[Tux4kids-discuss] GSOC 13 : TuxMath to iOS

[David Bruce]

Hi Tarun

On Sun, Feb 17, 2013 at 12:20 PM, TARUN SAPRA <trnsapra at gmail.com> wrote:

> I am aware of this GPL license conflict with apple ToS ,
> but I've seen various apps in the Apple Appstore which are under GPL , and
> few of them are
>
> - tuiopad <https://itunes.apple.com/in/app/tuiopad/id412446962?mt=8>
> - piwik-mobile<https://itunes.apple.com/in/app/piwik-mobile/id385536442?mt=8>
>
> I don't think that using resources which are covered under GPL would
> be problematic .
> I was also thinking to consider LGPL for licensing.
>

I have decidedly mixed feelings about tuxmath on iOS. On the one hand,
there are an awful lot of kids and schools with iPads and iPhones that I
think could learn from our game.  On the other hand, Apple has become
extremely hostile to the values of the Free Software/Open Source community,
and the rigidly-controlled App Store and locked-down iOS devices are the
polar opposite of these values.  I hate to contribute to a platform that so
drastically restricts users' rights, even compared to Windows and OS-X.
 But thinking of users, I guess I would overall be more happy than not to
see tuxmath on the iPad.

However, from a licensing standpoint, you are looking at a total rewrite.
 No version of the GPL is completely compatible with the App Store TOS, and
GPL3 (under which tuxmath and tuxtype have been licensed since around 2009)
is absolutely and explicitly incompatible.  Even the GPL2 has major issues,
because the Apple TOS impose additional restrictions beyond those of the
GPL (which is prohibited), and because the App Store does binary-only
distribution and won't provide source on request (also prohibited).  The
GPL2 apps in the App Store are there because the authors haven't asked
Apple to fulfill the GPL terms.  When anyone has attempted to enforce the
GPL, Apple responds by removing the app from the platform (google for
"videolan ios" for a good example, there are others).  So, GPL in the App
Store is a "don't ask, don't tell" situation.

So if you want to do a total re-write but have it look like our project,
I'm fine with that, but apart from appearances it won't have anything in
common with our code.  "Tux4Kids" and "Tux Math" are not legally
trademarked, but the names were created by Sam Hart, so if you want to use
these names, courtesy requires that it be OK with him (it is OK with me, as
the more recent tuxmath maintainer).  If you do a rewrite, though, it needs
to be under a non-copyleft free software license (like BSD or MIT) rather
than a proprietary license, as far as I am concerned.


-- 
David Bruce

For all your software needs, visit The Apt Store:
deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian stable main
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.alioth.debian.org/pipermail/tux4kids-discuss/attachments/20130225/dc889fb9/attachment.html>