BitTorrent Chat - Private instant messaging via secure, distributed technology

Re:BitTorrent Chat - Private instant messaging via secure, d... by chimeracoder on Monday September 30, 2013 @05:25PM (#6472479)

> You make money in open source by selling related services (e.g. github, Android) or support (Red Hat). You can't do it by licensing the product.

This is where the distinction between "free" (as in freedom) and "open source" is helpful.

You can, hypothetically, release the source code of a project under a license that prohibits compilation of that source code (or, prohibits running anything other than the paid binary of the source code). This would allow people to view and theoretically vet the code; they just can run it (legally) without paying for it.

Not that I would like to encourage such behavior, or think that it's valuable. But it's an important distinction to remember.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:BitTorrent Chat - Private instant messaging via secure, d... by ajross on Monday September 30, 2013 @06:08PM (#6472718)

> release the source code of a project under a license that prohibits compilation of that source code

Such a license would qualify for neither "open source" nor "free software" under the relevant official definitions though.

Yes, it would be reviewable for bugs and probably preferrable to a blob. But without the ability to verify the complication you'd have no assurance that the proprietary code was actually built with the reviewed source. Basically this would just be a stunt.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:BitTorrent Chat - Private instant messaging via secure, d... by esrauch on Monday September 30, 2013 @06:16PM (#6472746)

If the license said that you were in violation if you executed the built code but there was instructions to build the exact version that is distributed it would still allow people to verify that the binary was built from the provided source.

I recall Transgaming Wine had a model that was effectively this, it was difficult for a laymen to build the source and binaries couldn't be distributed freely but the source was still available.

[ Parent | on HN ]

[deleted]

Re:BitTorrent Chat - Private instant messaging via secure, d... by ajross on Monday September 30, 2013 @06:32PM (#6472809)

No, that's wrong. The term "open source" as commonly used has a formal definition (http://opensource.org/osd-annotated) and this violates the very first term.

That is "source visible", I guess. But please don't confuse terminology: it's neither "open source" nor "free software".

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:BitTorrent Chat - Private instant messaging via secure, d... by nwh on Monday September 30, 2013 @05:30PM (#6472509)

There would be no assurance that the binary is compiled from the source though.

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:BitTorrent Chat - Private instant messaging via secure, d... by sturadnidge on Monday September 30, 2013 @06:26PM (#6472789)

And even if it were, http://cm.bell-labs.com/who/ken/trust.html

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:BitTorrent Chat - Private instant messaging via secure, d... by jlgaddis on Monday September 30, 2013 @09:32PM (#6473512)

Do we really need to keep posting this link anytime someone says something that has anything to do with building something from source?

[ Parent | on HN ]

Re:BitTorrent Chat - Private instant messaging via secure, d... by natschil on Monday September 30, 2013 @07:20PM (#6472998)

Sure, I guess. But if you don't trust your own system, it doesn't really matter whether you use their code or not. That said, "Reflections on Trusting Trust" is mentioned far too often, without people fully understanding the fact that it would be incredibly difficult, if not impossible to pull something like that off.

[ Parent | on HN ]