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version 1.27, 2014/03/11 07:02:07

version 1.28, 2014/03/24 01:05:37

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<dt>Caldera<dd>

Caldera (now known as the SCO group) is the current owner of the Unix

The original Unix code (AT&T versions 1 through 7 UNIX, including 32V)

code copyrights. On 23 January 2002, the original Unix code (versions 1

was freed by Caldera, Inc. on 23 January 2002 and is now available under a

through seven, including 32V) was freed by Caldera. This code is now

available under a

<a href="http://www.tuhs.org/Archive/Caldera-license.pdf">4-term BSD-style license</a>.

As a result, it is now possible to incorporate real Unix code into OpenBSD

As a result, it would theoretically be possible to incorporate original

(though this code is quite old and generally requires significant changes

Unix code into OpenBSD. However, that code is now so old that it doesn't

to bring it up to date).

satisfy today's interface and quality standards.

<dt>DEC, Sun, other manufacturers/software houses.<dd>

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<dt>Apache<dd>

The original Apache copyright is similar to the Berkeley copyright, except

The original Apache license was similar to the Berkeley license,

that it stipulates that products derived from the code may not

but source code published under version 2 of the Apache license is

have "Apache" in their name. The purpose of this clause is to

subject to additional restrictions and cannot be included into OpenBSD.

avoid a situation in which another party releases a modified version

of the code named in such a way to make users think that it is the

"official" version. This is not an issue with OpenBSD because

OpenBSD is a Compilation, and not a

Derived Work.

Source code published under version 2 of the Apache license cannot

be included into OpenBSD. As a consequence, OpenBSD now maintains

its own version of Apache based on version 1.3.29. The OpenBSD

version includes many enhancements and bugfixes.

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The GNU Public License and licenses modeled on it impose the restriction

that source code must be distributed or made available for all works that

are derivatives of the GNU copyrighted code.

While this may be a noble strategy in terms of software sharing, it is a

condition that is typically unacceptable for commercial use of software.

As a consequence, software bound by the GPL terms can not be included in

the kernel or "runtime" of OpenBSD, though software subject to GPL terms

may be included as development tools or as part of the system that are

"optional" as long as such use does not result in OpenBSD as a whole

becoming subject to the GPL terms.

While this may superficially look like a noble strategy, it is a

condition that is typically unacceptable for commercial use of software.

So in practice, it usually ends up hindering free sharing and reuse

of code and ideas rather than encouraging it.

As a consequence, no additional software bound by the GPL terms

will be considered for inclusion into the OpenBSD base system.

As an example, GCC and other GNU tools are included in the OpenBSD

tool chain. However, it is quite possible to distribute a system for

many applications without a tool chain, or the distributor can choose

to include a tool chain as an optional bundle which conforms to the

GPL terms.

For historical reasons, the OpenBSD base system still includes the

following GPL-licensed components: the GNU compiler collection (GCC)

with supporting binutils and libraries, GNU CVS, GNU texinfo, the

lynx text browser, the mkhybrid file system creation tool, and the

readline library. Replacement by equivalent, more freely licensed

tools is a long-term desideratum.

<dt>NetBSD<dd>

Much of OpenBSD is originally based on and evolved from NetBSD, since some

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included that is not part of the Linux core.

<dt>X, XFree86, X.Org<dd>

X, X.Org or XFree86 are not parts of OpenBSD, rather X.Org and parts of

The X.Org Foundation maintains and distributes the X Window System

XFree86 3.3.6 are distributed

under a modified MIT license, which is quite similar to the BSD

with many OpenBSD ports as a convenience to the user, subject to applicable

license and additionally allows sublicensing. Under the name of

license terms.

Xenocara, the OpenBSD base system includes an improved and actively

maintained version of the X.Org code.

<dt>Shareware, Charityware, Freeware, etc.<dd>

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truly in the "Public Domain" all rights are abandoned and the material

is offered without restrictions.

In some jurisdictions, it is doubtful whether voluntarily placing

one's own work into the public domain is legally possible.

For that reason, to make any substantial body of code free,

it is preferable to state the copyright and put it under an ISC

or BSD license instead of attempting to release it into the public

domain.

</dl>