Sunday, 27 June 2010

Install script license change

I have changed the license of the SkinnyDebbie installation scripts to GPLv3. The rest of SkinnyDebbie is unchanged: it’s still GPLv2.

Having said that, when I get around to finishing the next version of SD (for Squeeze) it will probably get a GPLv3 license as well.

Why the change? Because, the CC license that used to cover (and if you insist, still does) the install scripts isn’t well suited to software licensing. I originally wanted to use a CC license for these scripts because I got a bit irritated that earlier versions of these scripts were being used without attribution in the source or elsewhere as the basis for installation schemes in unrelated projects. The GPL also protects against attribution infringement, but I thought the CC was a bit more rigorous in this respect. However, I now think that it’s better to use the licenses in the way they were intended.