Talk:Moonlight (runtime)
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[edit] Free and open-source
I don't know if Moonlight can really qualify as Free and open-source, because Moonlight development is made possible by Microsoft giving exclusive access for Novell of Silverlight test suites, implementation details, and binary codecs, only licensed to use With Novell + Moonlight[1]. Quote from the Free software article: Free software is software that can be used, studied, and modified without restriction. OK, I know that closed codecs are (sadly) the norm with open-source software, but I think that the facts about test suites, implementation details, etc... is a bit annoying... After some thought, maybe what is written on the "Microsoft support" part is enough, what do you think ? Hervegirod 10:26, 13 October 2007 (UTC)
- I think that it counts as free and open source, even though Microsoft's test suites (which if Mono is anything to go by, they'll have replacements for) and codecs are not. The project itself is free even though the process which led it to being of high quality involved the (allowed) use of non-free resources. --zootm (talk) 23:26, 10 January 2008 (UTC)
- It most certainly IS open source AND free software, just as MONO is too. It's just that Microsoft and Novell are helping in to jumpstart it with non-free resources. It will be open-source, and thus proprietary plugins are only an option, not a necessity. As for software patents, those are a plague and thankfully valid in the US only. All you poor Americans should come and live in a FREE country with us, as you've apparently messed your legendary freedom up for good. :) Wilderns (talk) 15:46, 9 February 2008 (UTC)
[edit] ffmpeg and mono
from the mono website:
Install dependencies for module moon from your distro:
* Gtk+ 2.0 development package
* cairo 1.4.xx development package
o If you need the source: cairo 1.4.10.tar.gz (http://www.cairographics.org/releases/cairo-1.4.10.tar.gz)
* ffmpeg from SVN
o I use: svn co -r 9167 svn://svn.mplayerhq.hu/ffmpeg/trunk —Preceding unsigned comment added by GNUtoo (talk • contribs) 20:42, 28 October 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Microsoft support
This part may be need further explanation: Proponents such as Groklaw argued early on that the licensing rights are only granted to Novell and Novell's customers. However, this claim was largely dismissed when Microsoft released a public covenant not to sue anyone that makes use of Moonlight. When going to the link to the Microsoft Covenant, it appears that:
- the agreement not to sue Moonlight users does only apply to the use of Moonlight as a Plugin in a browser,
- Microsoft reserves the right to update (including discontinue) the foregoing covenant...
- the right is only granted if Moonlight is obtained through Novell.
It does not seem that the term largely apply here. Hervegirod (talk) 09:54, 27 January 2008 (UTC)
- Interesting! It seems as though the covenant will continue to apply if MS discontinue it, but only on existing versions of the software. As for having to obtain it through Novell, this definition seems very wide if you read the text; since Novell freely distribute the software it applies to pretty much any means of obtaining the software other than through "resellers, recipients, or distributors who are in the business of offering their own branded operating system software", which presumably would cover official package repositories for operating systems (although whether it applies to community-supported repos like Ubuntu's universe/multiverse is interesting).
