[SDL] Keep SDL Free Sam

[Pierre Phaneuf]

On Sun, Jan 4, 2009 at 4:34 AM, KHMan <keinhong at gmail.com> wrote:

>> In my case, I'd like a free (as in beer) ...[snip]... So myself, I'd
>> prefer something really easy going like the MIT license, or maybe the
>> (updated) Apache license, with the patent safety (but incompatible
>> with GPLv2, only with GPLv3). The GPL would actually be bad for this,
>> and I know I specifically wouldn't get many fixes back.
>
> Nothing is going to change for people using SDL as a LGPL library, and in
> the unlikely event that Sam got replaced by a doppelgänger or his evil twin,
> then the community can always fork the code. Ironic that you first talk
> about deserving to make a few bucks, then here, about a free as in beer
> library. If it's about iPhone development, you can still use the native
> libraries, or write a competitor to SDL.
>
>> I'm not railing against what Sam is doing, or suggesting he does
>> something else, just that pointing out that there's several ways to
>> look at this, and more than one have contradicting elements while
>> still both aiming "for the greater good", of some form or another. Sam
>> making money so that there's strong development on the LGPL version
>> too isn't altogether a bad thing.
>
> Note that "for the greater good" is your personal position. Sam has no
> obligation to operate based on your personal principles. Also, this fixation
> on "making money" is utterly misguided, or woefully one-dimensioned. If you
> think this is a money-spinner, then I got a nice bridge in San Francisco
> that I would like to talk to you about...

You say it's ironic that I first talk about deserving to make a few
bucks. What I said at the end is the most important: I'm NOT railing
against what Sam is doing, or even suggesting he does something else,
I'm pointing that there's SEVERAL ways to look at this, and that
they're ALL "right" in some way or another, but that you can't get it
all.

The one I *do* subscribe to is the one where I start with "in my case"
(which, incidentally, would be the LEAST profitable!), and SDL is
unfortunately not 100% appropriate for this, the copyleft of the LGPL
discouraging commercial game developers, but at least, they could go
to Galaxy Gameworks and get a license that would suit them. But it
still doesn't fulfill my goals of promoting cross-platform development
and getting my bloody games on my favourite platforms (which are many,
and none of which are Windows). Why wouldn't they just use DirectX
that comes with it and has all the documentation right there in their
Visual Studio?

But I'm sure Sam will do a fine job of making that easier and better
for them, and every one of his sales might be one more game that could
easily be on non-Windows platforms, so best of luck!

-- 
http://pphaneuf.livejournal.com/