Re: [SVN-MIGRATION] Re: PHP - principles of operation?

Derick Rethans wrote:
> On Wed, 15 Oct 2008, Johannes Schlüter wrote:
>
>   
>> On Wed, 2008-10-15 at 09:10 +0100, zoe wrote:
>>     
>>> Any code contributed to PHP will be received and redistributed under the 
>>> PHP 3.01 license only (http://www.php.net/license/3_01.txt)
>>> This includes implementation code, test cases, utility scripts and tools 
>>> - that is, all code associated with the PHP project. 
>>> If you contribute code that  isn't entirely your own (for example it may 
>>> be partially derived from other Open Source software) you are asked to 
>>> add a comment into the source code to indicate the origin and the 
>>> license of the original code. If you are unsure of the license you are 
>>> asked to confirm with the owner of the code that they are happy for it 
>>> to be contributed to PHP under the PHP license. 
>>>       
>> That's not completely true. Yes "PHP" uses the PHP License, but the
>> ZedEngine uses another license (Zend Engine License, TSRM is a license
>> mess). Additionally PHP bundles 3rd party libraries, like pcre, or some
>> PEAR packages which might use other licenses, too.
>>
>> Then this form is used for CVS accounts of other areas, with their own
>> licenses, like docs, too.
>>     
>
> And there it is as much of an issue as well.
>   
I've been slow in replying to Johannes because I wanted to do a bit more 
research. Having now read more licenses than I care to think about I 
wonder if this would be a more acceptable wording:

"Any code contributed to PHP will be received under the PHP (or a 
compatible) license. PHP will be redistributed under the PHP 3.01 
license  (http://www.php.net/license/3_01.txt)
This includes implementation code, test cases, utility scripts and tools 
- that is, all code associated with the PHP project. 
If you contribute code that  isn't entirely your own (for example it may 
be partially derived from other Open Source software) you are asked to 
add a comment into the source code to indicate the origin and the 
license of the original code. If you are unsure of the license you are 
asked to confirm with the owner of the code that they are happy for it 
to be contributed to PHP under the PHP license. 
 
Specifically regarding GPL and LGPL source code: 
 
-  GPL or LGPL licensed code cannot be used as a basis for any derived 
work contributed to PHP. 
- Extensions which link  GPL'd libraries will not be accepted. 
- Extensions which link to LGPL libraries  will be strongly discouraged. "

Is that better? The TSRM and Zend Engine licenses are compatible with 
the PHP license.


>   
>>> Specifically regarding GPL and LGPL source code: 
>>>  
>>> - GPL or LGPL licensed code cannot be included or used as a basis for 
>>> any derived work contributed to PHP. 
>>> - Extensions which link  GPL'd libraries will not be accepted. 
>>> - Extensions which link to LGPL libraries are strongly discouraged.
>>>       
>> That's said on the site for registering a project to our "extension
>> incubator" aka. PECL, I think it's the right place. And I think it's not
>> good to make this so global, sounds like only GPL was a problem,
>> probably here are other problematic licenses, less used but still.
>>     
That is true - there are other licenses which are incompatible with PHP, 
but GPL is by far the most common. I also think it's worth mentioning 
LGPL because it is particularly difficult to understand.
>> People finding the "I want an account" form should know what they are
>> doing before finding that form imo.
>>     
>
> Yeah, they *should* -- but it's not always the case. If we can make this 
> clearer for new people I think we should. 
>   
I agree that they *should* however I've just spent a lot of time reading 
around this subject and I think it's pretty complicated. If we can set 
out some simply worded guidelines I think it will help. I'm not 
suggesting any change to the existing policy, I just think it would help 
to have it documented a little more clearly and somewhere that the 
people who really matter (committers) will see it without having to hunt 
around.

Zoë