Re: Next steps for gitlab.debian (Re: GitLab B.V. to host free-software GitLab for Debian project)
On Wed, Jun 8, 2016 at 12:40 PM, Alexander Wirt <formorer@debian.org> wrote:
> On Wed, 08 Jun 2016, Jonathan Dowland wrote:
>
>> On Wed, Jun 08, 2016 at 09:47:56AM +0200, Alexander Wirt wrote:
>> > I am also not very keen on using a system with a "open core / enterprise"
>> > model. For such a crucial service I would really prefer a real open source
>> > system. But maybe I am alone with that oppinion.
>>
>> You are not alone, but please do not call Gitlab CE not "real open source".
> I do for every software which forces me to sign things like:
> https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab-ce/blob/master/doc/legal/individual_contributor_license_agreement.md
>
> Thats far away from what I call open source. I also don't want to end with
> things like:
>
> Debian needs feature X but it is already in the e.nterprise version. We make
> a patch and for commercial reasons it never gets merged (they already sell it
> in the enterprise version). Which means we will have to fork the software and
> keep those patches forever. Been there done that. For me, that isn't
> acceptable.
That is the nature of free software, though. Any given upstream might
be unwilling to merge some useful patch for whatever reason they
choose. If enough of those patches don't get merged, then a fork may
be likely. This already happens in the FOSS community without any
commercial or proprietary interests.
Given that, I still prefer software that doesn't have a proprietary
licensed "enterprise" version as well as a free software version.
-m
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