Re: FreeQt concerns

[Erik Walthinsen <omega@omegacs.net>]

> I was just thinking some more about the FreeQt project, and it *might*
> not be so hot of an idea...
I was talking with someone after the Portland LUG meeting yesterday, and he 
voiced the same concerns.

> What's a commercial vendor going to use, then?  Qt or FreeQt?  If FreeQt
> is just as good, the choice is pretty obvious....  What's that going to
> do to TrollTech?  What's it going to do to other companies considering
> releasing software or libraries for Linux?
Exactly.  FreeQt is biting the hand that feeds it.  Troll Tech does many 
good things for Linux (specifically, Qt), and FreeQt could blow them out of 
the market, even if it's designed to "only" provide what K* uses.  Given 
that Qt is cross-platform (right?  I'm hearing this second-hand and haven't 
had time to cross-check), it is a very good way for companies who want to 
(re-)write their software to easily port the Linux from the same code they 
build the Windoze binaries from.  Killing Troll Tech is thus a very bad 
idea.

> At the very least, if this thing goes through, I think it should be
> under straight GPL - *not* LGPL.  This would give some protection to
> Troll, since proprietary development wouldn't be possible, but would
> still appease the KDE critics.
Possibly.  It depends, I'm going to have to go read the [NM]PL again... Did 
they manage to solve the GPL coexistence problem?  But you're right, if 
it's going to be done, it should be GPL'd rather than LGPL'd, as it does 
provide extra safeties.

> Is this an overblown concern?  What do you think????
I don't think it's overblown at all.  However, making this opinion known is 
going to prove very unpopular to many people, and since on one really has 
control over the FreeQt project anyway, it all depends on the developers' 
opinions on the subject.

One very useful project would be for someone to write a paper detailing 
what's wrong with LGPL'ing FreeQt, and what it will (not may, *will*) do to 
Troll Tech.  Keep it up to date and make sure that people read it.  If you 
wish to write such a paper, or co-author it, please sign onto the seul-pub 
list (low-traffic) and e-mail Martin Jackson (mjackson@seul.org) to 
coordinate your efforts.

TTYL,
    Omega


     Erik Walthinsen <omega@seul.org> - SEUL Project system architect
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