Re: Can Caml Light and MoscowML be in debian now?
Scripsit David Starner <dstarner98@aasaa.ofe.org>
> On Thu, Feb 08, 2001 at 04:27:21PM -0500, Bonard B. Timmons III wrote:
> > But according to this licensing page(*), it is now clear that Caml
> > Light will be licensed similarly to Ocaml. Therefore, it and MoscowML
> > can now be included in Debian.
>
> Caml Light can. MoscowML can if and only if there are no QPL parts of
> Caml Light used in it.
It is not quite as simple as that when it comes to Moscow ML.
The bytecode interpreter in Moscow ML is derived from a previous
release of the bytecode interpreter in Caml Light. Back then Caml
Light was distributed under a non-free license (it prohibited
for-profit distribution).
However, it looks as if independent development has continued since
then in both forks of the interpreter. Later it seems that INRIA has
changed the licensing conditions for their branch to QPL - which they
can do because they are the original authors. But that license change
does not automatically propagate to the Moscow ML incarnation.
I have contacted the Moscow ML people to hear whether they have talked
to INRIA about taking the Moscow ML bytecode interpreter GPL now that
they allow for-profit distribution of Caml Light.
--
Henning Makholm "Ligger Öresund stadig i Middelfart?"
Reply to: