Bitbucket.org

[Tim Groeneveld]

On Saturday 02 August 2008 7:03:48 am Mads Kiilerich wrote:
> Mercurial is GPLv2. GPLv2 is incompatible with anything - including
> Affero GPL. Any code that "links" to Mercurial thus has to be released
> as GPL (if released at all).
>
> It is generally considered OK to take GPL code, execute it in a process
> and interface anything to it programmatically IF it is done through
> generic well defined interfaces such as command line, files, file
> handles or network connections ("web service").

OK, but don't forget, both Yahoo! and Google are running modified versions of 
the opensource MySQL server. This is a known fact. Information is on 
Google :)

Where is the source code for that? I quote this from the GPL FAQ

    The GPL permits anyone to make a modified version and use it without
    ever distributing it to others. What this company is doing is a
    special case of that. Therefore, the company does not have to release
    the modified sources.

    It is essential for people to have the freedom to make modifications
    and use them privately, without ever publishing those modifications. 
    However, putting the program on a server machine for the public to
    talk to is hardly “private” use, so it would be legitimate to require
    release of the source code in that special case.

So, if I create code that "hooks into" Mercurial, and I keep the binary and 
the source to myself, that is allowed. The time that Bitbucket.org needs to 
start making their code GPL is when they distribute a binary version of 
Bitbucket.org for public consumption

  - Tim G
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