The difference is that with permissive licenses everyone can take any amount of code, add literally whatever and make it all proprietary. This way, things like MacOS, as well as gaming console firmware for example, were made.
Licenses like GPL don’t allow you to do that - if you borrow anything GPL, you have to make your creation open-source, or else a juicy lawsuit awaits you, technically on copyright basis. For example, Android as a base OS is open-source simply because it uses code from Linux kernel, and the latter is licensed under GPLv2.
The latter is superior since it propagates the open-source code by forcing everyone who used the free code to share their code as well. This proved to be very useful with even corporations having their hands tied into showing the code, ensuring transparency and security for everyone.
GPL is one-way compatible with Apache - that is, you can license programs made with GPL code under Apache, the latter being open-source, even though permissive.
Yes, but it wouldn’t be accurate to say the entire device is. There are multiple pieces of software that are in use on modern Android phones, and some are under copyleft licenses while some pieces are proprietary. https://opensource.samsung.com
The difference is that with permissive licenses everyone can take any amount of code, add literally whatever and make it all proprietary. This way, things like MacOS, as well as gaming console firmware for example, were made.
Licenses like GPL don’t allow you to do that - if you borrow anything GPL, you have to make your creation open-source, or else a juicy lawsuit awaits you, technically on copyright basis. For example, Android as a base OS is open-source simply because it uses code from Linux kernel, and the latter is licensed under GPLv2.
The latter is superior since it propagates the open-source code by forcing everyone who used the free code to share their code as well. This proved to be very useful with even corporations having their hands tied into showing the code, ensuring transparency and security for everyone.
That does sound better!
Android uses linux code though, how do they get away with licensing under apache
GPL is one-way compatible with Apache - that is, you can license programs made with GPL code under Apache, the latter being open-source, even though permissive.
No, it’s the other way around. The GPL doesn’t allow you to remove the user protections.
Thanks, my bad!
Wait so are Samsung devices open sourced as well?
If your Samsung device uses clean Android, then you run open source OS. Otherwise, nah.
Yes, but it wouldn’t be accurate to say the entire device is. There are multiple pieces of software that are in use on modern Android phones, and some are under copyleft licenses while some pieces are proprietary. https://opensource.samsung.com