Open Stack

On Fri, 2013-03-22 at 17:44 -0400, Richard Fontana wrote:
> Just *one* more comment on this, as I wish to say something more
> explicitly than I did before (partly because I'm now more confident
> about something I assert here).
> 
> > > > There is also the question of whether including an optional,
> > > > not-used-by-default program which imports a GPL licensed Python module
> > > > in an OpenStack project really does mean that the project must be
> > > > distributed under the terms of the GPL - i.e. (1) would cinder-rtstool
> > > > be considered a derivative work of rtslib and (2) would you be required
> > > > to distribute just cinder-rtstool or all of Cinder or all OpenStack
> > > > projects under the terms of the GPL?
> > > > 
> > > > On (1) a quick google turns up e.g. this interesting take from VanL:
> > > > 
> > > >   http://jacobian.org/writing/gpl-questions/
> > > > 
> > > >    1. foo.py is a Python library released under the GPLv3. bar.py is a
> > > >    library distributed commercially. If bar contains import foo, must
> > > >    bar.py be released under the GPL?
> > > > 
> > > >    Maybe. This has not been resolved by the court, and the answer you
> > > >    get depends on who you ask.
> 
> I am reasonably confident that all mainstream Linux distributions have
> been operating for years under the consistent assumption that the
> answer to this general question is "no".

Oh, you do tease :)

> My wish is that any policy adopted by OpenStack on this issue be
> developed and worded in such a way that it will not have problematic
> or disruptive consequences for such Linux distributions. 
> 
> Red Hat (my employer) is, of course, only one of a number of companies
> substantially involved in developing and distributing such Linux
> distributions that are also substantially involved in OpenStack.

I wouldn't interpret any of the discussion in this thread as anyone in
OpenStack having a particularly strong view on this issue[1]. I think
we're crying out for someone to make a firm, reasoned argument for what
our policy should be.

Thanks,
Mark.

[1] - when I say "this issue", I mean whether OpenStack projects can
ever use GPLed libraries ... not the specific issue of rtslib