source code

[mr_]

I was trying to download some of your source code but I get only 0 KB files, tested it with two different connections and browsers.

It was because I was curios which licence you may use and which languages you use at which style.

[Bret]

I've modified the page so when you click the links it downloads the files using HTTP rather than FTP. Hopefully that will fix things so you can download the files.

I believe everything currently on the source code page is in assembly language. I use Eric Isaacson's A86/A386 assemblers to compile my assembly language programs. I have also written a few programs with Borland Turbo C++ 3.0 for DOS, but I don't think any of them are on the web site yet. They will be coming soon.

The language I use for licensing in the documentation is pretty simple -- in fact it's a little bit too simple. I'm working on changing that. Basically, the licensing now just says the programs are free to use, and that you cannot make a profit off of their use or their distribution. I'm going to be changing that in future programs to state that the programs are all still free, but also that any programs derived or related to them or their source code must also be free. Note that my definition of free is different than the Free Software Foundation's definition of free, however. FSF's mantra is "Think free speech, not free beer", and under FSF you are allowed to make a profit from the distribution of the "free" programs that you didn't have anything to do with creating. I understand their reasoning, but to me that is obscene.

[mr_]

I hope your new licence can become GPL-compatible so it will be possible to reuse your stack inside grub4dos bootmanager.

[Bret]

It will not, unless somebody can do some fast talking to convince me otherwise. While I agree with GPL for the most part, I object to the ability for someone to make a profit from the distribution of a product they did nothing to produce and paid nothing to obtain. I believe it's OK to recover actual, direct costs (such as disk materials and shipping costs), but not to make a profit or recover indirect costs (such as computer hardware or web site maintenance fees).

[mr_]

Fast talking?

It doesn't matter how fast. Even if you release now under a non-GPL-compatible licence you still hold all rights and are free to re-release it under any licence you want.

I understand your point and I am not trying to convince you, perhaps because I think it's also a symbol of freedom to respect someone else's option.

Hopefully your stack can be compiled as a shared library and used like a plugin and the grub4dos author is accepting that. Normal grub4dos would be stay GPL-compatible and anyone who want to use the USB stack must agree to use it as non-profit only (or ask you for purchasing a commercial licence).

[Crypticalcode0]

Sorry for Necromancy on my part on this thread, but it holds a good question for me too.

Does this thread still hold true?

[Bret]

The licensing hasn't changed, if that's what you're asking.

[Crypticalcode0]

Hm, for the most basic stuff i can fairly honestly say i like link

For my more complex code i refer to the BSD license in most cases.