Libguestfs - Aug 2013 - Request to relicense hash gnulib module to LGPLv2+

libguestfs (an LGPLv2+ library) uses the 'hash' module, which turns
out to be "GPL".

Actually this happened because we started to use it in a separate
GPL'd utility program, but later on included this functionality in the
core library, copying the same code from the utility but not checking
the license of 'hash'.

We'd therefore like to request that 'hash' is relicensed as LGPLv2+.
If this is not possible, we will have to rewrite the code, probably
implementing our own hash table, which would be a shame because hash
works well for our needs.

Notes:

- the code doesn't appear to call exit (it does call abort), and so
  seems to be suitable for a library

- hash-pjw which we also use is already licensed as LGPLv2+

- it looks like the original author was Jim Meyering (CC'd)

- the dependencies are all LGPLv2+

Rich.

-- 
Richard Jones, Virtualization Group, Red Hat http://people.redhat.com/~rjones
virt-top is 'top' for virtual machines.  Tiny program with many
powerful monitoring features, net stats, disk stats, logging, etc.
http://people.redhat.com/~rjones/virt-top

On Wed, Aug 28, 2013 at 06:51:11PM +0100, Richard W.M. Jones
wrote:
> libguestfs (an LGPLv2+ library) uses the 'hash' module, which turns
> out to be "GPL".
> 
> Actually this happened because we started to use it in a separate
> GPL'd utility program, but later on included this functionality in the
> core library, copying the same code from the utility but not checking
> the license of 'hash'.
> 
> We'd therefore like to request that 'hash' is relicensed as
LGPLv2+.
> If this is not possible, we will have to rewrite the code, probably
> implementing our own hash table, which would be a shame because hash
> works well for our needs.
> 
> Notes:
> 
> - the code doesn't appear to call exit (it does call abort), and so
>   seems to be suitable for a library
> 
> - hash-pjw which we also use is already licensed as LGPLv2+
> 
> - it looks like the original author was Jim Meyering (CC'd)
> 
> - the dependencies are all LGPLv2+
Any comments?

Rich.

-- 
Richard Jones, Virtualization Group, Red Hat http://people.redhat.com/~rjones
Fedora Windows cross-compiler. Compile Windows programs, test, and
build Windows installers. Over 100 libraries supported.
http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/MinGW

On 08/28/2013 11:51 AM, Richard W.M. Jones wrote:
> libguestfs (an LGPLv2+ library) uses the 'hash' module, which turns
> out to be "GPL".
> 
> Actually this happened because we started to use it in a separate
> GPL'd utility program, but later on included this functionality in the
> core library, copying the same code from the utility but not checking
> the license of 'hash'.
> 
> We'd therefore like to request that 'hash' is relicensed as
LGPLv2+.
> If this is not possible, we will have to rewrite the code, probably
> implementing our own hash table, which would be a shame because hash
> works well for our needs.
> 
> Notes:
> 
> - the code doesn't appear to call exit (it does call abort), and so
>   seems to be suitable for a library
> 
> - hash-pjw which we also use is already licensed as LGPLv2+
> 
> - it looks like the original author was Jim Meyering (CC'd)
Adding all other authors based on git history, to try and spur this
along (Paul, Simon, Bruno, and myself).  I give consent for the patches
I've made.
> 
> - the dependencies are all LGPLv2+
The fact that Bruno has been notably silent on this list for several
months may be a problem; we have several outstanding requests for a
looser license on these and other modules where Bruno has made
non-trivial contributions.  It may be time to ask rms if the FSF can do
the relicensing, rather than our current policy of tracking down all
contributors and asking them to use their grant-back clause of their FSF
copyright assignment as our backdoor of not having to involve the FSF.

-- 
Eric Blake   eblake redhat com    +1-919-301-3266
Libvirt virtualization library http://libvirt.org

I'm fine relicensing hash, I don't recall doing anything significant in
it.

/Simon

Eric Blake <eblake@redhat.com> skrev:
>On 08/28/2013 11:51 AM, Richard W.M. Jones wrote:
>> libguestfs (an LGPLv2+ library) uses the 'hash' module, which
turns
>> out to be "GPL".
>> 
>> Actually this happened because we started to use it in a separate
>> GPL'd utility program, but later on included this functionality in
>the
>> core library, copying the same code from the utility but not checking
>> the license of 'hash'.
>> 
>> We'd therefore like to request that 'hash' is relicensed as
LGPLv2+.
>> If this is not possible, we will have to rewrite the code, probably
>> implementing our own hash table, which would be a shame because hash
>> works well for our needs.
>> 
>> Notes:
>> 
>> - the code doesn't appear to call exit (it does call abort), and so
>>   seems to be suitable for a library
>> 
>> - hash-pjw which we also use is already licensed as LGPLv2+
>> 
>> - it looks like the original author was Jim Meyering (CC'd)
>
>Adding all other authors based on git history, to try and spur this
>along (Paul, Simon, Bruno, and myself).  I give consent for the patches
>I've made.
>
>> 
>> - the dependencies are all LGPLv2+
>
>The fact that Bruno has been notably silent on this list for several
>months may be a problem; we have several outstanding requests for a
>looser license on these and other modules where Bruno has made
>non-trivial contributions.  It may be time to ask rms if the FSF can do
>the relicensing, rather than our current policy of tracking down all
>contributors and asking them to use their grant-back clause of their
>FSF
>copyright assignment as our backdoor of not having to involve the FSF.

Eric Blake wrote:
> It may be time to ask rms if the FSF can do
> the relicensing, rather than our current policy of tracking down all
> contributors and asking them to use their grant-back clause of their FSF
> copyright assignment as our backdoor of not having to involve the FSF.
It wouldn't hurt to ask rms this once, but
I wouldn't want to bother him with minor requests
like this every time they comes up.  We have
a general guideline that it's ok to relicense
gnulib libraryish code using the LGPL,
and all that's arguably needed is for rms
to review the guideline.

On Wed, Aug 28, 2013 at 06:51:11PM +0100, Richard W.M. Jones
wrote:
> libguestfs (an LGPLv2+ library) uses the 'hash' module, which turns
> out to be "GPL".
> 
> Actually this happened because we started to use it in a separate
> GPL'd utility program, but later on included this functionality in the
> core library, copying the same code from the utility but not checking
> the license of 'hash'.
> 
> We'd therefore like to request that 'hash' is relicensed as
LGPLv2+.
> If this is not possible, we will have to rewrite the code, probably
> implementing our own hash table, which would be a shame because hash
> works well for our needs.
> 
> Notes:
> 
> - the code doesn't appear to call exit (it does call abort), and so
>   seems to be suitable for a library
> 
> - hash-pjw which we also use is already licensed as LGPLv2+
> 
> - it looks like the original author was Jim Meyering (CC'd)
> 
> - the dependencies are all LGPLv2+
I'm going to write (or find) a new hash implementation for libguestfs
really soon.  Is there any final chance this will be relicensed?

Rich.

-- 
Richard Jones, Virtualization Group, Red Hat http://people.redhat.com/~rjones
libguestfs lets you edit virtual machines.  Supports shell scripting,
bindings from many languages.  http://libguestfs.org

On Tue, Nov 5, 2013 at 7:51 AM, Richard W.M. Jones <rjones@redhat.com>
wrote:
> On Wed, Aug 28, 2013 at 06:51:11PM +0100, Richard W.M. Jones wrote:
>> libguestfs (an LGPLv2+ library) uses the 'hash' module, which
turns
>> out to be "GPL".
>>
>> Actually this happened because we started to use it in a separate
>> GPL'd utility program, but later on included this functionality in
the
>> core library, copying the same code from the utility but not checking
>> the license of 'hash'.
>>
>> We'd therefore like to request that 'hash' is relicensed as
LGPLv2+.
>> If this is not possible, we will have to rewrite the code, probably
>> implementing our own hash table, which would be a shame because hash
>> works well for our needs.
>>
>> Notes:
>>
>> - the code doesn't appear to call exit (it does call abort), and so
>>   seems to be suitable for a library
>>
>> - hash-pjw which we also use is already licensed as LGPLv2+
>>
>> - it looks like the original author was Jim Meyering (CC'd)
>>
>> - the dependencies are all LGPLv2+
>
> I'm going to write (or find) a new hash implementation for libguestfs
> really soon.  Is there any final chance this will be relicensed?
Hi Rich,
Sorry I didn't reply sooner.  Somehow I missed this thread completely.
libguestfs is definitely a good argument for making hash LGPLv2.
I agree to relax its license to LGPLv2, and have just pushed this change: