I put this in the RaM section because I'm trying to set it up for the project.

I'm having issues getting the project (or anything for that matter) into the google code svn repository. I've somehow managed to upload some files (though I'm not sure how nor are they files I wanted to upload)

While it's likely I'm simply overlooking something simple I could certainly use a little guidance from any svn people out there.

Here is the google code page.

http://code.google.com/p/ram-fire/

You can't release ROM/RaM under the GPL or LGPL.

I just selected one from the list in google code because it didn't offer a fill in the blank sort of thing.

Which option do you think would fit best? I find this part somewhat confusing with the options.

Would I use a Creative Commons license? I don't really know what any of these are. :redface:

Google code is for hosting open source projects.
ROM/RaM isn't open source.
There are no valid license choices that wouldn't violate the ROM/RaM licenses.

It has some rather silly, non-open license restrictions. I wonder if they'd actually hold up in court. In either event, they're not compatible with the Open Source Initiative and thus don't qualify for Google Code.

Maya/Rudha

I see. Well I changed the license to read "Other Open Source" which directs them to look at the source code for the details of the license, obviously the best option out of the others.

While it may not qualify, I'm going to keep it up there. It seems the best and easiest way to get people to be able to easily contribute to this project and anyone even remotely familiar with DIKU and ROM will know those licenses exist and the original licenses are in the svn repository along with the code.

I don't see any harm in keeping it up there. Unless the community rises against me on this…

Ah, and yes. I found out how to upload to the repository… Yes, I was overlooking something obvious. :lol:

Basically, you are saying that you are knowingly violating the license…

I wish this code weren't encumbered by this silliness. But it is, and respecting licenses is important. So I don't think it is a good idea to leave it up there.

So after your post David I decided to check out the license and actually read it because I respect you and take your advice on this seriously.

The offending line is "!! DikuMud is NOT Public Domain, shareware, careware or the like !!" So I did a few quick google searches to see what exactly this could have referred to.

Public Domain is software where no one has rights to the software, no restrictions.
"Shareware is a different concept. You can download and try shareware for free, but if you use it, you are supposed to pay for it." - Quoted from this website.
Careware is a stranger idea - It's a transaction with a buyer and seller but not always for cash, though it is still a barter system.

Open Source, however, is neither of these. In fact if the original authors wanted to refer to it they would likely have put down "freeware." Which is a very different concept than the others.

The open source philosophy upholds the spirit of the DIKU license, Merc, and ROM and I don't think any of the restrictions placed by these licenses stops it from being Open Source so I don't see any actual problems here after reading the licenses again myself.

What do you say, MUD community lawyers?

You are restricted in distributing the code, and essentially a single person can prevent that distribution. We can argue semantics as to whether or not the legalese respects the letter of OSI definitions, but its definitely against the open source spirit, which is a movement essentially created to get away from that kind of license stupidity, and ROM has perhaps one of the worst histories of license stupidity in the MUD world.

Maya/Rudha

Just don't be surprised if your google code account becomes suspended. Its not just a disagreement about what is and isn't open source. They only host projects from a list of credable licenses. If your project doesn't fall under one of those they simply don't want to give you free service…and they don't have to. The diku license is exactly the kind of thing they want to shut out.

Just want to confirm what Runter said above.



The OSI has not approved the Diku license (obviously).

If you have a server, you can set up your own repo, alternatively.

Maya/Rudha

The specific problem is that all the open source projects on Google Code can be used commercially.

Free github service has similar requirements.

As do Sourceforge and FreshMeat…

I'd offer to host it, but I see it contains TheIsles OLC code.
So only under the latest license or absent that code.

I can host your project, if needed. As long as you don't do anything to get me sent nastygrams from my host, I'm pretty apt to let you do whatever you need to.

What license?

Is the olc code licensed specifically?

I can't find any olc license in the documentation at all. If there should be, let me know where I can get it and I'll quickly add it to mudbytes repository.