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List:       gphoto-devel
Subject:    [gphoto-devel] Re: Introduction and Comments
From:       Scott <scottf () gphoto ! net>
Date:       2000-08-15 16:12:08
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Richard Stallman wrote:

> In the case of gPhoto, there are two ways that this could happen.  One
> is by through extended versions (perhaps with additional high-level
> features) which are not free.  The other is by through non-free
> drivers that link with gPhoto.

with the versions that were extended via the source code, they would be
required to release it. There is no other means of extension to gPhoto
other than through the source unless you count the camera libraries.
Yes, a company would be able to write non-GPL'd/LGPL'd drivers and run
it legally with gPhoto. That is the company's loss though. they would
have to maintain the driver, recompile for all platforms that gPhoto
supports, and make revisions. If they choose that route, they would not
get mention in any of the gPhoto docs. We are strictly a GPL/LGPL'd
project.

> Using the LGPL for gPhoto would
> also permit these things to happen.  Non-free software developers
> would use our own work to compete with us--but we would not be able to
> use their work to compete with them.  

Would you please explain how this could happen with gPhoto? (very open
question. i am geniunely curious.)

(note: email needs some better way of conveying tone/emotion. :P
anyways...)

> Please see http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/pragmatic.html and
> http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/why-not-lgpl.html for more about this
> issue.

I have read through both of these in the past and also over the last
couple weeks. One thing that has stuck in my mind though is in the
why-not-lgpl.html document:

"The most common case is when a free library's features are readily
available for proprietary software through other alternative libraries.
In that case, the library cannot give free software any particular
advantage, so it is better to use the Library GPL for that library."

With gPhoto expanding into other platforms, it is bound to run into
proprietary competition (particularly on BeOS, Macintosh, and Windows).
I would absolutely love to see an open and free standard make headway
into these platforms, not for the user count (as was previously
mentioned), but rather for the idea itself. A Free image-acquisition
platform that is openly specified and available.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-------------------- - - -   -    -
Scott Fritzinger		email: scottf@gphoto.net
gPhoto Project			  icq: 15884777
www.gphoto.net

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