is Virtualbox non-free software?
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when i was using debian i used to use virtualbox thinking it was libre software
but i noticed it was not in trisquels software center.
so i went on the virtualbox website and its license was gpl v2
so i am confused is virtualbox libre or not?
Starting with version 4.2 compiling the BIOS used by VirtualBox requires the Open Watcom compiler, which is non-free. Since it cannot be compiled using free software, it's not included in Trisquel 7. Trisquel 6 still has the old version though. Also, this shows why merely looking at the license of a program is not enough.
Something like KVM, QEMU, etc. would be a good choice instead.
thanks
but if i used a version of virtualbox before 4.2
that would be free software?
Sure, assuming you also avoid the guest additions thing.
Or install the free version of guest additions (which is packaged in Trisquel 6.0 for example, as virtualbox-guest-*).
But KVM is a better choice.
(I think the Linux version of guest additions is free but the Windows version has some files without a license)
Virtualbox recently started requiring a proprietary compiler to build the BIOS recently (since version 4.2). Debian stable probably still has an older version that didn't have this requirement.
I'm not aware of any fork continuing development of the older version of VirtualBox that didn't have the proprietary compiler requirement, unfortunately. As a user, it's probably best to abandon VirtualBox and use other virtualization software, like QEMU.
With Debian Jessie, Virtualbox was moved to contrib. Wheezy has an older version in main.
Thanks for your replys
i think ill stop using virtualbox
its a shame as its good software
but i think ill use a program like gnome-boxes or qemu that respects freedom more.
Send them email and let them know how you (we) think. I think all kind of feedback is important.
I see that Open Watcom is Open source http://www.openwatcom.org/index.php/Main_Page.
But http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watcom_C/C%2B%2B_compiler#License_considerations
```
The GNU project considers the Open Watcom license "nonfree" because "It requires you to publish the source code publicly whenever you “Deploy” the covered software, and “Deploy” is defined to include many kinds of private use."[8]
```
So Open Watcom is more open source then stated in this thread previously, but seems not enough.
I stick for Windows and this does not have any really good open source virtualization with support of USB. I tried and donated to Wine and ReactOs, but these I still not good for me. I bad that VBox not goes open source way with donate button on their site.
"I bad that VBox not goes open source"
version 4.1 and before are libre but yes sad newer versions are non-free
maby someone could make a fork of virtualbox 4.1
"open source"
just to be clear libre software is different from open source
open source software is software that has some source code available libre software has these freedoms
https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html
They're usually the same; the Open Source Definition is indirectly derived from the Free Software Definition, even. Open Watcom is just one of the occasional examples where it's open source, but not libre. (The FSF doesn't approve of it because it restricts certain types of private use.)
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