[avahi] License change

[Lennart Poettering]

Hi!

I would like to propose a license change for the Avahi client
libraries. Right now all code of Avahi is covered by the LGPL. It is
now my intention to dual-license the client part of Avahi
LGPL/MIT-X11. 

Why?

- Bonjour shipped their client libs under BSD, even before their
  recent shift to the Apache License. Unless we license
  our client libs the same way our compatibility will stay only
  half-way. Same for HOWL.

- To make it easier for applictions to statically link against
  the Avahi client libs. Right now (at least some people think this)
  it is problematic to link statically to LGPL libs from closed source
  apps.

- To encounter FUD about the LGPL. (Yepp, this is not a very good
  reason)

I am interested to hear your opinions on this. I am sure there are more
reasons for doing this and also some against doing it.

The code that shall be relicensed is in

    avahi-common/
    avahi-client/
    avahi-compat-howl/
    avahi-compat-libdns_sd/
    avahi-sharp/

To stress this once more: the actual mDNS stack which is in
avahi-core/ will *not* be relicensed and stay LGPL only.

Before I can go through with this relicensing effort I need the OK
from the commiters and other contributors to the respective
directories. From the SVN logs I assembled this list:

     mezcalero
     lathiat
     sebest
     snorp
     jakubs
     Pedraig O'Briain

(I hope I didn't forget anyone. If I did call me ignorant and reply to
this email!)

On IRC I got an OK for this action from the first four. Hence I still
need the explicit OK from you, Jakub, and you, Pedraig!

Thank you very much in advance,

Lennart

-- 
Lennart Poettering; lennart [at] poettering [dot] net
ICQ# 11060553; GPG 0x1A015CC4; http://0pointer.net/lennart/