[ClusterLabs Developers] [booth][sbd] GPLv2.1+ clarification request

[Philipp Marek]

On Thu, Mar 17, 2016 at 06:47:37PM +0100, Jan Pokorný wrote:
> Hello all,
> 
> during latest reviews of packages building on core cluster
> infrastructure, it turned out there is a frequented (viral?) issue
> with source files declaring unusual licence: GPLv2.1+.
> 
> Affected packages breakdown is at the bottom, including
> (possibly non-exhaustive) contributors that knowingly or unknowingly
> contributed under that file-local license.
> 
> Now, it is highly questionable what was asserted by this license
> reference by particular contributors.  The fact is that such a license
> does not exist.  So the logical implication and view of the situation
> is that affected files are effectively licensed under GPLv3+.
> 
> The other possible view is that it's actually a typo arising from
> LGPL2.1 vs. GPLv2 confusion, and then again it's unclear which one
> should apply.
> 
> Therefore I would like to start moving towards resolution of this
> issue by soliciting feedback amongst affected contributors (CC'd)
> which direction is preferred:
> 
> 1. settle down on GPLv2+ (or LGPL2.1+), which will likely require
>    whole relicensing process, i.e., collecting sign-offs on this by all
>    contributors in question
> 
> 2. clarify that indeed GPLv3+ was meant and adjust the respective
>    clauses in the source code
> 
> 3. keep the status quo, leave it in the shadow zone allowing for
>    ambiguous interpretations that may leave potential contributors
>    away from the project(s)
> 
> Apparently, both affected packages, booth and sbd, can choose its
> own direction independently of the other package.
I'm okay with both, with a slight preference to 2 (moving to GPLv3+).

My (brief) look at the header lines via "git blame" says

    commit 54dc3dc2be33cd977866ce63d8cc74934d21405d
    Author: Jiaju Zhang <jjzhang at suse.de>
    Date:   Wed Aug 24 12:07:22 2011 +0800

        Initial check-in of the Booth Cluster Ticket Manager.

so it predates my contributions by quite some time - I'm not sure how much 
I've got to say in this matter ;)


Regards,

Phil

-- 
Philipp Marek
LINBIT | Keeping the Digital World Running
DRBD - Heartbeat - Corosync - Pacemaker

DRBD® and LINBIT® are registered trademarks of LINBIT, Austria.