OSI certified...source? (reprise)

As I hadn't posted about this in one location (it wound up spread over multiple topics and a couple emails), I'll update it here. Initially, I had multiple 500 internal server errors within SourceForge while posting the original release. It took me about 3 hours just to get the suite posted correctly and the final release was the source, which failed on 4 different attempts (at which point, I gave up and went to sleep after staying up all night).

You'll also note that I haven't posted anything to SourceForge since that time. That's due to the original internal errors followed by an FTP issue that I hadn't solved until today. It turns out I restored a FileZilla.xml config file that had my SourceForge upload server defined incorrectly. The few times I tried it since then, I figured there were just network errors. Incidentally, this also delayed an update of the suite to 1.0.1 or 1.0.2, since I couldn't upload the newer release (which is why it's still a separate patch. Well, I figured out the error today (as mentioned in yet another thread).

In addition, I didn't respond to your original post due to the comments included. Statements like "I guess they're giving out OSI certification to closed-source projects now" are simply uncalled for. As is "You can't release software as OSS and then withhold the source code!" (exclamation points and all). You think I'm some kind of open source newbie? Or out to screw you over? Especially considering the fact that you're getting an app that I put lots of effort and over 100 hours into for free... an app I could have chosen to charge for and keep closed but decided to take a risk and set free. Rather than getting mad and responding in kind, I've chosen to ignore posts of this nature. You'll note, quite clearly, that there's no OSI certified logo in relation to the menu or on the Suite download page. This is because I couldn't upload the source with the initial release. Now, you may not have intended that statement to come off the way I interpreted it... and, if not, no worries... but that's the danger in a text-based communications medium (90% of communication is nonverbal, so conveying intent online can be difficult).

And, the final issue -- that came up at the end of last week and which I hadn't yet covered in the forums -- is one of licensing. It seems I have to alter the way the menu binary is structured due to licensing of the images. Initially, I was under the impression that images included within a GPLed application do not need to be licensed under the GPL (otherwise, how could you possibly include a trademark in a GPLed app). Well, it seems the GPL actually makes no mention of images, so it's a gray area. It also specifically makes no mention of trademarks as it does NOT grant a trademark license to users (even AbiWord has some trademark guidelines to this effect).

The pretty icons used on the right make use of icons from the Tango icons set, which is licensed under a Creative Commons license. As it turns out, Creative Commons licenses are incompatible with the GPL according to the FSF. Despite the fact that many GPLed apps make use of the Tango icons... and the Tango project folks apparently intended for them to be used in open source software... it seems that, if you interpret the GPL to cover images, these can not be compiled into a binary. (Now, doesn't *that* suck?) So, it looks like I'll have to pull the original binaries and replace them.

So, what does this whole mess of stuff mean? Well, it means that I'm forced to slightly recode the menu to err on the side of caution and properly respecting others' copyrights and licenses. I'll be pulling the existing binaries and replacing them with proper ones and posting updates of the suite that do the same. Sadly, this increases the menu's footprint a bit and may add 1/2 a second to load times.

I'm taking the rest of the day to finish this up and get both posted to SourceForge. I'm also changing my internet access plan to up my upload bandwidth by 33% (and doubling the price, unfortunately), so I can get the new suite posted ASAP (it takes at least an hour for me to upload the standard edition). It also means that I'm going another day working on this stuff as opposed to my paying work... which is also unfortunate as I have bills like rent due (and the donations and ad revenue from the site only goes towards paying for the site... not my bills).

Well, I hope that clarifies the semi-absurd chain of events that took place and why I'm still working on getting things posted.

Timeline Update: It'll be tomorrow (Tuesday) as I haven't quite finished the package and I need sleep...