License question

[IzzySoft]

First thanks for making your app available here! As you didn't declare any license it's unclear what this means in terms of usage (well, it basically means "all rights reserved" so nobody is free to use it). Did you already pick a license – preferably a free/libre one? If not, would you mind doing so? For guidance, there's a list at SPDX (concentrate on those approved by OSI/FSF). Most common choices go from Unlicense (aka "Public Domain") via Apache-2, MIT, BSD-(2|3)-Clause up to GPL-2/3 and AGPL3 (I'd start with those if I had no idea – and honestly I do not have much ideas about most of the others 🙈)

Thanks in advance for considering!

[Staszek15]

Thanks for explaining it to me. I thought that uploading my files here by default means that everyone is free to use them so I really appreciate your help. I have just declared the MIT License.

[IzzySoft]

Thanks! One more question: now that the license is clear, I've taken a look at the APK attached to v0.4.1. Strangely it identifies as

package: name='com.example.myapplication' versionCode='1' versionName='1.0'

I assume that will be the same for each of the APK, which creates some issues:

• users cannot tell which app version they have installed, as all shoe "1.0"
• Android won't signal an update, as all APKs are having the same versionCode

The place to fix that would be here – and for v0.4.1 it should read

        versionCode 5
        versionName "0.4.1"

(versionCode could be even higher; I've picked 5 because it's the 5th release) If you could fix that and replace the APK, I could make your app available via my F-Droid repo so more people find it and can keep it updated easily (provided you keep up tagging, updating versions and attaching the APKs to the tags). Can we strike that deal? 😃

[IzzySoft]

@Staszek15 any chance the versioning can be fixed? build.gradle still has the same values. Hard to tell releases apart this way, or whether an update might be available.

[Staszek15]

Oh I am so sorry, I completely forgot about your comment and have not been using github for a while. Thanks for another advice. I will correct it soon. Unfortunately I would like to keep the rights for this app for myself - I have also deleted license file because MIT is not exactly what I would like here. I will choose a proper license soon as I was advised to restrict the commercial use.

After covering above things, I will upload Kotlin version of this app. It consists of much higher quality code and has some additional features.

[IzzySoft]

Thanks @Staszek15! I guess the only way to restrict while still keeping it FOSS would be using AGPL then, forcing the "other side" to always make their changes AGPL & public even when "only used in their services". While I agree it should be OK to exclude certain uses (like commercial abuse, or use to cause harm etc), the F in FOSS means "libre" so you can't really forbid any type of usage without violating the principles of "the four freedoms" (in this case, "freedom zero").

Please give me a ping here when you decided, so I can hopefully include your app with my repo to make it available to those needing it. Thanks a lot, and all the best!

[IzzySoft]

Any updates, @Staszek15 – did you decide? The repo still declares no license, and this issue is the only place found when searching for "license" in the repo.

[Staszek15]

Hi, I have decided to publish my apps only on my Google Play Store as the only source. Unfortunately it won't happen soon, because I was forced to abandon my android learning for a while due to lack of time while writing my graduate work. Sorry for wasting your time, I am kinda chaotic when it comes to making decisions about things I don't know much about. Again thanks a lot for all your advices.

[IzzySoft]

Sad to hear, that leaves a lot of (not only privacy-focused) folks out then (not everybody can or wants to use PlayStore). It's of course your decision, and I respect that – but should you (hopefully) one day change your mind, please make sure to let me know (e.g. here). Thanks!