Re: GNOME Roadmap

[David Sugar <dyfet ostel com>]

I have also read that section.  I am not trying to provoke an argument or even 
to elaborate on my own views, but I am simply asking, for clarification, on 
why it was considered "important" to enable others (ISV's, whomever) to be 
able to create commercially redistributable proprietary software.  Is this 
expressly in reference to media frameworks, or is it implied for the whole of 
GNOME?  My own reading was that this was specific to the issue of media 
frameworks.  I am also quite open to the possibility that special and 
somewhat difficult hurdles may exist in providing unencumbered and 
commercially redistributable free software media services.  I simply wish to 
hear a further elaboration of the intent and meaning of this statement.

David

On Wednesday 05 May 2004 06:35 pm, Ronald Bultje wrote:
> Hi,
>
> On Wed, 5 May 2004, Dave Camp wrote:
> > The foundation board has been working on a Roadmap document.  I just put
> > the current draft at:
> > http://www.gnome.org/~campd/gnome-roadmap.txt
> > We'd like contributors to take a look at it and comment.  After some
> > discussion we'll be sending this to the Advisory Board and posting it on
> > the foundation web site.
>
> In the media section:
>
>      "- There is an explicit goal that the platform be LGPL or more
>         liberal in order to allow ISVs to use the platform to create
>         proprietary software.  This policy has never been formally
>         documented.  Both of the proposed media options have open
>         legal questions.  The Helix framework is not LGPL- or GPL-
>         compatible.  It is unclear that the GStreamer license
> 	allows for proprietary codec implementations."
>
> Could you specify what exactly is unclear? Is that related to the fact
> that GStreamer contains GPL plugins and that those might interfere with
> closed-source plugins when loaded simultaneously? It'd be nice if this
> section was somewhat more verbose on the exact issues/questions.
>
> And maybe it is worth mentioning Xine-lib here, given that both Totem (by
> default even!) and Rhythmbox allow the use of it. If Xine-lib is omitted
> because it is GPL, then nevermind.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Ronald
>
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