[Pan-users] License issue discussion heads-up

[Duncan]

For those who don't subscribe to the pan-dev list, a heads-up.  I just 
posted there a (typically Duncan =:^) rather long and detailed analysis 
of a license issue with the now in development secure connections 
feature, since it uses openssl, which has a license incompatible with 
pan's GPL.

Briefly, the issue only affects distribution of binaries, so building 
from source isn't an issue but binary-based distributions (including pan 
on MSWindows) are going to face a rather difficult legal choice if the 
current situation isn't changed.  They could simply disable openssl 
support at compile time and do without the feature, not /so/ bad since 
pan's been without it for over a decade and survived, or enable it and 
gamble that no one with copyright interest will sue them.  Of course, the 
big distros will disable it as a result, but a few minor distros will 
take the gamble.

There are five possible choices I could think of, two of which aren't 
really viable.  The three remaining options include (numbered as they are 
in the detailed post, 1, 3 and 4):

1) Continue as we are and let the distros and their users worry about it.

It won't affect those compiling from sources anyway and as mentioned, pan 
did without the feature for a decade, so it can continue to do without it.

3) Switch to the license compatible gnutls or nss.

Gnutls is more commonly used.

4) Support both openssl and one or both of gnutls/nss.

Binary distros could then enable one of the license compatible options 
and it would be primarily build-from-sources users that would use the 
openssl option.


Obviously, Heinrich is the guy doing the implementation and in pan as in 
much of FLOSS "he who codes, decides", so it's really his decision to 
make, especially since #3 and 4 will be rather more work, but I thought 
pan's users interested enough to be regulars here, might be interested in 
this as well.

If you /are/ interested, head over there for the detailed post, and 
preferably reply to it as well if you're going to reply, thus keeping 
discussion in one place.  But if you're interested but not /that/ 
interested, you can comment here, and the "passing level of interest 
comment" can be noted as such.  IOW, if you're going to reply, reply over 
there if you REALLY care. =:^)

Of course, if you just want me to quit bothering you with such heads-up 
posts, reply here. =8^0

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman