Idea: Posible work around for GPL issue when developing an SSH client app

[bit_bucket]

So I have been thinking about the GPL issue as well as export controls on crytography and how this could hamper an ssh app being created for the app store and I woke up in the middle of the night with a posible solution. I would like to get others opinions on this.

What a developer could do is create the non GPL'd parts of the ssh client app as the program that appears in the app store, then like a lot of other program available now, when you start it, it would check your location and download the GPL'd libs that are appropriate and legal for your country. Since these libs would not live in the app store relm they could maintain the GPL license. It all comes down to Apple allowing it. Other program like epocrates relies on an outside data source to get the main component of thier app, data, and it is probably even stored in a binary format. So what would be the difference in going to the web to get the binary formatted data that your app needs or the binary formatted libs? Just some food for thought.

 

[firewood]

An app that can download library, executable, or even interpreted code (other than Javascript), is almost certainly not in accordance with the SDK use or the App Store agreement (but IANAL). Downloading data is ok.

 

[bit_bucket]

An app that can download library, executable, or even interpreted code (other than Javascript), is almost certainly not in accordance with the SDK use or the App Store agreement (but IANAL). Downloading data is ok.

Hrm, oh well back to the drawing board. Apple is going to need to make provisions into the sdk to allow for GPL compliance. This would give users more options. For now I have no idea how anyone is going to be able to release an ssh client due to the inherent GPL issue. On the outside such an app would not violate any apple rules but the GPL'd libs would. Man I need an ssh client bad and don't want to have to jailbreak to get it.

 

[firewood]

Apple is going to need to make provisions into the sdk to allow for GPL compliance.

The GPL can be a nasty license from a business point-of-view, and there are many other Open Source options available. Apple seems to be moving away from using GPL'd material, and towards stuff under Open Source licenses more like BSD, MIT and Apache. They've done this for major portions of the core OS, WebKit, and even their compiler is gradually moving towards the LLVM suite and away from gcc.

As for SSH, not all Open Source SSH code is GPL'd.

 

[jaseone]

Err OpenSSH is not GPL, it is covered by various licenses that are BSD style in nature so they are all at least as free as BSD licensed code is to use as per:

http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb/src/usr.bin/ssh/LICENCE?rev=HEAD

 

[bit_bucket]

Err OpenSSH is not GPL, it is covered by various licenses that are BSD style in nature so they are all at least as free as BSD licensed code is to use as per:

http://www.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb/src/usr.bin/ssh/LICENCE?rev=HEAD

Yes I noticed this when researching licenses for the various programs I use. I don't know why I always thought that ssh was GPL'd code. It's great that it is covered under more non-restrictive license. Now the only other problem to conquer is the export restrictions on cryptograghy. Just dreaming of a day where I don't have to lug my laptop around for oncall duties after hours.