Brahvim Bhaktvatsal

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Joined 8 months ago
Cake day: March 12th, 2024
  • Brahvim Bhaktvatsal@lemmy.kde.socialtoProgrammer Humor@programming.dev•What comes to mind?isiZulu
    141·
    1 month ago

    DuckStation recently changed to a source-available license that prohibits distributing modified versions of the software and prohibits commercial use. Before, it was GPLv3.

    DuckStation is an emulator for some Sony PlayStation console. PS2, I think Thanks to FangedWeyvern42@lemmy.world I know that it was a PS1 emulator. This software used to be given to users under the GPLv3 license, which grants freedoms such as distribution of the source code of the software (DuckStation) for no extra cost (well, DuckStation also costs no money! …so, you get to eat the cake and learn its recipe too, for free!).

    …Now they’ve switched to a license which allows you to see the source code, but does not grant you rights over the source code that GPLv3 did (which is essentially ANYTHING as long as you publicize everything you make with the source code, under the GPLv3 license also - changes to the code, new software that uses any portion of the code, anything you make with it).

    OpenOffice, Emby, Audacity, and Android (the “Android Open-Source Project”) have also done this in the past.

    Knowing this stuff on Free, Libre, and Open-Source (“FLOSS”) platforms like Lemmy is almost necessary given that they’re built on these principles. Please get acquainted with them.