Quote:
Originally Posted by travellerw
These posts really need to stop. They amount to a bunch children stomping their feet because they don't understand something. I have a feeling, that if this keeps up, it will sour the attitude of the 4 main contributors to the OpenCPN project and they will move on to another project that is appreciated.
Let me post the google definition of open source.
"All Open Source software can be used for commercial purpose; the Open Source Definition guarantees this. You can even sell Open Source software. However, note that commercial is not the same as proprietary."
What does that mean.. Well it means the OpenCPN group is doing nothing wrong. It also means that anyone else if free to take the current code and fork it as they see fit (and even offer a free version of the fork on Playstore). You are also free to compile a copy and provide a download link, which has already been done by someone (with very little interest).
To the naysayers, I say, go ahead and make your own fork and offer it for free. After a couple of versions I would be interested to see how many users are using that fork as to how many continue using this main version!
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I don't have a problem with the selling of Open Source GPL2 Code. As you state I can sell a copy of any GPLV2 Compiled Code for what ever I like, a million dollars or free on the
Google Play store.
But selling is not what I am getting upset about,
Nohal / Pavel removed the last freely downloadable beta version of Android OpenCPN from the OpenCPN.org website.
Dave at around the same time released his production version on Google Play store for $9.99.
When I checked the source code I discovered Dave has added a wrapper that goes around the GPLV2 Source Code and adds a Google
license to the outside that checks whether the code has been paid for and if not it sends your android device to the play store.
YES this is Open Source GPLv2 code sending you to Google to pay
money.
So I checked the code and If you compile the code for OpenCPN on Github it will compile a OpenCPN for Android but it will not run. It will tell you your open source GPLv2 OpenCPN is not licensed to run!
+import com.google.android.vending.licensing.LicenseChecke r;
td p { margin-bottom: 0cm; }p { margin-bottom: 0.25cm; line-height: 120%; } } else {
// Otherwise, the user is not licensed to use this app.
// Your response should always inform the user that the application
// is not licensed, but your behavior at that point can vary. You might
// provide the user a limited access version of your app or you can
// take them to Google Play to
purchase the app.
mLicenseHandler.post(new Runnable() {
public void run() {
Log.i("OpenCPN", "License: dontAllow(), NOT LICENSED");public void run() {
I would be totally delighted to be proven wrong here but.. this is not the spirit . Nor is this allowed in the GPLv2
License. The user , any user is always allowed to use a GPLv2 licensed code. They do not need to get permission off Google.
So basically if you take the OpenCPN GPLv2 open source code base for Android to A small island and get all the
kids to compile it they will not be able to make it
work unless thy pay $9.95 to Google.
I don't know about you but this is not what I got into OpenCPN community for. OpenCPN has to be Free and Open and share and Share alike. Built by volunteer boaters.
Money will destroy OpenCPN.