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Kern Sibbald wrote:
> On Thursday 07 June 2007 22:27, John Stoffel wrote:
>> Kern> As you probably know, Bacula is released with a modified GNU GPL
>> Kern> licence. The Bacula license modifies the GPL to permit Bacula
>> Kern> to link to OpenSSL. This was necessary because using MySQL
>> Kern> libraries requires OpenSSL. This modification was suggested by
>> Kern> Debian to bring Bacula in compliance with their procedures.
>>
>> Sounds good so far.
>>
>> Kern> The problem comes from including pure GNU GPL code, which is not
>> Kern> compatible with the OpenSSL license, inside Bacula itself (there
>> Kern> are something like 8 such files). This works in the same way
>> Kern> that Debian would not allow Bacula as pure GNU GPL to link with
>> Kern> OpenSSL. If Bacula uses any pure GNU GPL code then that code
>> Kern> cannot be subject to the GNU GPL modifications, and that code
>> Kern> technically cannot linked and distributed with Bacula because of
>> Kern> OpenSSL.
>>
>> So which 8 files are these and can they be re-written? Maybe I'm
>> misunderstanding what you mean by "Pure GPL" code?
>
> By pure GPL code, I meant code that has a non-modified GPL license (and is
> copyrighted by other people).
>
>> Are these files
>> from software released by the GNU organization?
>>
>> Kern> I suspect that a lot of GPL projects are in a similar situation,
>> Kern> but they do not explicitly point out the exception as Bacula
>> Kern> does. The real bummer here is that this issue was flagged by
>> Kern> someone involved in the Fedora packaging process. From what I
>> Kern> understand (I may be wrong here), Fedora and hence Red Hat will
>> Kern> not use Bacula because it uses some pure GPL code and OpenSSL
>> Kern> together raising potential license problems -- after the
>> Kern> problems with SCO and threats from Microsoft, their license
>> Kern> concerns are quite understandable.
>>
>> Sure, I can understand this.
>>
>> Kern> This is not a show-stopping issue because at least for the
>> Kern> moment, no author of pure GNU GPL code is lodging a complaint.
>> Kern> In addition as I mentioned in a previous email, this issue could
>> Kern> potentially be resolved by GPL v3 (due at the end of the month,
>> Kern> if I remember right) because it is compatible with the Apache
>> Kern> license, which is apparently what OpenSSL uses.
>>
>> Yup, Openssl uses the Apache license.
>>
>> Kern> In the mean time, until this problem is resolved, I've freezed
>> Kern> all inclusion of new GPL code (copyrighted by others) in Bacula.
>>
>> So basically, you're saying that people who contribute code to bacula
>> under the GPL license (which is what they need to do to get it
>> distributed) can't contribute anymore?
>>
>> Kern> The really complicated aspect of the above is that if you build
>> Kern> a program such as Bacula using all your own code, and you use
>> Kern> OpenSSL then in linking it, you just happen to drag some GPL'ed
>> Kern> code from some library directly into your binary (most
>> Kern> libararies are shared objects so do not become part of your
>> Kern> binary), as is the case with the statically linked Bacula used
>> Kern> in the rescue package, you are in violation of the GPL if you
>> Kern> distribute such a binary.
>>
>> Ah... now I see, it's the static linking part which causes the
>> problems.
>>
>> Kern> It seems that the only solution is that if you use GPL code, you
>> Kern> must use *all* GPL compatible code (not so easy), and if you
>> Kern> don't use it, you shouldn't even use the system libraries if
>> Kern> there is any chance they could be accidentally linked into your
>> Kern> program.
>>
>> It's an interesting point for sure. In this case, it all hinges on
>> the OpenSSL people and their use of the Apache license. Which I would
>> assume would actually be a bigger issue since Apache uses that license
>> and I'm SURE that there are alot more Apache setups out there than
>> Bacula.
>>
>> So how does Debian/Fedora work around Apache using the MySQL libraries
>> with the openssl stuff? Or do they just punt because Apache (as they
>> distribute it) only does dynamic linking?
>>
>> Honestly, I think you're over-reacting here to closing down
>> submissions from people.
>
> I never said that I was closing down submissions from people. I said that I
> was not accepting any GPL'ed code. Submissions come from people who have
> transferred their copyright.
Would this only, the, apply to programmers who had written something
previously that was applicable to backups and then inserted into Bacula,
or perhaps situations in which people wrote code that was intended for
Bacula, but then instead of just making it part of the Bacula project,
they independently copyrighted it?
It's unclear to me what a developer would need to do differently.
Granted this doesn't matter a whole lot to me as I don't really do any
programming, but I'm curious as the explanation is a little confusing.
I'm not sure if that's just me since I'm unfamiliar with this stuff, or
whether it's the description.
Thanks!
- --
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|Y#| | | |\/| | \ |\ | | |Ryan Novosielski - Systems Programmer III
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