# I'd like to Open Source my app -- advice? **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [April 2, 2007, 3:55am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/id-like-to-open-source-my-app-advice/90823 "2007-04-02T03:55:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![asa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@asa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/asa)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 3:55am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/id-like-to-open-source-my-app-advice/90823/1 "2007-04-02T03:55:41Z")
Hey folks, I’ve written a couple of Rails apps which I’d like to open source under something like the GPL. Unfortunately, GPLv2 has a known “ASP hole” which would allow someone to make changes to my apps and then run them as a service for others, and not release the code because they’re not “distributing” it. So, I’d like this community’s advice on licensing options. GPLv3’s most recent draft still has this ‘hole’. Do any of you have experience working with the Affero General Public License? On a more practical note, I’d love feedback on working with RubyForge or SourceForge (or other options?) as a home for an open source project. What other tools do you recommend? Thanks, Asa ---
**Author:** ![asa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@asa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/asa)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 5:40am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/id-like-to-open-source-my-app-advice/90823/2 "2007-04-02T05:40:59Z")
modify the GPL 2/2 licenses to say what you want…there is no reason you can’t do this… or write you own GPL 1. share code 2. if you host this app as a service, you MUST share code, ---
**Author:** ![asa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@asa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/asa)\ **Post date:** [April 2, 2007, 8:02pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/id-like-to-open-source-my-app-advice/90823/3 "2007-04-02T20:02:05Z")
> modify the GPL 2/2 licenses to say what you want…there is no reason you > can’t do this… You cannot do this (the GPL explicitly forbids it), and you should not do this (a + to standard licenses). Use the Affero GPL, this license requires one to make the code available to the people that can use it through a network… The LogiLogi project also uses this license. (and yes I too do regret that GPLv3 is not going to be the copyleft- license of the web…) greetings, Wybo – :🧑‍🎓 - History, Informatiekunde (computer linguistics, IR, webtech) and Philosophy - Member of the Center for Metahistory Groningen ([http://www.rug.nl/let/cmg](http://www.rug.nl/let/cmg)) ::Free Software and Open Source Developer: - [http://www.LogiLogi.org](http://www.LogiLogi.org), Cumulative, shared commenting, publication and idea sharing: Where insight comes together… - ComLinToo, a computational linguistics toolset written in Perl - Lake ([LogiLogi.org](http://LogiLogi.org) Make), a make-replacement using makefiles in pure C++ ::Being: - In the world, wavy hair, go figure ([http://nl.logilogi.org/HomE/WyboWiersma](http://nl.logilogi.org/HomE/WyboWiersma)) ---
**Author:** ![asa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@asa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/asa)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2007, 8:44am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/id-like-to-open-source-my-app-advice/90823/4 "2007-04-03T08:44:27Z")
Oh and here is a reference for Wybo’s claim that you can’t modify the GPL. [http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html](http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html) 1. Each time you redistribute the Program (or any work based on the Program), the recipient automatically receives a license from the original licensor to copy, distribute or modify the Program subject to these terms and conditions. You may not impose any further restrictions on the recipients’ exercise of the rights granted herein. You are not responsible for enforcing compliance by third parties to this License. So to reiterate, if you inherited the license, you can’t impose any further restrictions. If you created it, you can make whatever license you want. If you are the original creator, surely you can plant whatever licensing seed you like. Nathaniel. On 4/2/07, Nathaniel B. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > what you got. If you want to make customizations, you must first > of support, assurance of continued development and enhancements, etc. > It’s a mixed bag, but find out what your goals are. Ruby on Rails has > > > Use the Affero GPL, this license requires one to make the code available > > > > - Lake ([LogiLogi.org](http://LogiLogi.org) Make), a make-replacement using makefiles in pure C++ > > Toll Free: 1-877-446-4647 > Vancouver: 604-724-6624 – Nathaniel Steven Henry Brown Toll Free: 1-877-446-4647 Vancouver: 604-724-6624 ---
**Author:** ![asa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@asa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/asa)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2007, 11:03am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/id-like-to-open-source-my-app-advice/90823/5 "2007-04-03T11:03:00Z")
> So to reiterate, if you inherited the license, you can’t impose any > further restrictions. If you created it, you can make whatever license > you want. If you are the original creator, surely you can plant > whatever licensing seed you like. At the top of the GPL: * * * Copyright (C) 1989, 1991 Free Software Foundation, Inc. 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies of this license document, but changing it is not allowed. * * * So to reiterate; you are not allowed to change the GPL, and thus you cannot add any extra requirements, not even to your own GPL-ed code 🙂 This is copyright at the level of licenses… Dual licensing is an entirely different matter, though you are always free to choose the license you like and cut away the other(s)… (therefore I slightly dislike most cases in which this happens, as most dual licensing sites are misleading commercial parties into thinking that they need to buy licenses, while they only can if they want/feel good about it/need the support and extra services that come with it) Wybo – :🧑‍🎓 - History, Informatiekunde (computer linguistics, IR, webtech) and Philosophy - Member of the Center for Metahistory Groningen ([Faculty of Arts | About us | University of Groningen](http://www.rug.nl/let/cmg)) ::Free Software and Open Source Developer: - [http://www.LogiLogi.org](http://www.LogiLogi.org), Cumulative, shared commenting, publication and idea sharing: Where insight comes together… - ComLinToo, a computational linguistics toolset written in Perl - Lake ([LogiLogi.org](http://LogiLogi.org) Make), a make-replacement using makefiles in pure C++ ::Being: - In the world, wavy hair, go figure ([http://nl.logilogi.org/HomE/WyboWiersma](http://nl.logilogi.org/HomE/WyboWiersma)) ---
**Author:** ![asa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@asa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/asa)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2007, 8:41am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/id-like-to-open-source-my-app-advice/90823/6 "2007-04-03T08:41:26Z")
If you are the creator of the original work, you can and are completely within your right as a creator to do whatever you want with your creation. That being said, if you want to use the GPL as a foundation, and add customized limitations to it for particular use (non-asp) or commercial license caveats, etc. You are entirely authorized. The only time you are unable to modify the GPL is if you inherited it from another creator/author. When this happens, you are stuck with what you got. If you want to make customizations, you must first extract yours to be independent of the original work, then you can license that individually. There are more caveats to this, but that doesn’t sound even close to what you intent is anyways. Some of the nicer licenses I have seen are the dual sorts. Something of a MySQL style offering, where you do both a commercial license and a open source license. This allows you to help the non-profits and non-commercial entities out there as well as pleasing those who want the commercial elements of support, assurance of continued development and enhancements, etc. I am bipolar when it comes to this licensing. Some days I completely agree with it, other days when I rehash the concept my gut goes into knots. This is likely due to my heart wanting to go pure open source and trust in man kind to donate and give back, but my mind knowing that it simply wont pay the bills and people just aren’t as giving as I hope so as to sustain myself with food and shelter. It’s a mixed bag, but find out what your goals are. Ruby on Rails has licened theirs as open as it gets under the MIT and has brought major business INDIRECTLY to their products. While MySQL has the dual license and directly pays their bills while still offering a free alternative to the world. Ideals are nice, but reality needs to be included in your choice. But overall, open source is a VERY good thing no matter how you slice it. Just how much open source you decide to slice off is a question that only a bit of personal reflection will answer for you. Nathaniel. On 4/2/07, Wybo W. [removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid](mailto:removed_email_address@domain.invalid) wrote: > The LogiLogi project also uses this license. > :🧑‍🎓 > > - In the world, wavy hair, go figure ([http://nl.logilogi.org/HomE/WyboWiersma](http://nl.logilogi.org/HomE/WyboWiersma)) > > > – Nathaniel Steven Henry Brown Toll Free: 1-877-446-4647 Vancouver: 604-724-6624 ---
**Author:** ![asa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@asa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/asa)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2007, 11:10am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/id-like-to-open-source-my-app-advice/90823/7 "2007-04-03T11:10:01Z")
Wybo W. wrote: > Copyright © 1989, 1991 Free Software Foundation, Inc. > 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA > > Everyone is permitted to copy and distribute verbatim copies > of this license document, but changing it is not allowed. It just sounds funny 🙂 It’s fine to do what you like my code but get your hands off my license - sounds a bit ironic 😛 but I see the point 🙂 Cheers Mohit. ---
**Author:** ![asa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/dfb087/32.png) [@asa](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/asa)\ **Post date:** [April 3, 2007, 11:13am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/id-like-to-open-source-my-app-advice/90823/8 "2007-04-03T11:13:02Z")
Here is a more detailed response of the FSF to the: can I change the license question: [http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#TOCModifyGPL](http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#TOCModifyGPL) In short: you can as long as you don’t call it anything GPL-like and if you don’t mention GNU etc. But it is strongly discouraged… Wybo