Fossil SCM

Distilled the points about "GPL + CLA = commrecial interests" to only the bits essential to the "Fossil vs Git" argument.

wyoung 2019-07-12 15:29 UTC bsd-vs-gpl
Commit ba1fa73b8708f51702c848fab12fe98e7b3471adcef2a1a946292dc3404e10ec
1 file changed +5 -10
--- www/fossil-v-git.wiki
+++ www/fossil-v-git.wiki
@@ -155,11 +155,12 @@
155155
Fossil was specifically designed to support the development of SQLite.
156156
157157
SQLite is much more widely deployed than the Linux kernel, but for
158158
Linux-based systems, the kernel is the more fundamental component.
159159
Although both projects must rank high on any objective list of "most
160
-important FOSS projects," the two projects are almost entirely unlike
160
+important [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_and_open-source_software|FOSS]
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+projects," the two projects are almost entirely unlike
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one another, and this shows up in the design choices of the tools
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created to support them.
163164
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The Linux kernel uses a bazaar-style development model. There are thousands and
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thousands of contributors, most of whom do not know each others names.
@@ -300,20 +301,14 @@
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This difference in outlook allows a GPL-based project to do without a
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[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contributor_License_Agreement|constributor
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license agreement] (CLA) because by the very act of distributing
303304
binaries, you are bound to also distribute the source under a compatible
304305
license. There are GPL-based projects that do require a CLA, but this is
305
-typically done in order to allow a corporation to "own" the
306
-contributions so that it can legally relicense them to those who do not
307
-wish to be subject to the GPL. The GPL is being used in this case not so
308
-much to promote the FOSS philosophy but as a prod to drive companies
309
-toward the "commercial version," which is naturally available only for a
310
-significant fee. Because a CLA is unnecessary for the legal integrity of
311
-a GPL-based
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+usually done to further commercial interests rather than to maintain
307
+the legal integrity of the
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[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_and_open-source_software|FOSS]
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-project, it's often dispensed with when there aren't other
314
-considerations pushing the organization to require one.
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+project itself.
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Contrast a BSD-style project, where contributions are not automatically
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relicensed merely by being distributed with the preexisting BSD code.
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Such projects often require a CLA even when there are no corporate
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interests, to ensure
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--- www/fossil-v-git.wiki
+++ www/fossil-v-git.wiki
@@ -155,11 +155,12 @@
155 Fossil was specifically designed to support the development of SQLite.
156
157 SQLite is much more widely deployed than the Linux kernel, but for
158 Linux-based systems, the kernel is the more fundamental component.
159 Although both projects must rank high on any objective list of "most
160 important FOSS projects," the two projects are almost entirely unlike
 
161 one another, and this shows up in the design choices of the tools
162 created to support them.
163
164 The Linux kernel uses a bazaar-style development model. There are thousands and
165 thousands of contributors, most of whom do not know each others names.
@@ -300,20 +301,14 @@
300 This difference in outlook allows a GPL-based project to do without a
301 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contributor_License_Agreement|constributor
302 license agreement] (CLA) because by the very act of distributing
303 binaries, you are bound to also distribute the source under a compatible
304 license. There are GPL-based projects that do require a CLA, but this is
305 typically done in order to allow a corporation to "own" the
306 contributions so that it can legally relicense them to those who do not
307 wish to be subject to the GPL. The GPL is being used in this case not so
308 much to promote the FOSS philosophy but as a prod to drive companies
309 toward the "commercial version," which is naturally available only for a
310 significant fee. Because a CLA is unnecessary for the legal integrity of
311 a GPL-based
312 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_and_open-source_software|FOSS]
313 project, it's often dispensed with when there aren't other
314 considerations pushing the organization to require one.
315
316 Contrast a BSD-style project, where contributions are not automatically
317 relicensed merely by being distributed with the preexisting BSD code.
318 Such projects often require a CLA even when there are no corporate
319 interests, to ensure
320
--- www/fossil-v-git.wiki
+++ www/fossil-v-git.wiki
@@ -155,11 +155,12 @@
155 Fossil was specifically designed to support the development of SQLite.
156
157 SQLite is much more widely deployed than the Linux kernel, but for
158 Linux-based systems, the kernel is the more fundamental component.
159 Although both projects must rank high on any objective list of "most
160 important [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_and_open-source_software|FOSS]
161 projects," the two projects are almost entirely unlike
162 one another, and this shows up in the design choices of the tools
163 created to support them.
164
165 The Linux kernel uses a bazaar-style development model. There are thousands and
166 thousands of contributors, most of whom do not know each others names.
@@ -300,20 +301,14 @@
301 This difference in outlook allows a GPL-based project to do without a
302 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contributor_License_Agreement|constributor
303 license agreement] (CLA) because by the very act of distributing
304 binaries, you are bound to also distribute the source under a compatible
305 license. There are GPL-based projects that do require a CLA, but this is
306 usually done to further commercial interests rather than to maintain
307 the legal integrity of the
 
 
 
 
 
308 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_and_open-source_software|FOSS]
309 project itself.
 
310
311 Contrast a BSD-style project, where contributions are not automatically
312 relicensed merely by being distributed with the preexisting BSD code.
313 Such projects often require a CLA even when there are no corporate
314 interests, to ensure
315

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