[mesa-users] Jones et al. Urca

[Amber Lauer]

Thanks Josiah, for reminding me that the GPL reference can be found in the
source code (d'oh). How, then, do we resolve the apparent contradiction
between this and the manifesto? I.E. that user modifications and additions
(custom data tables notwithstanding) are to be given back to the community?

On Thu, Aug 6, 2015 at 9:27 AM, Josiah Schwab <jwschwab at berkeley.edu> wrote:

> Hi Amber,
>
> > I noticed in the new instrument paper that Jones 2013 used what is
> referred
> > to as an "unavailable private version" based on 3709. While there is no
> > specific license format (gnu, bsd, etc) mentioned in the manifesto, this
> > sort of thing is explicitly prohibited, I thought (specifically regarding
> > user modifications and additions). Anyone care to comment?
>
> First, the text that is in the that draft of the instrument paper comes
> of a little more strongly than it should have.  I attribute this to
> being locked in a room with the 10 other authors for a week.
>
> The soon-to-be-posted revised version now says:
>
>   \citet{Jones13} used MESA r3709 along with a denser table described in
>   \citet{Toki13} to do their work.  The \citet{Toki13} table is not
>   publicly available, so to reproduce the results of \citet{Jones14} ...
>
> which is a more accurate statement of the situation (as Sam describes in
> his reply in this thread).
>
>
> Second, MESA itself is licensed under GPLv2, as indicated at the
> beginning of each source file.  GPLv2 permits privately modified copies:
>
> http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.en.html#GPLRequireSourcePostedPublic
>
>   The GPL does not require you to release your modified version, or any
>   part of it. You are free to make modifications and use them privately,
>   without ever releasing them. This applies to organizations (including
>   companies), too; an organization can make a modified version and use
>   it internally without ever releasing it outside the organization.
>
>   But if you release the modified version to the public in some way, the
>   GPL requires you to make the modified source code available to the
>   program's users, under the GPL.
>
>
> The MESA council -- of which I am not a member -- can follow up in this
> thread with any official statements.
>
> Josiah
>



-- 
Amber Lauer. M.S. Physics
PhD Candidate,
Dept. of Physics & Astronomy,
Louisiana State University
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