[MLton-user] Is mlton free software?

[Bartlomiej Szymczak]

On 5/15/07, Brian P. O'Hanlon <brianpo at cmu.edu> wrote:
> > I have read the license and it seems to me that it has a big flaw. If
> > somebody wants to, they can just take MLton code, change it and
> > distribute without the source code. They could even change the license
> > to a different one. This way the software is non-free (using FSF's
> > definition of freedom).
> >
> > Is my understanding correct? Is MLton non-free software?
>
> No and no.  The (modified) BSD license is a free software license
> according to the FSF (see
> http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/license-list.html).
> Now, the debate about whether the BSD license is better than the GPL
> has been going on for a while and gets quite bitter at times.  The BSD
> license is "freer" than the GPL in that what you said is allowed,
> whereas with the GPL, it is not, and there are many other things that
> the GPL makes messy (especially with regard to libraries and
> compilers).  So, MLton uses the BSD license.  And it is very much free
> software.
> -Brian
> Disclaimer: I usually use a BSD/X11-style license with my projects,
> and I like them much better than the GPL, so I might be considered to
> be a bit biased.
>
> --
> Brian P. O'Hanlon
>
> Department of Mathematical Sciences
> Department of English
> Carnegie Mellon University
>
> Chair, Spring Carnival Committee
> Co-President, CMU Math Club
> Station Manager, Carnegie Tech Radio Club (W3VC)
> Treasurer, Carnegie Mellon Computer Club
>
> Zephyr: bohanlon at club.cc.cmu.edu
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>

Thanks.

How come you say MLton license is "freer" than GPL? Being free means
having freedom, which can't be taken away from you. Now if someone can
just take your rights from you that easily, it means you're not free
at all. I would maybe say that MLton license is more "permissive" than
GPL, but certainly not more free. It gives you more rights, but one of
those rights is possibility of loosing all your rights.

I've seen the FSF license list page and they mention two BSD licenses
there - old one and new one (one being GPL-compatible, one not). You
have also mentioned BSD/X11. Could someone please tell me which BSD
license is MLton license derived from exactly? I'd like to see whether
it's GPL compatible.

On the license page it says that MLton license is "BSD-like". Hmm...
I'd like to compare how much "likeness" there really is between MLton
license and the original BSD license you used.

Best regards,
-- 
Bartlomiej Szymczak