this post was submitted on 20 Dec 2023
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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[–] woelkchen@lemmy.world 26 points 11 months ago (25 children)

All Canonical contributions have been relicensed and are now under AGPLv3. Community contributions remain under Apache 2.0.

So they can happily port over code from the Incus fork but Incus cannot import the code without changing the license first. It's meant to be a one-way street. Typical Canonical.

[–] juli@programming.dev 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)
[–] woelkchen@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Yes but I don't know what you don't understand. One-directional flow of FLOSS licenses?

[–] Patch@feddit.uk 12 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Projects which choose BSD/Apache type licences do so fully in the knowledge that their code may be incorporated into projects with different licences. That's literally the point: it's considered a feature of the licence. These projects are explicitly OK with their code going proprietary, for example. If they weren't OK with it, they'd use a GPL-type copyleft licence instead, as that's conversely the literal point of those licences.

Being mad about your Apache code being incorporated into a GPL project would make no sense, and certainly wouldn't garner any sympathy from most people in the FOSS community.

[–] woelkchen@lemmy.world -1 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Yes and by not continuing that licensing but instead adopting AGPL+CLA Canonical create their usual one way street.

[–] mexicancartel@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Its not a one way street but this makes more libre thing. Canonical didnt make it proprietary to create a one way street but made it more libre by adopting AGPL license which gives users more rights to the code

[–] woelkchen@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Its not a one way street but this makes more libre thing. Canonical didnt make it proprietary to create a one way street but made it more libre by adopting AGPL license which gives users more rights to the code

Why is there still a CLA that allows them and only them to sell proprietary versions then? Don't fall for Canonical's PR bullshit.

Read https://github.com/canonical/lxd/blob/main/CONTRIBUTING.md#license-and-copyright

[–] caseyweederman@lemmy.ca 1 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Could you expand on that? What is it that makes that possible?

[–] DampCanary@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

In short incus has Apache 2.0 copyright licene that states:

You may add Your own copyright statement to Your modifications and may provide additional or different license terms and conditions for use, reproduction, or distribution of Your modifications, or for any such Derivative Works as a whole

While AGPL v3.0 that Canonical just adopted states:

You may convey a work based on the Program, or the modifications to produce it from the Program, in the form of source code under the terms of section 4, provided that you also meet all of these conditions:

. . .

You must license the entire work, as a whole, under this License to anyone who comes into possession of a copy ...

Meaning if incus uses any part of Canonicals source their code can't be licenced under Apache but rather AGPL v3.0, which pulls any other derivative of incus.

[–] caseyweederman@lemmy.ca 2 points 11 months ago

That's very informative, thank you.

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