libosmo{core,vty,codec,ctrl,vty} GPL v2 vs v3

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Harald Welte laforge at gnumonks.org
Thu Sep 11 05:39:40 UTC 2014


Hi Steve and Max,

sorry for catching up that late.  It is only now in my holidays that I
finally am able to find some time to read through the osmocom mailing
lists again.

On Wed, Mar 26, 2014 at 08:17:58PM +0100, Steve Markgraf wrote:
> On 26.03.2014 18:26, Max.Suraev at fairwaves.co wrote:
> > I've just noticed (yepp, I'm very observant :) that COPYING in
> > libosmocore is GPLv2.  Is there any particular reason we still do
> > not use GPLv3?

libosmocore was started as a GPLv2+ project, in order to ensure maximum
compatibility to a variety of applications.  Some free software
applications out there are still GPLv2, and we want them to be able to
use libosmocore.

* libosmocodec is pure GPLv2+
* libosmoctrl is pure GPLv2+
* libosmovty is pure GPLv2+

> Good point, git grep "either version 3" actually shows that there are
> quite some files that are GPLv3+, so the compiled and linked binaries
> already make use of the "or any later version" of the other GPLv2+
> licensed files.

This is actually a problem, and one that needs fixing.

1) libosmogb

Most of the hits are in libosmogb, as the libosmogb code was first
developed as part of (AGPLv3+) OpenBSC/OsmoSGSN and then migrated to
libosmocore.git reporitory to be also used from osmo-pcu, not just from
the SGSN side.

The majority of the osmo-pcu codebase appears to be GPLv2+, so linking
with a GPLv3+ libosmogb is fine.  However, an AGPL libosmogb would not
be suitable.

I've reviewed the copyright ownership /authorship situation of libosmogb
and see if we can make sure that all authors agree to a GPLv3+ licensing
of it.  Based on the review, we have the following copyright holders:
* Harald Welte
* Holger Freyther
* sysmocom (Jacob, Holger?)
* Andreas Eversberg

Holger/Andreas:
* Would you agree to license libosmogb under GPLv2+ or GPLv3+?
* Do you have any preference regarding v2+ or v3+?


2) libosmocore: strrb.c / loggingrb.c

These are the only two files of libosmocore, which claim to be GPLv3+.
I would personally consider this a mistake at the time, but I've
included Katerina in the Cc.

Holger/Katerina:
* Do you remember how and why this code states it is GPLv3+ instead of
  the usual GPLv2+ in libosmocore?
* Was this intentional or a mistake?
* Irrespective of the past, would you agree to license strrb/loggingrb
  under GPLv2+?  If yes, I will commit the related code change

3) libosmogsm: gsm0411_smc.c und gsm0411_smr.c

This is due to jolly first writing them as part of osmoocomBB and then
later moving them to libosmocore.

Jolly: Can you please confirm if you are willing to license them under
GPLv2+ instead of GPLv3+ as indicated in the source code?


4) libosmogsm: the imported milenage code.

it is GPLv2 or BSD, so we have to use it under BSD license.

This should be indicated somewhere explicitly.

> So replacing COPYING with GPLv3 definitely would make sense imho.

See above, the devil is in the details, it's not that simple.

Regards,
	Harald
-- 
- Harald Welte <laforge at gnumonks.org>           http://laforge.gnumonks.org/
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