FreeBSD BSD License 3 -> 2 Clause History

[grarpamp]

On Mon, Dec 29, 2014 at 7:04 PM, Theo de Raadt <deraadt at cvs.openbsd.org> wrote:
> Reason you can't find any history about it in FreeBSD is
> because the 2 term initiative did not occur at FreeBSD.
>
> Nor does the 2-term licence have anything to do with FreeBSD,
> as a careful review of their tree will show.  It is a complete
> muddle.
> ...
> FreeBSD simply started picking up pieces of it because of code which
> arrived from other places, and perhaps after that it became more of a
> trend.

The change in question, from 3 to 2 clause, is here in Dec 1999:
https://svnweb.freebsd.org/base/head/COPYRIGHT?r1=50978&r2=124033

Next step is to ask imp/phk, and search the FreeBSD lists around
that time for context as to why.

> The 2-term conversion already started in NetBSD land, I do not recall
> which developer it was that started not asserting it on his own.  But
> it became even more of a pressure during the licence audit in OpenBSD.
> Eventually durig that audit it became easier to convince a few
> stragglers to consider use of the well understood original ISC
> (without the "and/or" balony), and then that became the major trend
> here in OpenBSD.  By suggesting that, it stops confusing chatter, and
> all projects can incorporate our code for any purpose.  That's the
> goal.

Yes, OpenBSD is more rigorous regarding conformance of, and conforming,
their tree to a single, license. And that is of value.


> Please do not confuse the change from 4-term to 3-term

It is presumed everyone is aware of the UCB/Hoskins advertising
clause formal removal of Jul 1999.

http://directory.fsf.org/wiki/License:BSD_4Clause
 4-clause / original
http://directory.fsf.org/wiki/License:BSD_3Clause
 3-clause / modified / revised / new

> 3-term to 2-term

As is the subject herein.

http://directory.fsf.org/wiki/License:FreeBSD
 2-clause / freebsd / simplified

> the 2-term to ISC.

http://directory.fsf.org/wiki/License:ISC
 isc
This is really more of a comparative regarding the 'and/or' bit.


http://www.gnu.org/licenses/licenses.html
 http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/bsd.html
http://opensource.org/licenses/

http://gitweb.dragonflybsd.org/dragonfly.git/blob/HEAD:/COPYRIGHT
http://netbsd.org/about/redistribution.html
http://www.openbsd.org/policy.html
 openbsd

> Very easy for people to muddle up history.

Having this thread out there 15ys later as a refresh would be good then.
(The original thread of the same subject was posted a couple weeks
ago to freebsd-questions.)