[linux-audio-dev] Best opensource license to use?

[Chris Cannam]

> i intend to release an application, which allows to 
> use VST(i)s running on an XP machine from
> a linux jack client, hooked up over ethernet.

If all the code is your own, consider the approach we 
used in dssi-vst, which is to use the GPL plus an 
exception to allow for the unavailability of VSTSDK 
sources.

It won't be GPL-compatible or "Debian" free, but 
nothing will be if not all the source is available, and I 
think it best expresses the intention -- if your 
preference would naturally be for the GPL, that is. 

Meanwhile, write and remind Steinberg that their 
license could be more helpful to developers of 
Windows and Linux plugins and hosts.  It won't be 
news and there's no real reason they should care, 
but it's worth a nudge that these things matter to 
people, including those who would like to promote, 
recommend and use their standard.

As it happens I'm also shortly about to release a 
Windows plugin host that is not at all in competition 
with Steinberg products, but that can't host VSTs 
for licensing reasons and will use DSSI plugins 
instead.  Hosting audio plugins is not a major part of 
this program so the difference isn't going to be all
that significant to me or anyone else, but it's an 
interesting situation. 


Chris