chore: change license to GPLv2 or later #804
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WordPress plugins should use GPLv2 or later to ensure compatibility with WordPress core. Updates the license declaration across all manifest files and replaces the LICENSE file content. 🤖 Generated with [Claude Code](https://claude.com/claude-code) Co-Authored-By: Claude <[email protected]>
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Pull request overview
This PR reverts the license from GPL-3.0 back to GPLv2-or-later across all project files to ensure compatibility with WordPress core, which is licensed under GPLv2. The change addresses an inconsistency introduced in version 0.9.9 where the plugin header declared GPL-3, which is incompatible with GPLv2-only code.
Key changes:
- Standardizes all license declarations to GPLv2-or-later using appropriate identifiers for each file type
- Replaces the GPL-3 LICENSE file with GPL-2 license text
- Ensures consistency across PHP plugin header, composer.json, package.json, and package-lock.json
Reviewed changes
Copilot reviewed 4 out of 5 changed files in this pull request and generated no comments.
Show a summary per file
| File | Description |
|---|---|
| edit_flow.php | Updated plugin header from "GPL-3" to "GPLv2 or later" and changed license URI to GPL-2.0 |
| composer.json | Changed license identifier from "GPL-3.0+" to "GPL-2.0-or-later" using SPDX format |
| package.json | Changed license identifier from "GPL-3.0-or-later" to "GPL-2.0-or-later" |
| package-lock.json | Updated license identifier to "GPL-2.0-or-later" throughout the lockfile |
| LICENSE | Replaced full GPL-3 license text with GPL-2 license text |
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|
@GaryJones Good catch on the inconsistency! I've checked my name off of the list above. Thank you for addressing this. |
|
@GaryJones - Thanks for catching this! I've checked my name off the list above |
Summary
This PR changes the license from GPL-3.0 back to GPLv2 or later, which is the standard license for WordPress plugins and ensures compatibility with WordPress core.
Background
In PR #727 (commit 8c6193d, May 2024), the plugin header in
edit_flow.phpwas changed from the original GPLv2-or-later license to GPL-3. This was released in version 0.9.9.However, 0.9.9 shipped with inconsistent license declarations:
edit_flow.phpheader:License: GPL-3composer.json:GPL-2.0+(still the old value)package.json:GPL-2.0+(still the old value)LICENSEfile existedAfter the 0.9.9 release, commit 22551d3 (June 6, 2024) attempted to make the licensing consistent by adding a GPL-3
LICENSEfile and updatingcomposer.jsonandpackage.jsonto GPL-3. However, this was never included in a tagged release.Why This Matters
GPLv3 code is fundamentally incompatible with GPLv2-only code. It is not legally possible to combine code from the two in a single program and redistribute it without violating one of the licenses' terms. That means that someone using a strictly GPLv2-only plugin can't use a GPLv3-only plugin in the same site.
Changes
This PR updates all license references to GPLv2 or later:
edit_flow.php: Changed plugin header toLicense: GPLv2 or laterLICENSE: Replaced GPL-3 text with GPL-2 textcomposer.json: Changed toGPL-2.0-or-laterpackage.json: Changed toGPL-2.0-or-laterpackage-lock.json: Changed toGPL-2.0-or-laterContributor Approval
To relicense the contributions made since the GPL-3 change was introduced, we need approval from contributors. Please leave a comment to confirm you're happy for your contributions to be used under "GPLv2 or later":
(Note: dependabot contributions are automated dependency updates and don't require approval)
Test plan
Fixes #762 since #727 never added a valid string.
🤖 Generated with Claude Code