[ale] OT: newsflash: Microsoft is still the devil...open source beware

[Brian Pitts]

Jonathan Rickman wrote:
>   
> I was always under the impression that the O and S in OSI stood for 
> "Open" and "Source" respectively. I didn't realize it stood for cross 
> platform.

Of course not, but it should stand for the ability to port to any 
platform. For the record, here's the open source definition used by OSI. 
It's based on the debian free software guidelines.

1. Free Redistribution

The license shall not restrict any party from selling or giving away the 
software as a component of an aggregate software distribution containing 
programs from several different sources. The license shall not require a 
royalty or other fee for such sale.

2. Source Code

The program must include source code, and must allow distribution in 
source code as well as compiled form. Where some form of a product is 
not distributed with source code, there must be a well-publicized means 
of obtaining the source code for no more than a reasonable reproduction 
cost preferably, downloading via the Internet without charge. The source 
code must be the preferred form in which a programmer would modify the 
program. Deliberately obfuscated source code is not allowed. 
Intermediate forms such as the output of a preprocessor or translator 
are not allowed.

3. Derived Works

The license must allow modifications and derived works, and must allow 
them to be distributed under the same terms as the license of the 
original software.

4. Integrity of The Author's Source Code

The license may restrict source-code from being distributed in modified 
form only if the license allows the distribution of "patch files" with 
the source code for the purpose of modifying the program at build time. 
The license must explicitly permit distribution of software built from 
modified source code. The license may require derived works to carry a 
different name or version number from the original software.

5. No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups

The license must not discriminate against any person or group of persons.

6. No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor

The license must not restrict anyone from making use of the program in a 
specific field of endeavor. For example, it may not restrict the program 
from being used in a business, or from being used for genetic research.

7. Distribution of License

The rights attached to the program must apply to all to whom the program 
is redistributed without the need for execution of an additional license 
by those parties.

8. License Must Not Be Specific to a Product

The rights attached to the program must not depend on the program's 
being part of a particular software distribution. If the program is 
extracted from that distribution and used or distributed within the 
terms of the program's license, all parties to whom the program is 
redistributed should have the same rights as those that are granted in 
conjunction with the original software distribution.

9. License Must Not Restrict Other Software

The license must not place restrictions on other software that is 
distributed along with the licensed software. For example, the license 
must not insist that all other programs distributed on the same medium 
must be open-source software.

10. License Must Be Technology-Neutral

No provision of the license may be predicated on any individual 
technology or style of interface.