Does it make sense to ask Blackberry to re-license ancient QNX sources?

4 points by ymz5 3mo ago ↗ HN

The 17-year-old sources of QNX (to be found at github.com/vocho/openqnx) don't have a clearly-defined license file/status. In theory, one can use them, experiment with them, but they're neither free-, nor completely open-source.

Does it make sense to ask QSS/Blackberry to re-license them under e.g. Apache 2.0 license -- the same license they use for their startup code sources?

If yes, does it make sense to write/publish an open petition?

2 comments

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davydm 3mo ago ↗

if you're interested in extending, sure

otoh, i'm not - everything has to die sometime

that doesn't mean you have to feel the same - so go for it

ksherlock 3mo ago ↗

Once upon a time (2007!), QNX made their source code available under a read-only type license. When Blackberry bought them (2010), source code access was shut off.

That was 16 years ago so maybe their opinion on the matter has changed. But they make money (or at least try to) selling a commercial license for QNX so an unrestricted free/open license seems unlikely.