I'm still not following - you're talking about restrictions on use, but what restrictions on use does AGPL apply? What can I not do with AGPL software? What are the forbidden activities you reference?
The only caveat seems to be making the source code available to users of the software, which is also the case with GPLv2, just under narrower conditions.
I have no dog in this race, nor any particular attachment to any particular license, I'm just trying to better understand what these restrictions are that you're referencing.
No it isn't; under the GPLv2, the source code must be available to those to whom compiled code has been redistributed. Whether they are users doesn't matter.
The restrictions are that if you violate the license, your use of the program is infringing.
> What can I not do with AGPL software?
You cannot change it and run it yourself, without hosting the source code.
You cannot combine an AGPL program with proprietary code and operate it, because you cannot release the proprietary code.
Depending on the license of the proprietary software and who is creating the software derived from both of them, that derivative work could easily be in violation of both licenses. lol
> You cannot combine an AGPL program with proprietary code and operate it, because you cannot release the proprietary code.
Question (IANAL), but isn't it also the case that you can't combine AGPL code with GPLv2 code? Like maybe you write a patch that glues Minio's (AGPL) and Git's (GPLv2) source code (I just picked the two first projects that came up when searching for those licenses).
Maybe your glue patch can be dual-licensed and that specific patch wouldn't have any problems.
But since (1) both licenses are viral and require that everything touched by them is licensed under that exact license; and (2) you are unable to change either project's license; then it seems to me that you would be unable to release your patch since it wouldn't be considered independent.
Or if you can release your patch as a separate project somehow, I think you still wouldn't be able to host this modified version of Minio because you can't satisfy both licenses at the same time.
So, expanding on your message:
>> What can I not do with AGPL software?
> You cannot change it and run it yourself, without hosting the source code.
> You cannot combine an AGPL program with proprietary code and operate it, because you cannot release the proprietary code.
(My addition) "You cannot combine an AGPL program with other open source software, unless their license is compatible with AGPL (e.g. MPL 2.0 or GPLv3)."
My understanding might be wrong though, because IANAL and these licenses are unapproachable to a mere mortal like me, but I just wanted to point out that AGPL also prevents combining with other open source software even if their license is another GNU license.
> You cannot change it and run it yourself, without hosting the source code.
So your point is that people should be free to take whatever they want for free and dont't contribute back? I'm glad there is a license made to put a limit on people like you then
I've spent thousands of hours writing code which is under the BSD license. Nice try trying to make the argument about me.
(I've not put anything under even the dubious GPL license in over 15 years, and never will.)
Yes, a free software license must not require people to "contribute back", or anything of the sort.
For instance, a "free for non-commercial use" license is not free. Even the people who came up with the AGPL understand this, and go to great pains to explain it.
I understand the social problem that the AGPL is trying to combat, whereby visitors are held captive by saas applications over which they have no visibility or control.
The AGPL approach is to use the power of a non-free license against the problem which makes it a cure worse than disease, and repugnant to developers of truly free software.
It's almost certainly the case that the saas problem cannot be engaged via software licensing terms, if those terms are to amount to a free software license.
I don't have a better idea, either, but that doesn't change the fact that the AGPL is a non-free license which crosses over into governing use rather than just redistribution.
Also one issue is that the AGPL doesn't actually solve anything. Visitors having the source code to my evil saas platform doesn't solve the problem that they're locked to it. It doesn't solve the problem that I can change the code at any time and they cannot. Or that I can shut it down and wipe out their data, or share it with third parties. An AGPL conforming application also need not provide visitors with any way to export their data.
> Also one issue is that the AGPL doesn't actually solve anything. Visitors having the source code to my evil saas platform doesn't solve the problem that they're locked to it. It doesn't solve the problem that I can change the code at any time and they cannot. Or that I can shut it down and wipe out their data, or share it with third parties. An AGPL conforming application also need not provide visitors with any way to export their data.
Please enlight us about how the BSD license do it much better in this area. You first complain that AGPL is restrictive now complain that it should restrict even more? I agree with you, maybe it is time for another version of AGPL that includes data sovereignty. Let's make it more difficult for corporations to profit from FOSS free labor, not more easy.
The only caveat seems to be making the source code available to users of the software, which is also the case with GPLv2, just under narrower conditions.
I have no dog in this race, nor any particular attachment to any particular license, I'm just trying to better understand what these restrictions are that you're referencing.