Is there a simple explanation, in terms that a mere software engineer can understand, what the MPL license means? 1) Can I sell FS under my own guarantee and support? 2) If I write code that connects FS to an external application that I have written, does the external application have to be MPL as well? 3) Extension to previous question: What if the external application is Active Directory? Thanks, Simon
Is there a simple explanation, in terms that a mere software engineer can understand, what the MPL license means?
You can use the code for whatever purpose you want, as long as you give all changes you make to that code back to the project basically.
1) Can I sell FS under my own guarantee and support?
Yes and yes
2) If I write code that connects FS to an external application that I have written, does the external application have to be MPL as well?
No it can be whatever License you want. Of course you have to check if the license you choose to give to your application has a problem with that ;)
3) Extension to previous question: What if the external application is Active Directory?
And ?
Thanks, Simon
Simon, Welcome to FreeSWITCH. On Thu, 31 Jul 2008, Simon Shaw wrote:
Is there a simple explanation, in terms that a mere software engineer can understand, what the MPL license means?
1) Can I sell FS under my own guarantee and support?
So long as you give proper trademarks and copyright credit on what you use and how you present your "product," your own coded modules and your own support of the platform is permitted -- is how I read it. This is the basis for using the MPL licensing -- to allow people to build their business models over freeswitch -- the MPL is business friendly. Simple rule: If you're using code that you are not permitted to distribute, do not use it.
2) If I write code that connects FS to an external application that I have written, does the external application have to be MPL as well?
No. If it's via sockets, you may license the external application however you wish. That is not the best approach -- you will see a perfomance impact. - Stick to what everyone else is doing. - Remember to credit the systems that you are talking to and the code that you are using in one way or another ! - Do your absolute best to contribute back. - Many people have put a lot of years worth of hours into providing this platform for you to use. Bear in mind, that you may also rely on the freeswitch base and create your own closed source modules that talk directly to the API and compile it in instead of using sockets -- all legit within the license.
3) Extension to previous question: What if the external application is Active Directory?
dialplans/mod_dialplan_directory supports AD/LDAP, iirc -- the directory serving machine has its own licensing and is subject to what you've installed to support that dialplan info. - again, that's socket based communication -- there was, a while back, arguments re: sockets and licensing on another, different licensed platform. Someone correct me if I am wrong anywhere, please. x Thanks, m
Thanks,
Simon
participants (3)
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Matt Klein
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Michal Bielicki
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Simon Shaw