[Xastir] aprs data in a database

[Curt, WE7U]

On Sun, 17 Apr 2005, Alessio Sangalli wrote:

> Curt Mills wrote:
>
> > Qt costs money on Windows platforms, but is free for other
> > platforms.
>
> No!!! This has changed (or, better, will change in the imminent
> version of the Qt, which is now in beta 2). You can find more info
> here:
>
> http://lists.trolltech.com/qt-interest/2005-02/thread00298-0.html


On Sun, 17 Apr 2005, Carl Makin wrote:
>
> Not any more.  They extended the dual license to Windows in Feb.
>
> http://www.trolltech.com/newsroom/announcements/00000192.html
>
> and there seems to be a migration path from motif as well...
>
> http://www.trolltech.com/products/qt/migrate/motif.html


I checked these links out.  I can see some good things coming about
because of this change by the Qt guys, but I also see some problems.
In their dual-licensing FAQ they say.  I added asterisks around the
important parts:


  Q: Can I now use Qt for free everywhere?

  A: No, this is not the case. You can use Qt for free only if you are
  writing Open Source software following the obligations of the GPL
  license. You will then need to publish the source code of your
  software for **free**, unlimited re-use and re-distribution by anyone
  for any purpose.

  If you, for any reason, should be unable or unwilling to do this,
  you need to buy a commercial license.


  Q: What is the difference between the Open Source and Commercial
  editions?

  A: The main difference is licensing. Using the Open Source Edition
  (under the GPL license) obligates you to share your source code
  without restrictions with the users of your program. **Using the GPL
  also means you may not demand compensation for** or limit subsequent
  re-use and re-distribution of the source code.

  You need the commercial license if you want to avoid these
  obligations.


  Q: I want to dual license my software too! That means I can use the
  Open Source edition for development, right?

  A: No. In order to write software that will be sold or licensed
  commercially, in addition to open source, all of your programmers
  will need a commercial license from the outset of the development
  phase.

  If you use the Open Source edition of Qt, you can only publish the
  software under the GPL. Trolltech's commercial license terms do not
  allow you to develop any proprietary software using the Open Source
  edition."


All of these seem to ignore the fact that I can create a GPL'ed
program and sell it to someone, but I have to also give them the
sources to that program (but can charge them a nominal fee for that
as well).  Trolltech seems to think that anything GPL'ed is always
free.  Not true.  I could sell Xastir for $10,000 a copy if I
thought I could find a buyer for it, and I don't even own it!

Xastir is being used in both Military and commercial situations.  If
we switch to Qt or have that as a 2nd option, must we get a Qt
license for their copy?  Whether or not the copy is sold to them or
given to them?

Also, what about situations where a company wishes me to add some
tweaks to GPL'ed software in order to suit their purposes, but
doesn't wish to sell the program, just use it internally?  In that
case I wouldn't be selling the sofware and neither would they, I'd
be getting paid just for contracting, and the proprietary tweaks to
the program would never be released.  All of this is allowed under
the GPL, but not under Qt's free license.  Qt's licensing is more
restrictive than the GPL.

True?

--
Curt, WE7U.   APRS Client Comparisons: http://www.eskimo.com/~archer
"Lotto:    A tax on people who are bad at math." -- unknown
"Windows:  Microsoft's tax on computer illiterates." -- WE7U
"The world DOES revolve around me:  I picked the coordinate system!"