[Rails] MIT vs GPL vs LGPL for open source project

[Tobias Lütke]

I guess i'll answer this..

> Why did Typo choose the MIT license ?
>
> So to resume all these questions :
>
> 1. cons and pros of GPL

If typo was GPL you would have to release the source upon request of
every application which uses typo in any way shape or form. This
includes even just copying some lines of code from the flickr parser
for example. GPL taints all source code its copied into.

> 2. add-on, plugin license if base application is GPL

Plugins get their own license. But if the host application is GPL
licensed your addons have to be GPL if you hope that your plugin will
ever be distributed with the core application.

> 3. Why MIT license for Rails, Ruby and Typo ?

Because it means "no strings attached"


My experience is that programmers like to be able to do whatever they
want. If you tell them to use your source but only if you do a,b and c
then chances are they won't particularly care for your work. In
general I always got more contributions back on MIT licensed libraries
then I did on GPL.


--
Tobi
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