All Your Code Are Belong To Us: SecondLife Client Now Open Source
Submitted by Taran on Mon, 01/08/2007 - 09:59
It seems while I was off doing other things this weekend (which required me to abandon my keyboard), Linden Labs open sourced the SecondLife client. I'm downloading the source code as I write this.
And it isn't just any open source license - it's the GPL - version 2. Seems like my predictions of 2007 are becoming real.
It's already echoing all over the web:
- Tao Takashi: History is made: Second Life client now Open Source! (updated)
- WeBreakStuff: Second-Life client now open source
- BusinessWire: Linden Lab To Open Source Second Life Software
- CNN Money: Second Life to go open source
- Electric Sheep Company: Second Life Goes Open Source
The source can be found here.
And while the news travels around the real world, I imagine that the responses from the SecondLife "open source is evil" naysayers will be amusing, but they won't leave SecondLife. Typically, they are much happier griping about things and making money from SL regardless of the strangled noises that they spew through their keyboards.
All over the world, penguins are dancing. GNUs are celebrating. Richard Stallman may even log on.
Licensing
From the SL licensing page: http://secondlife.com/developers/opensource/licenses
"Note that some components necessary for use with the Second Life viewer are licensed from third parties under different licenses. The license for those components is clearly marked inside the distribution of those components. Some components may require payment of royalties or have other restrictions associated with copying, modification or redistribution. Please consult the license for all components when licensing the software."
Yeah, saw that about 3rd party stuff.
Maybe we could find open source stuff that fills those 'voids'.
Richard Stallman won't be logging on to SL anytime soon
Richard Stallman won't be logging on to SL anytime soon - the server code is still 'evil'. :-)
But exciting news... we've woken up to a new Second Life this morning!
Dunno... Parts of the internet are Evil too.
I think he may still be doing his email download once a day, though. No telling.
Interesting that GPLv2 was used without comment about GPLv3.
Not sure about GPLv2 vs GPLv3
I don't know enough about GPLv2 vs GPLv3 to comment.
I've been following the blogosphere's reaction to the open sourcing of the SL client all day, and Nobody... is there a blog post on the topic where you *haven't* left a comment? :-)
Who, me?
GPLv2 vs. GPLv3: Basically GPLv3 won't allow use in DRM, and has some stuff to combat software patents in it.
I've been looking at what has been said as well - many blog posts on the topic I didn't comment on because they aren't noteworthy, and were simple redirects.
Writing something about that this morning, as a matter of fact.
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