ubuntu-phone team mailing list archive

[Ted Gould <ted@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I don't see any reason that this is LGPL incompatible.  It just means
that the app author needs to provide sources for the library that they
include.  Just like I can provide a binary distribution on a CD and then
provide sources separately.

There is no plan at this time to include Mono in the base image.  That
of course can change, but nothing currently requires it that would
justify including it.  Most of the apps that are being developed using
Mono for iOS and Android currently use the shaped binary mode of Mono to
create a native executable.  I would expect that Mono using apps would
do the same thing on Ubuntu.

Ted

On Tue, 2013-05-14 at 10:17 -0400, Jeremy Bell wrote:
> Thanks Ted for your more clear answer. This is most unfortunate. I
> would have thought that, if any mobile OS would be LGPL friendly, it
> would be Ubuntu. Unfortunately if it is truly BYOD, it is once again
> impossible for apps to comply with the LGPL license of third party
> libraries. 
> 
> 
> 
> Is there any possibility of the Ubuntu team rethinking their position
> on this? Large swaths of third party libraries are licensed under the
> LGPL and would quite effectively be excluded from use in Ubuntu mobile
> apps, where the same libraries would be perfectly fine in desktop
> apps. Why exclude them from mobile and not desktop? I don't see any
> difference between mobile and desktop apps beyond layout/UX needs,
> which have nothing at all to do with shared library dependencies.
> 
> 
> I realize that BYOD is the new norm in app packaging everywhere, and
> that the LGPL is incompatible with this environment, but there are
> quite a few useful, mature LGPL licensed libraries out there. But,
> assuming you don't change your mind, would you at least be willing to
> include the mono runtime in the "base image" you mentioned? This would
> allow easy porting of, for example, various MonoGame games that
> currently run on various platforms, from iOS, Android, Windows 8,
> etc.. 
> 
> 
> Regards,
> Jeremy
> 
> 
> 
> On Tue, May 14, 2013 at 8:51 AM, Ted Gould <ted@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
>         
>         We expect that applications that need sophisticated dependency
>         schemes will include those dependencies in their own packages.
>         There will be a base image that everyone can depend on, but
>         beyond that, you'll need to BYOD (bring your own dependency).
>         
>         There'll be a difference between packages that are part of
>         core Ubuntu (the archives) and those that are distributed via
>         the Software Center.  Applications in the archive will
>         continue to have the rich dependencies.
>         
>         All of this is under the title of "Click Packages" and is
>         being discussed at vUDS in a few hours:
>         http://summit.ubuntu.com/uds-1305/meeting/21760/foundations-1305-click-package/ 
>         
>         Ted
>         
>         
>         
>         On Tue, 2013-05-14 at 08:45 -0400, Jeremy Bell wrote: 
>         
>         > I tried asking this question on the forums and the IRC
>         > channel, but haven't been able to find someone with the
>         > right answer.
>         > 
>         > I am researching whether it would be possible to distribute
>         > a shared library/runtime package on the Ubuntu software
>         > center for distribution on the phone and tablet versions of
>         > ubuntu. And additionally, whether mobile apps distributed
>         > through the software center can take dependencies on these
>         > shared library/runtime packages, such that they are
>         > automatically installed when the user installs the app.
>         > 
>         > I assumed so, as desktop apps can do this, and it appeared
>         > to be the intent to share the same ecosystem with the
>         > desktop app center.
>         > 
>         > For example, this would allow distribution of apps using
>         > alternate languages and runtimes, such as ruby, python, or
>         > Mono/.net with platform bindings. In my case, I am
>         > interested in using Mono, which is licensed under LGPL, and
>         > so the shared library approach would be the only way to
>         > distribute my app without it falling under the category of
>         > "derivative work" in the license. Note that in the case of
>         > Mono, the mono executable may be needed in addition to the
>         > shared libraries to run the app.
>         > 
>         > So this boils down to three questions:
>         > 1) can developers distribute shared library/runtime packages
>         > as is done on the desktop, e.g. the mono package on the
>         > desktop.
>         > 2) can apps take dependencies on these packages and have
>         > them auto installed?
>         > 3) once installed, can users overwrite shared libraries
>         > installed on their device with their own versions? It's ok I
>         > think if they have to unlock their phones first or tether
>         > them to a pc, etc... This is required for compliance with
>         > the gpl/lgpl.
>         > 
>         > Thanks!
>         > Jeremy
>         > 
>         
>         
>         
>         
>         
>         
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> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> 
> Jeremy Bell
> Sleepy Daddy Software™
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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> Sleepy Daddy Software™

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