Apple Acquired CUPS

[iMeowbot]

That means CUPS could gather together the contributions from the community and sell them under a completely different license.

Sort of. What happened with CUPS to date is that outside contributors were asked to sign over copyrights in order to allow that kind of thing. FSF does much the same, actually. If contributors have a problem with the Apple ownership, they are always free to fork existing GPL releases and not hand their rights back over to Apple. (Apple could still use changes from any potential forks, but only under GPL terms).

 

[jellomizer]

It should be noted that the real reason Apple purchased the code, trademarks, and developer was because they didn't want to risk CUPS being licensed under GPL3. GPL3 is particularly insidious in its patent licensing and "tivo clause" requirements, the former requiring Apple essentially to license software patents and the latter requiring Apple to give up a great deal of control over hardware.


GPL2 was very nice, and Apple has played along and contributed back to the community. GPL3 was unacceptable to them so they've preemptively bought out the printing system. It's likely Apple will try other avenues to get around GPL3 in areas like gcc (apple is contributing heavily to work on non gpl compilers) et etc.

Yes that TiVo clause is the real Hiprocicry in the GPL 3 were such actions by IBM are Good but By TiVo and Apple it is Bad. Apple doesn't have a history of playing nice with groups that make their life difficult. So if the free software changes the rules so they can't play the same game that apple wants Apple will swich, even if it is a major undertaking.

 

[zv470]

Since he works for Apple now... hope he's eligible for a free iPhone congratulations.

 

[Sabon]

Since he works for Apple now... hope he's eligible for a free iPhone congratulations.

Maybe that's why he did it. lol

 

[jellomizer]

Printing has been the ugly step-child in the closet of OSX for too long now. I'm thrilled it will get more attention.

Really, i'm just glad MS didn't think to buy CUPS first, to wrench Apple.

There is no Profit in it for Microsoft to do so. They already have a good printing system of there own. In there next update there would just be apples own version of the software. The current version before it was bought out was still GPL 2 so that version would stay GPL 2 giving Apple pleanty of time to make their version, or fork. It will make Microsoft look bad like they Need CUPS for their printing sytem, and the Linux Folks would jump on that and point out that Linux and Windows uses the same printing system, even if it is untrue.

Besides the ability for OS X to print isn't what Microsoft is worried about it is Apples GUI, QuickTime, iPod, iLife software not some little thing like printing. It would be a tough sell to say your OS Prints better then the Other Guys.

 

[Dasmo]

Apple's network printing is a weak point in that strategy. Windows has a very elegant and powerful network printing architecture. Clients automatically pull down drivers from print servers. Print servers can hold drivers for any OS version (95,98,2000/XP,Vista, etc.). Queue administration is a snap and can be done from any computer.

Dude, are you on crack? I have to manage the way the printers are installed in the company I work for and I can't tell you how much I hate windows machines and network printers. They just don't work. I've ended up installing bonjour printer wizard on all the windows machines just to simplify the process. However, if a printer's IP address changes, the windows machines never know where the printer has gone. Luckily bonjour is easy enough to train sales guys to use, so they can reinstall their printer if it isn't working.

The macs in the office have no printer issues that don't relate to drivers or the printers themselves. Hell even the linux desktops have less trouble than windows.


Edit: figured I might mention these are network printers, not printers connected to Mac OSX server. I tried that, and I found that it's less painful to jam hot needles in my eyes.

 

[Wayfarer]

HORRAY!

 

[peters438]

Dude, are you on crack? I have to manage the way the printers are installed in the company I work for and I can't tell you how much I hate windows machines and network printers. They just don't work. I've ended up installing bonjour printer wizard on all the windows machines just to simplify the process. However, if a printer's IP address changes, the windows machines never know where the printer has gone. Luckily bonjour is easy enough to train sales guys to use, so they can reinstall their printer if it isn't working.

The macs in the office have no printer issues that don't relate to drivers or the printers themselves. Hell even the linux desktops have less trouble than windows.


Edit: figured I might mention these are network printers, not printers connected to Mac OSX server. I tried that, and I found that it's less painful to jam hot needles in my eyes.

I'm guessing that your office doesn't have printers shared through a Windows Server then. Bonjour's auto discovery of printers is great--it's a strong point in Apple's favor for printing. It's especially nice on a small network.

Now, on a larger network (the mid to large size enterprise that I was referring to in my post), printers are usually shared through a server queue. In that scenario, if your printer or your server IP addresses are changing, you've got big problems.

In fact, even in a small network, there's just no reason for printer or other network device addresses to change. That's what static IP assignment is for. Do it on the printer, or do it in the DHCP server (a reserved address). Make your network administration life simpler.

 

[VaDor]

Same here. I don't know about the underlying architecture of the printing service but Apple's implementation of it is the worst in the industry if you ask me. They don't even offer the user the ability to print a selection of text which my family and I (used to) use a lot.

Same feeling here.. For Leopard I don't care the 3d dock.. I just want printer utility/setup better.. with print selection and stuff more user-friendly.

It's the only thing that I dislike in Mac Os X

 

[aspro]

More Open Source at Apple can only be a good thing in my opinion.

This move will hopefully also bring even better printing support in OS X (not that I have any problems with it at the moment).

 

[MikeTheC]

While it may not (probably) be as bad as if Microsoft had bought up CUPS, there's still something unsettling for me about any company acquiring any OSS/FSF development or project.

Hopefully it will be a way for Apple to give us better software and, at the same time, ultimately prove they aren't another member of "big corporate".

We'll see...

 

[rob@robburns.co]

While it may not (probably) be as bad as if Microsoft had bought up CUPS, there's still something unsettling for me about any company acquiring any OSS/FSF development or project.

Hopefully it will be a way for Apple to give us better software and, at the same time, ultimately prove they aren't another member of "big corporate".

We'll see...

That bit that's unsettling for you is already happening. Its a big part of the FSF movement (though many in the movmenet don't like it). MySQL, KDE and Qt, CUPS, etc: these are all owned by companies. CUPS owned the CUPS project. Now Apple owns the CUPS project. This has been the route of many GPL project. Its a different thing than with Apache and their projects or Darwin as a project in that everyone has the same relationship to the open source in the project. No one can own it anymore than anyone else.

 

[andrewag]

I wonder why?

 

[pengu]

Very true. Even with USB printers on Windows, it's often possible to download the "network" version of the driver, which won't include all of the system tray junk that gets installed with the typical consumer-level printer.

the "network" version is usually just the same driver, but the admin who setup/manages the print server (be it Windows Server, Novell NDPS/iPrint, etc) actually has a clue, and doesnt just run "setup.exe" on the driver disc/downloaded driver dir.

nothing to stop every joe schmoe @ home taking the same steps when they setup their own printer.

 

[shawnce]

I wonder why?

...maybe...

Apple depends on CUPS, Apple has a good relationship with Mr. Sweet, Apple already had special licensing with Mr. Sweet, so Apple hired Mr. Sweet and purchased the rights to CUPS.

 

[msandersen]

I noted on the CUPS FAQ page it reads:

178 How Is CUPS Licensed?
The Common UNIX Printing System, ("CUPS"), is provided under the GNU General Public License ("GPL") and GNU Library General Public License ("LGPL"), Version 2, with exceptions for Apple operating systems and the OpenSSL t.

so I guess that means on OSX it is under an Apple license and allows Apple to incorporate proprietary elements, or has been stated, for 3rd party printer manufacturers to provide confidential details. I expect it will be incorporated into the Darwin project and use its licensing terms.

 

[shawnce]

I noted on the CUPS FAQ page it reads:

so I guess that means on OSX it is under an Apple license and allows Apple to incorporate proprietary elements, or has been stated, for 3rd party printer manufacturers to provide confidential details. I expect it will be incorporated into the Darwin project and use its licensing terms.

Note that the Apple exception has been in place since 2002.... so Apple buying the rights to source didn't result in that exception... Apple had already work that our with Mr. Sweet long ago.

See: http://lists.debian.org/debian-legal/2002/05/msg00033.html

 

[bmpwe]

I thought CUPS was OSS. I understand how Apple hire the guy, but what about the code?

If I'm thinking about this right, theve simply hired the devloper. The code will stay OSS.

 

[blackdir]

it would be nice if they do the same for scanners (SANE)

Maybe I'm dreaming, but it would be nice if apple follow a similar approach for scanners... by adopting the SANE project as the scanning infrastructure, they could get access to thousands of drivers to be used out of the box with OSX...

 

[janey]

I thought CUPS was OSS. I understand how Apple hire the guy, but what about the code?

If I'm thinking about this right, theve simply hired the devloper. The code will stay OSS.

some part of me thinks this was because of the issues caused by gplv3.

Not sure if this is a good thing or what, but companies everywhere are doing all sorts of things as a result...like Apple with CUPS, Microsoft+Novell with their dumb deal..

 

[twoodcc]

sounds like good news to me

 

[mdriftmeyer]

While it may not (probably) be as bad as if Microsoft had bought up CUPS, there's still something unsettling for me about any company acquiring any OSS/FSF development or project.

Hopefully it will be a way for Apple to give us better software and, at the same time, ultimately prove they aren't another member of "big corporate".

We'll see...

What are you talking about? Google, IBM, Novell, etc., have dumped tons of Code into the OSS/FSF movement and acquired tons of it while acknowledging the LGPL/GPL, etc.

If you think the OSS/FSF movement is all about not working with Corporations then that movement would have died on the vine. It's a balance.

 

[MikeTheC]

What are you talking about? Google, IBM, Novell, etc., have dumped tons of Code into the OSS/FSF movement and acquired tons of it while acknowledging the LGPL/GPL, etc.

If you think the OSS/FSF movement is all about not working with Corporations then that movement would have died on the vine. It's a balance.

MD:

I understand what you are trying to say, and clearly the majority of instances of commercial involvement with the FSF/OSS developer community have (thus far) been helpful and beneficial. OSS itself has been a marvelous conduit for various companies to introduce improvements that anyone else external to their company can (either actually or in principle) benefit from. For that matter, a friend of mine works for a major U.S. ISP as a senior software engineer. He and a number of his fellows have had to do their own revisions (sometimes forking, sometimes not) of various bits to accommodate their server environment needs, amongst other things.

And these changes have then been released "back into the wild" for any other company to make use of and benefit from, and even individuals like us, should the need ever arise.

The thing is, I don't have a problem with business involvement with OSS, but what I am troubled by is when private enterprise decides to buy up portions of Linux. Now, perhaps Apple isn't the first company to do this kind of thing, and I'll fully well plead ignorance if such is true, but nevertheless there's something -- unsettling -- about Apple buying up CUPS. And I guess the thing which troubles me the most is what this means for the future of FSF/OSS. I'm concerned that this might set up a slippery slope precedent which could lead to either the effective neutering of OSS, or worse.

I'm certain you'll probably say I shouldn't worry about such things, and I sincerely hope you're right. It's just that I have this sort of sickening, sinking feeling, and more often than not when I get one of those, I turn out to be unfortunately right (sometimes more right than even I know.)

I hope that ultimately this isn't the case here.

 

[sguk]

don't assume...

It still sounds like some kind of supermodel SWAT team to me, but good for him. I love it when people who write some boring, unassuming utility get a payday.

What do you mean "write some boring, unassuming utility"

Do you actually know what it does?
Have you actual used it?
Have you ever needed to print something in accurate colour or do you just print pictures of your grannys socks

Don't slate something which you so obviously never use yourself and have no idea of the benefits of Gutenprint.

I have an Epson printer R1800 which does not print accurate colour from any postscript graphics applications. Like many reasonable priced printers these days they are all photo printers.

But it even struggles with photos in certain apps. Gutenprint solves that, it is a fully customisable print plug in/app whatever you want to call it, which controls colour.

It gives excellent results on my Epson and I say well done to the guy who invented an app which can control any printer without the need for numourous drivers and settings.

So stop slating it, shut up and speak when you are clear of what you are speaking about and have your facts straight.

 

[janey]

...nevertheless there's something -- unsettling -- about Apple buying up CUPS. And I guess the thing which troubles me the most is what this means for the future of FSF/OSS...

CUPS is still open source though, and if Apple ever decides to close it, you can always fork from the last release.

And there's plenty of companies out there dual-licensing or doing these kinds of things. Many of whom are dealing with gpl3 related headaches right now. Apple's decision was probably partially influenced by the impending release of gpl3 and also by the appeal of having partially closed derivatives now that they have control.

Personally, I think RMS can kiss my ass.