, but later on included this functionality in the core library, copying the same code from the utility but not checking the license of 'hash'.
We'd therefore like to request that 'hash' is relicensed as LGPLv2+. If this is not possible, we will have to rewrite the code, probably implementing our own hash table, which would be a shame because hash works well for our needs.
Notes:
- the code doesn't appear to call exit (it does call abort), and so seems to be suitable for a library
- hash-pjw which we also use is already licensed as LGPLv2+
- it looks like the original author was Jim Meyering (CC'd)
Adding all other authors based on git history, to try and spur this along (Paul, Simon, Bruno, and myself). I give consent for the patches I've made.
- the dependencies are all LGPLv2+
The fact that Bruno has been notably silent on this list for several months may be a problem; we have several outstanding requests for a looser license on these and other modules where Bruno has made non-trivial contributions. It may be time to ask rms if the FSF can do the relicensing, rather than our current policy of tracking down all contributors and asking them to use their grant-back clause of their FSF copyright assignment as our backdoor of not having to involve the FSF. -- Eric Blake eblake redhat com +1-919-301-3266 Libvirt virtualization library http://libvirt.org
I'm fine relicensing hash, I don't recall doing anything significant in it. /Simon Eric Blake <eblake@redhat.com> skrev:
libguestfs (an LGPLv2+ library) uses the 'hash' module, which turns out to be "GPL".
Actually this happened because we started to use it in a separate GPL'd utility program, but later on included this functionality in
On 08/28/2013 11:51 AM, Richard W.M. Jones wrote: the
core library, copying the same code from the utility but not checking the license of 'hash'.
We'd therefore like to request that 'hash' is relicensed as LGPLv2+. If this is not possible, we will have to rewrite the code, probably implementing our own hash table, which would be a shame because hash works well for our needs.
Notes:
- the code doesn't appear to call exit (it does call abort), and so seems to be suitable for a library
- hash-pjw which we also use is already licensed as LGPLv2+
- it looks like the original author was Jim Meyering (CC'd)
Adding all other authors based on git history, to try and spur this along (Paul, Simon, Bruno, and myself). I give consent for the patches I've made.
- the dependencies are all LGPLv2+
The fact that Bruno has been notably silent on this list for several months may be a problem; we have several outstanding requests for a looser license on these and other modules where Bruno has made non-trivial contributions. It may be time to ask rms if the FSF can do the relicensing, rather than our current policy of tracking down all contributors and asking them to use their grant-back clause of their FSF copyright assignment as our backdoor of not having to involve the FSF.
Eric Blake wrote:
It may be time to ask rms if the FSF can do the relicensing, rather than our current policy of tracking down all contributors and asking them to use their grant-back clause of their FSF copyright assignment as our backdoor of not having to involve the FSF.
It wouldn't hurt to ask rms this once, but I wouldn't want to bother him with minor requests like this every time they comes up. We have a general guideline that it's ok to relicense gnulib libraryish code using the LGPL, and all that's arguably needed is for rms to review the guideline.
On Wed, Aug 28, 2013 at 06:51:11PM +0100, Richard W.M. Jones wrote:
libguestfs (an LGPLv2+ library) uses the 'hash' module, which turns out to be "GPL".
Actually this happened because we started to use it in a separate GPL'd utility program, but later on included this functionality in the core library, copying the same code from the utility but not checking the license of 'hash'.
We'd therefore like to request that 'hash' is relicensed as LGPLv2+. If this is not possible, we will have to rewrite the code, probably implementing our own hash table, which would be a shame because hash works well for our needs.
Notes:
- the code doesn't appear to call exit (it does call abort), and so seems to be suitable for a library
- hash-pjw which we also use is already licensed as LGPLv2+
- it looks like the original author was Jim Meyering (CC'd)
- the dependencies are all LGPLv2+
I'm going to write (or find) a new hash implementation for libguestfs really soon. Is there any final chance this will be relicensed? Rich. -- Richard Jones, Virtualization Group, Red Hat http://people.redhat.com/~rjones libguestfs lets you edit virtual machines. Supports shell scripting, bindings from many languages. http://libguestfs.org
On Tue, Nov 5, 2013 at 7:51 AM, Richard W.M. Jones <rjones@redhat.com> wrote:
On Wed, Aug 28, 2013 at 06:51:11PM +0100, Richard W.M. Jones wrote:
libguestfs (an LGPLv2+ library) uses the 'hash' module, which turns out to be "GPL".
Actually this happened because we started to use it in a separate GPL'd utility program, but later on included this functionality in the core library, copying the same code from the utility but not checking the license of 'hash'.
We'd therefore like to request that 'hash' is relicensed as LGPLv2+. If this is not possible, we will have to rewrite the code, probably implementing our own hash table, which would be a shame because hash works well for our needs.
Notes:
- the code doesn't appear to call exit (it does call abort), and so seems to be suitable for a library
- hash-pjw which we also use is already licensed as LGPLv2+
- it looks like the original author was Jim Meyering (CC'd)
- the dependencies are all LGPLv2+
I'm going to write (or find) a new hash implementation for libguestfs really soon. Is there any final chance this will be relicensed?
Hi Rich, Sorry I didn't reply sooner. Somehow I missed this thread completely. libguestfs is definitely a good argument for making hash LGPLv2. I agree to relax its license to LGPLv2, and have just pushed this change:
On Tue, Nov 05, 2013 at 08:29:15AM -0800, Jim Meyering wrote:
On Tue, Nov 5, 2013 at 7:51 AM, Richard W.M. Jones <rjones@redhat.com> wrote:
On Wed, Aug 28, 2013 at 06:51:11PM +0100, Richard W.M. Jones wrote:
libguestfs (an LGPLv2+ library) uses the 'hash' module, which turns out to be "GPL".
Actually this happened because we started to use it in a separate GPL'd utility program, but later on included this functionality in the core library, copying the same code from the utility but not checking the license of 'hash'.
We'd therefore like to request that 'hash' is relicensed as LGPLv2+. If this is not possible, we will have to rewrite the code, probably implementing our own hash table, which would be a shame because hash works well for our needs.
Notes:
- the code doesn't appear to call exit (it does call abort), and so seems to be suitable for a library
- hash-pjw which we also use is already licensed as LGPLv2+
- it looks like the original author was Jim Meyering (CC'd)
- the dependencies are all LGPLv2+
I'm going to write (or find) a new hash implementation for libguestfs really soon. Is there any final chance this will be relicensed?
Hi Rich, Sorry I didn't reply sooner. Somehow I missed this thread completely. libguestfs is definitely a good argument for making hash LGPLv2. I agree to relax its license to LGPLv2, and have just pushed this change:
Cheers Jim, that's good news. Rich. -- Richard Jones, Virtualization Group, Red Hat http://people.redhat.com/~rjones Read my programming blog: http://rwmj.wordpress.com Fedora now supports 80 OCaml packages (the OPEN alternative to F#)
participants (5)
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Eric Blake -
Jim Meyering -
Paul Eggert -
Richard W.M. Jones -
Simon Josefsson