One way to start hacking now

[Sven de Marothy <sv...@physto.se>]

Hi,
I've seen a lot of anxious volunteers on this list just itching to get
started with something. And I'd like to make a suggestion, which is to
help out on the GNU Classpath class libraries. I wrote an intro on
how[1] to this list.

Some of you may be hesitant because you're more interested in Harmony,
and it hasn't been decided if Harmony will actually use GNU Classpath or
not. 

However: There is no real reason to be worried here. Although Classpath
does require FSF assignment of copyright, that assignment gives you a
full grant-back of rights. Meaning: If bad comes to worse and Harmony
doesn't use GNU Classpath, you will still be able to contribute your own
Classpath contributions to Harmony.

This is because the ASF only requires a full license, and not the
copyright ownership. (whereas the FSF requires ownership but gives you
back a full license).

IANAL, but I've gotten confirmation of this from FSF-licensing (see
end).

So, those of you itching to get started with something, I invite you to
come look at GNU Classpath. Your effort will not be wasted.

/Sven

[1]
http://mail-archives.apache.org/mod_mbox/incubator-harmony-dev/200505.mbox/%3c1116284171.29371.75.camel@qcplx01.physto.se%3e

[Comment: the text I was referring to 'as above' here is the Apache
Contributors License Agreement]
> > [sven@physto.se - Mon May 16 17:12:01 2005]:
> 
> > So the question here is, after I've has assigned copyright on code
> to
> > the FSF, does the FSF grant-back of rights allow me to license that 
> > code to Apache, as above? 
> 
> Yes.
> -- 
> -Dave "Novalis" Turner
> GPL Compliance Engineer
> Free Software Foundation
> 
> 
>