See this at: slashdot.org| Added on 05/04/06

The General Public License is a powerful license with a powerful ideology. The GPL forbids use of GPL'ed code in closed-source, proprietary software. The model has already proven itself, but sometimes mistakes happen. GPL'ed code found its way into a... See more

The General Public License is a powerful license with a powerful ideology. The GPL forbids use of GPL'ed code in closed-source, proprietary software. The model has already proven itself, but sometimes mistakes happen. GPL'ed code found its way into a closed-source kernel module; NVIDIA's proprietary beta Xfree86 driver. This is the story about how mistakes happen, and how they can be fixed with polite communication. Ralph Metzler is just another one of those 'thousands of developers' you hear about developing software for Linux. Ralph was checking out the sources for the Linux 2.3 kernel, and he noticed that a chunk of memory conversion routines were copied line for line out of his bttv.c video driver source into NVIDIA's code. Tony Bennett at NVIDIA grabbed a small amount of bttv.c and integrated it into the Xfree86 driver, without realizing that the code was GPL'ed. Nvidia was contacted about this oversight, and politely responded in a positive way to Ralph. I got to talk to Ralph to... See less

See this at: linuxinsider.com| Added on 05/03/06

Wondering where to find the nearest publicly available WiFi Internet access? Our global directory of nearly 100,000 locations in 26 countries is a terrific tool for mobile computer users. People often ask me how likely it is that an open-source... See more

Wondering where to find the nearest publicly available WiFi Internet access? Our global directory of nearly 100,000 locations in 26 countries is a terrific tool for mobile computer users. People often ask me how likely it is that an open-source license like the GNU General Public License will ever be enforced. When they ask that, they usually mean: "If I violate it will I get caught?" It's a legitimate question, if one lays aside moral rhetoric, such as the idea that proprietary software companies are merely evil capitalist agents seeking to abuse the rights of free software developers. It is the natural tendency of the citizens of a nation of laws to know exactly what the law allows them to do. Thus the legal profession, and thus the question: What can we get away with? Now, even the most starry-eyed of us must acknowledge that with no enforcement there is no law. Anyone who has tried to train a dog to stay off the sofa knows that. So, no one will comply with the terms of a license... See less

Highlights: In March, 2003, Cisco Systems (Nasdaq: CSCO) bought Linksys for US$500 million.

See this at: wi-fiplanet.com| Added on 05/03/06

The story of the Linksys Wireless-G Router (model WRT54G) and how you can turn a $60 router into a $600 router is a little bit CSI and a little bit Freaks & Geeks. It’s also the story of how the open source movement can produce a win-win scenario for... See more

The story of the Linksys Wireless-G Router (model WRT54G) and how you can turn a $60 router into a $600 router is a little bit CSI and a little bit Freaks & Geeks. It’s also the story of how the open source movement can produce a win-win scenario for both consumers and commercial vendors. What’s especially exciting is that tricking out this router doesn’t require any eBay sleuthing or other hunt for some off-the-wall piece of hardware. Instead, grab it off-the-shelf. The WRT54G is stacked high in every Best Buy and Circuit City across the country and, of course, most online retailers — Amazon.com sells it for $55. It’s ubiquitous and, some would say, a diamond in the rough. Or a wolf in sheep’s clothing. While routers used to be the domain of networking specialists, they’ve gone mainstream along with residential broadband. Commodity routers can be had for as little as – well, "free after rebate” in some cases, and often not much more. To keep them cheap, consumer-grade vendors like... See less

Highlights: The tradeoff for these sub-$100 routers can be reliability, particularly in the coding of the firmware – the software “brain” that controls the router’s functions.

See this at: softwarefreedom.org| Added on 04/19/06

Free and Open Source Software (“FOSS”) is maturing at a rapid pace. The FOSS production ecosystem, once dominated by a few small not-for-profit entities and individual contributors, now includes a global array of individuals, not-for-profit entities,... See more

Free and Open Source Software (“FOSS”) is maturing at a rapid pace. The FOSS production ecosystem, once dominated by a few small not-for-profit entities and individual contributors, now includes a global array of individuals, not-for-profit entities, and commercial developers and redistributors. In this mixed-model organizational setting, all FOSS developers require an environment in which liability and other legal issues do not impede their important public service work. The Software Freedom Law Center (SFLC) provides legal representation and other law-related services to protect and advance FOSS. See less

See this at: out-law.com| Added on 04/19/06

are generally permitted (and encouraged) by the licensor to access, copy, modify and distribute the underlying source code (being the code in human-readable form before it is compiled into machine-readable, binary 'object code'). Such wide rights are... See more

are generally permitted (and encouraged) by the licensor to access, copy, modify and distribute the underlying source code (being the code in human-readable form before it is compiled into machine-readable, binary 'object code'). Such wide rights are usually subject to the proviso that users do not place any additional restrictions on access to the source code in any onward distribution of the software; such onward licensing is often required to be on the original licence terms and at no cost. Further, some See less

See this at: softwarefreedom.org| Added on 04/19/06

Free and Open Source Software (“FOSS”) is maturing at a rapid pace. The FOSS production ecosystem, once dominated by a few small not-for-profit entities and individual contributors, now includes a global array of individuals, not-for-profit entities,... See more

Free and Open Source Software (“FOSS”) is maturing at a rapid pace. The FOSS production ecosystem, once dominated by a few small not-for-profit entities and individual contributors, now includes a global array of individuals, not-for-profit entities, and commercial developers and redistributors. In this mixed-model organizational setting, all FOSS developers require an environment in which liability and other legal issues do not impede their important public service work. The Software Freedom Law Center (SFLC) provides legal representation and other law-related services to protect and advance FOSS. See less

See this at: petefreitag.com| Added on 04/19/06

I've been working on a small piece of software that I plan on releasing with an open source license. There are so many licenses out there that I often forget what differentiates them. So I put together a small chart outlining some of the differences.... See more

I've been working on a small piece of software that I plan on releasing with an open source license. There are so many licenses out there that I often forget what differentiates them. So I put together a small chart outlining some of the differences. The recent debacle with Ray Camden's blog software is a good example of what can happen when you don't have a clear license. Some open source licenses require derivatives to be open source. Other licenses allow derivatives to be sold commercially, or sub-licensed (this is what Apple does with Darwin - which is based on BSD). I picked out the some of the most popular licenses to compare. A full text copy of each license may be found at the Open Source Institute. See less

See this at: gnu.org| Added on 04/18/06

We classify a license according to certain key questions: * Whether it qualifies as a free software license. * Whether it is a copyleft license. * Whether it is compatible with the GNU GPL. (This means you can combine a module which was released... See more

We classify a license according to certain key questions: * Whether it qualifies as a free software license. * Whether it is a copyleft license. * Whether it is compatible with the GNU GPL. (This means you can combine a module which was released under that license with a GPL-covered module to make one larger program.) * Whether it causes any particular practical problems. If you want help choosing a license, evaluating a license, or have any other questions about licenses, you can email us at <licensing@gnu.org>. If you are contemplating writing a new license, please contact the FSF by writing to <licensing@fsf.org>. The proliferation of different free software licenses means increased work for users in understanding the licenses; we may be able to help you find an existing Free Software license that meets your needs. If that isn't possible, if you really need a new license, with our help you can ensure that the license really is a Free Software license and avoid various practical... See less

Highlights: This license is used by most of PHP4.

See this at: linuxinsider.com| Added on 04/18/06

Search and compare Linux training programs right here, right now! Next time you open a fortune cookie, consider making it more entertaining. Read the fortune aloud and follow it with the words "in bed." It completely changes the meaning and adds some... See more

Search and compare Linux training programs right here, right now! Next time you open a fortune cookie, consider making it more entertaining. Read the fortune aloud and follow it with the words "in bed." It completely changes the meaning and adds some after-dinner fun. After reading the GPL See less

Highlights: And just to make this clear, if you somehow do find an exception, no matter how bad the software is or what damage it does, you can only get back the price of the software or US$5.00 if you did not pay for the software separately.

See this at: smh.com.au| Added on 04/18/06

A study of End User License Agreement (EULA) for Microsoft Windows XP and the GNU General Public License (GPL), the most common licence under which Free/Open Source Software is released, has put paid to the common myth that GPL software cannot be... See more

A study of End User License Agreement (EULA) for Microsoft Windows XP and the GNU General Public License (GPL), the most common licence under which Free/Open Source Software is released, has put paid to the common myth that GPL software cannot be included in proprietary software without the entire mix having to necessarily be released under the GPL. See less

See this at: searchopensource.tec...| Added on 04/14/06

Reciprocal, or "copyleft", provisions in the GPL give the license a viral aspect said Arshia Tabrizi, a technology transactional lawyer based in Toronto Wednesday at the Real World Linux Conference and Expo. Essentially, there are two viral elements... See more

Reciprocal, or "copyleft", provisions in the GPL give the license a viral aspect said Arshia Tabrizi, a technology transactional lawyer based in Toronto Wednesday at the Real World Linux Conference and Expo. Essentially, there are two viral elements to the GPL that mandate a developer must distribute their source code with modifications back to the open source community and that sublicensing rights are passed along with those modifications, Tabrizi said. "If you're building some proprietary code, and you use a GPL library, your proprietary code now falls under the GPL and must be returned with no royalties coming your way," Tabrizi said. "Your business could quickly go down the drain." Licensing, copyright and patent issues have been a front-line issue for the open source community during the last year since the SCO Group filed its suit against IBM and subsequently challenged whether the validity of the GPL. Re-enforcing those concerns were the results of a Canadian Advanced Technology... See less

See this at: codase.com| Added on 04/12/06

int main(int, char**){} for method definition by ending with {},

int main(int, char**){} for method definition by ending with {}, See less

See this at: codearchive.com| Added on 04/12/06

Because CodeArchive.com is powered by a database, you are able to find what you are looking for much faster than on any other site. You can also instantly have your code online, by submitting it here!

Because CodeArchive.com is powered by a database, you are able to find what you are looking for much faster than on any other site. You can also instantly have your code online, by submitting it here! See less

See this at: archive.devx.com| Added on 04/12/06

DevX's Sourcebank is a directory of links to source code and script posted around the Web. Use the Search option to find terms within the source code. To cast the widest net, use the search with All Types selected. Or, you can browse through a subset... See more

DevX's Sourcebank is a directory of links to source code and script posted around the Web. Use the Search option to find terms within the source code. To cast the widest net, use the search with All Types selected. Or, you can browse through a subset of the code by categories (below). First, select a filter, such as C or Java, by clicking on one of the square buttons and then choose one of the categories (such as Mathematics) from within that filter. See less

See this at: koders.com| Added on 04/12/06

Searching 225,816,744 lines of code.

Searching 225,816,744 lines of code. See less

See this at: gpl-violations.org| Added on 04/12/06

The gpl-violations.org project tries to raise public awareness about past and present infringing use(r)s of GPL licensed software. The ultimate goal is to make vendors of GPL licensed software understand that GPL is not public domain, and that there... See more

The gpl-violations.org project tries to raise public awareness about past and present infringing use(r)s of GPL licensed software. The ultimate goal is to make vendors of GPL licensed software understand that GPL is not public domain, and that there are license conditions that are to be fulfilled. The project wants to act as information and communication platform between all parties involved with licensing of free software: * authors and copyright holders * vendors, OEM's, VAR's * users Please note that this homepage is still under construction. Most importantly, the database of known GPL infringements is not yet online. Stay tuned. See less