[GRASS5] v.in.dwg license problem

[Radim Blazek]

On Thursday 15 May 2003 05:19 pm, Bernhard Reiter wrote:

I'll start about the problem with license, my reply to
your last mail is below.

OGR supports 'Oracle Spatial'. I have not find license for it, but 
I don't think it is GPL. The same situation will be with 'Open DWG' 
once added to OGR or any other non GPL library supported by OGR. 
OGR/GDAL is currently used by r.in.gdal, v.in.ogr and v.out.ogr.
So, these modules have the same problem as v.in.dwg?

More serious, direct support for OGR (any module can directly access
data supported by OGR) is under development. That concerns
all modules working with vectors. The same is planned for rasters.

Do you want to:
1) Forbid Frank to add non GPL libraries to GDAL/OGR?
2) Forbid GRASS developers to us GDAL/OGR?
3) Move all GRASS modules out from GRASS CVS?

Any other way to avoid possible linking GRASS modules to non GPL libraries?

> Part of my contribution to GRASS5.1 is running the infrastructure
> and providing licensing and process counsel.
> Both I continue to do and I consider it to be important.
> So why would't I have a vote in this?

I know that and I appreciate that. However, I am not so sure that gives you
any rights to contributed software. There are free CVS servers available ...
Do people running sourceforge.net dictate what projects contributors should do?

As you could see, I took your opinion into account and I have done 
some extra work for you. And I'll do some extra work every day,
when typing 'yes' during compilations, to remind me that GPL is bad.
Because I did not agree, I weighted your wish by your contributions,
and fulfiled it partialy only.

> I already help at least a bit as explained above,
> thus you probably don't accuse me but somebody else.

Exactly, that is why I asked other developers if v.in.dwg should be moved.

> Be reassured that I think that you are doing a great work on GRASS5.1,
> but just because you are the most active developer on this
> does not mean you should not be criticised!

Criticise, criticise! I am not talking about criticism, I am talking
about decision making. I want to listen to other developers also. I won't do 
anything which makes GRASS less usable and I don't agree with, until 
we have general consensus about that. I won't do that only because
you say 'we must' and repeate it 100 times.

There are other problems where I should be realy criticised! Vector design,
formats, code quality ... It's more difficult!
In both cases, if somebody criticises, I expect that he suggests 
something better and helps to realise that.

It is maybe time to define decision making procedures for GRASS.
Otherwise we start to quarrel. 

Radim