Ethereal-dev: Re: [Ethereal-dev] Licensing/Distribution Question

Note: This archive is from the project's previous web site, ethereal.com. This list is no longer active.

From: "Pia Sahlberg" <piabar@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, 08 Sep 2003 02:34:44 +0000
Does anyone have an opinion on how this might apply to plug-in dissectors. I'm writing a dissector for a patented protocol. The intent is to keep it inside the company, but there's always a chance someone will get hold of it. I was assuming that as a separate piece of software, making use of Ethereal facilities, I was reasonably safe. After all, I don't think Apples Quick Time plug-in for Mozilla puts Quick Time source under GPL.

Gerald has already stated his opinion in this regard.

The plugin interface was not intended to be used as a vehicle to distribute proprietary binary only
packet dissectors.


Thus Gerald as well as Myself and possible other ethereal developers do NOT want or allow binary only
distributions of protocol dissectors.

In case the protocol is so secret that the source code can not be distributed, there is no need to distribute protocol dissectors to third parties or customers either.


If it is just for internal use, then you just dont have to distribute the software and thus GPL is no issue. If it is to use ethereal as some sort of value add and you intend to distribute it as a binary only extension to Ethereal, perhaps you should use Sniffer Pro or NetMon instead since they both ahve developer kits and is also licence compatible with what you want.

_________________________________________________________________
E-mail just got a whole lot better. New ninemsn Premium. Click here http://ninemsn.com.au/premium/landing.asp