'StereoData Maker' v.1.72 Released - page 3 - Microfunguy's Builds - CHDK Forum

'StereoData Maker' v.1.72 Released

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Offline mil22

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Re: 'StereoData Maker' v.1.72 Released
« Reply #20 on: 21 / July / 2008, 19:27:39 »
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I'd also like to encourage Microfunguy to release the source code to SDM 1.72.

It *is* a legal requirement of the GPL and he is in violation of the GNU Public License if he doesn't.  It's not a question of whether he likes the CHDK team members or not. It's a question of copyright law. Here's the relevant section of the GPL:

"  3. You may copy and distribute the Program (or a work based on it,
under Section 2) in object code or executable form under the terms of
Sections 1 and 2 above provided that you also do one of the following:

    a) Accompany it with the complete corresponding machine-readable
    source code, which must be distributed under the terms of Sections
    1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or,

    b) Accompany it with a written offer, valid for at least three
    years, to give any third party, for a charge no more than your
    cost of physically performing source distribution, a complete
    machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code, to be
    distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium
    customarily used for software interchange; or,

    c) Accompany it with the information you received as to the offer
    to distribute corresponding source code.  (This alternative is
    allowed only for noncommercial distribution and only if you
    received the program in object code or executable form with such
    an offer, in accord with Subsection b above.)"

If he doesn't maybe we should get in touch with GPL Violations homepage
      -
    The gpl-violations.org project
or something.

Re: 'StereoData Maker' v.1.72 Released
« Reply #21 on: 22 / July / 2008, 13:21:37 »
I don't really want to get in the middle of this, especially since I don't know all the issues and agendas involved. However, I feel I must because of a potential hinderance to development.

The sourcecode for an earlier version of SDM has been made readily available on the SDM website.

There is great pressure on microfunguy to release the most recent version.

I'm concerned that, if it becomes too much of an issue, as it already appears to be escalating into quotes from legal documents, David may simply say that development stops with the released version of the source and moves on to other things.

This will NOT benefit the commmunity in any way whatsoever that I can see.

I have seen no development of SDM within the community here. That is not to say that there have been no contributions from the developers, quite the contrary. I know for certain that I would not be using my TX-1's to shoot stereo HD videos without the generous assistance of many of the members. But the package itself is not actively supported here and there are no alternate builds such as Jucifer has done with CHDK.

Even with the already available sourcecode, I don't see anyone here rushing to develop alternate versions of SDM, nor are they offering to provide the level of support that any complex package like this requires. These tasks are all being done solely by microfunguy who is constantly fielding inquiries from users and trying to improve the software. I can understand his reticence to take on even more of a workload based on an alternate, unsupported build.

So, I wonder why, other than "the principle of the thing" is there such an uproar?

I don't know if David would be amenable or if it would satisfy PhyrePhoX and others, but, would the "written offer..." mentioned above be a step in the right direction that would help compromise this standoff?

As a member of the New York Stereoscopic Society conversant with SDM, I am frequently assisting other members with installation, partitioning, Remote Trigger construction and numerous other concerns regarding using the software on various stereo camera rigs. The software has been getting steadily better and more user-friendly with each passing month as David refines the quirks. I would really, truly hate to see the entire thing get dropped because of this sourcecode issue.

I'm not disputing the "correctness" of the opinions put forth here and I'm not defending or denigrating anyone's position. I'm just voicing my concerns.

Thanks for your time!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

<")%%%><<

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Offline mil22

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Re: 'StereoData Maker' v.1.72 Released
« Reply #22 on: 22 / July / 2008, 16:47:49 »
Wouldn't lack of availability of up-to-date source code be part of the reason there is little active development of SDM in these groups? Or could it perhaps be that the feeling that Microfunguy is stealing the goods that so many developers have worked hard on and made freely available to the public, and illegally incorporating them into his own private closed-source build, is putting off many of the open source developers on this forum who would otherwise be interested in contributing?

What about all those programmers who have put some much time and effort into CHDK. Don't they deserve to get access to Microfunguy's latest improvements, patches and bug fixes too? Why should Microfunguy be exempt from the share-alike philosophy that drove the growth of CHDK, the very piece of software that made SDM possible in the first place?

How long does it take to share source code? Seriously, is 2 minutes of his time to add it to a ZIP file and upload it to a web server too much to ask in return for all the developments and improvements in the open code base that he benefits from?

What's the deal here?

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Offline mil22

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Re: 'StereoData Maker' v.1.72 Released
« Reply #23 on: 24 / July / 2008, 14:45:03 »
The source for 1.72 is now up on his website. Thanks Microfunguy :)

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Offline wontolla

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Re: 'StereoData Maker' v.1.72 Released
« Reply #24 on: 24 / July / 2008, 20:26:43 »
I couldn't help notice that the file "COPYING" (GPL file) is missing.

I don't know if this means something but I guess asking is pointless, given that I belong to the infamous PhyrePhox team as clearly stated in the wikia.
« Last Edit: 24 / July / 2008, 20:31:32 by wontolla »

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Offline mil22

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Re: 'StereoData Maker' v.1.72 Released
« Reply #25 on: 29 / July / 2008, 19:57:05 »
Yes, the COPYING (GPL file) is missing, and worse, it looks like for many of the more important files he's deliberately stripped out all of the original comments, and he's mucked with the formatting by stripping out the indentation, which looks like an attempt to make the source code unreadable. I don't think this is a violation of the GPL, although it's either plain immature or the mark of a terrible software engineer (or both).

Not including the COPYING file is definitely a violation of the GPL. This makes the entire source code distribution look like it isn't under any kind of license. The GPL states:

" 1. You may copy and distribute verbatim copies of the Program's
source code as you receive it, in any medium, provided that you
conspicuously and appropriately publish on each copy an appropriate
copyright notice and disclaimer of warranty; keep intact all the
notices that refer to this License and to the absence of any warranty;
and give any other recipients of the Program a copy of this License
along with the Program."

"2 a) You must cause the modified files to carry prominent notices stating that you changed the files and the date of any change."

Technically speaking, we can legally demand as copyright holders that he immediately stop distributing SDM, because he's violated the terms of the GPL and has therefore lost all his rights to distribute any work derived from CHDK. But that would be going too far, at least at this stage.

Re: 'StereoData Maker' v.1.72 Released
« Reply #26 on: 30 / July / 2008, 18:48:38 »
This situation is being resolved by Microfunguy.

Re: 'StereoData Maker' v.1.72 Released
« Reply #27 on: 30 / July / 2008, 18:54:34 »
Not including the COPYING file is definitely a violation of the GPL.

As mentioned in this thread 'StereoData Maker' v.1.73 Released, file 'Copying' was accidentally deleted at the same time as some temporary RTF files were removed.
It has been sent to the website owner (who is currently in China) and has now been added to the zip .
There are no other missing files and you can compile the code (as Hacki graciously admitted in the above thread).
School is out for the Summer and the college kids are having fun ... but there are limits to their silly games.
A WIKI is not the place for airing personal grievances or making libelous comments.
It seems that we have a Barney Fife mark 2.
The member of this forum (who is reading this post) that vandalised all SDM entries in the WIKI did not have the courage to use his username.
He signed-in anonymously from IP address 64.61.220.184 (cpinternet.com, Duluth, USA).
He has now been reported to WIKIA for abuse of their terms and conditions  :-

"No content shall be added to any wiki hosted by Wikia, Inc. that is tortious, threatening, harmful, hateful, unlawful, libelous, defamatory, harassing, abusive, fraudulent..."

More serious action will be taken against him or any other individual if necessary.
« Last Edit: 30 / July / 2008, 18:56:41 by Microfunguy »

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Offline mil22

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Re: 'StereoData Maker' v.1.72 Released
« Reply #28 on: 30 / July / 2008, 22:38:47 »
Good luck to you convincing WIKIA that content is against their T&Cs, because you'll need it. The content seems to state the truthful opionion of the author to his best knowledge that you were (are?) in violation of the GPL. That seems to be a statement of opinion, and is not tortious, threatening, harmful, hateful, unlawful, libelous, defamatory, harassing, abusive, or fraudulent in any way as far as I can tell. To claim otherwise is frankly preposterous and, in my opinion, unpleasant. For the statements to be libelous or defamatory, they have to be untrue.

I didn't write that content, but to be honest with you I would have written precisely the same content if I had had time. If individuals like us don't stand up in this world for open source licensing rights, then who else is going to? There is no commercial interest that will do so.

I applaud the individual who had the courage to stand up for those rights. And to the extent that you also follow the rules of the GPL, I applaud you, Microfunguy. But I certainly don't applaud your taking action against the poor person who was forced by your license-violating actions (in my opinion) to stick their neck out and stand up for the open source community.
« Last Edit: 30 / July / 2008, 22:40:38 by mil22 »

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Offline mil22

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Re: 'StereoData Maker' v.1.72 Released
« Reply #29 on: 30 / July / 2008, 22:52:41 »
Looks like the GPL violation has been resolved - the COPYING file is now in the 1.73 source distribution (though the comments and indentation are still missing). Thank you Microfunguy.

 

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