[ETS/PARC List] AllStarLink and Crompton

[lengriff at optimum.net]

I read the official discussion below yesterday from the App_Rpt Allstar
e-mail

I thought you all might enjoy reading it. This is why there is another
version on Allstar by Doug Cromptom,

and his website HamVoip.com. 

In my opinion, Doug has made learning the Allstar system MUCH harder,
because new users do

not understand the conflicting information that is online when you search
for answers. He makes it appear that his 

software is official, and never makes the disclaimer that his is a secondary
option.



This was on the App_Rpt user discussion yesterday. Apparently, Doug ( WA3DSP
) did not like the direction

that Allstar was headed, and was constantly fighting over decisions. As a
result, he claims Jim Dixon said if

he didn't like it, then go in his own direction. Doug is in violation of the
asterisk license, because he will NOT publish

his source code, a requirement of the use of Asterisk.



This is straight ' from the horses mouth ', N4IRS, Steve Zingman



OK,

  So this "discussion" has go on for about a week. Face it, other then

Venting, and somewhat preaching to the choir, nothing has been

Accomplished.  Other then AllStarLink  (ASL) abiding by the license for

Asterisk, we have no standing. It's up to Asterisk to enforce it's

License. I am as much a advocate of open source and HAM radio as

Anybody, but it's time to end this. Do I disagree with David's and

Doug's (HAMVIOP) decision to not open the source to their version of

Asterisk? YES. Is there anything we can do about it? NO. David says he

That he is following Jim's wishes. What I have been told by David is

That Jim told him if he did not like what Jim was doing, fork it. So he

Did. That's just fine with us. We moved the source code from SVN to GIT

To allow ANYONE to submit changes to the code. David submitted one bug

Fix directly to me and I included it in the repository.

 

  Mike N4IRR is the team leader for development. Yes, he is my brother.

We have been building FM voice repeaters for the last 48 years. We work

Well together (most of the time) and we know how to compliment each

Others talents. Mike has been a professional "software guy" for the last

37 years. The other team members for the most part asked to be part of

The team. They each bring a wealth of knowledge inside and outside of

ASL. They stepped up and are willing to work with others in the best

Interest of ASL and HAM radio. All of the team members have to work well

Within the team and with the other teams where they intersect. Saying

That you want to help is one thing, actually doing something is another.

We do not just add people to teams. We look to attitude, skill and

Actually doing something for ASL. The organization has been built to

Survive the loss of any one or more people. We are no longer a one man

Band.

 

  I  have been told that HAMVIOP thinks that the management of ASL is

Partisan. I think that is really directed at me. Am I an advocate for

ASL? Yes. Do I try to run ASL in the best interests of the HAM

Community? Yes. I have opened the management teams to anyone that has

Said they have a interest and a skill to volunteer. HAMVIOP has told me

In the past they don't think much of my  capabilities. I have said in

The past that I don't think much of their attitude towards anyone else

Working on ASL. I'll call that even.

 

  To conclude, ASL is open source and will always be so. If others want

To not publish their changes, that is not our concern. Leave that to

Asterisk. What we can do as a community is to support the open source

Efforts and the hardware vendors that provide the equipment we need to

Make ASL the finest HAM repeater / linking software available.

 

  I will not censor users on the list until I think someone has

Repeatedly crossed the line. Please end this. I now return you to your

Regularly scheduled mail list.

 

73, Steve N4IRS



--------------------------------------

FROM W3KKC:



The following comments are mine - and not of AllStarLink Inc.

 

I see that the HamVoip distribution 1.5 has telemetry ducking.  This

Feature set was designed by me and implemented by a friend into a

Different distribution.  I paid to have this done, and understood that

It would be made available to the public by the terms of Open Source.

 

If HamVoip doesn't make their entire source code available, I will be

Informing Digium of this violation.  While Digium no longer supports the

App_rpt application, they certainly do the Asterisk Project.  If the

HamVoip folks haven't signed an agreement, then shame on them.  Just

Because Digium is no longer supporting this application doesn't mean

They don't still own it.  It's still under Digium's control, and using

Any part of Asterisk obligates them to follow the terms of Open Source:

 

If HamVoip had their own commercial license, they would be making people

Sign an agreement for its use.  I'm not aware of any such requirement.

 

If Digium doesn't enforce the terms of Open Source, I'll be heading up a

Team (outside AllStarLink Inc.) that will.  This is wrong - plain and

Simple.  It goes against everything that Jim Dixon, Steve RoDgers, and

Steve Henke (among others) have done.  I don't use HamVoip for several

Reasons.  Some of these reasons are personal, just like this situation

That begs questioning as to why they wont release it.  Are they hiding

Something?  Are they planning to use it for-profit?

 

They certainly are willing to take credit for code they didn't write,

And that's not right....

 

All releases of Asterisk and app_rpt have (or should have) included in

The header of the code the licensing requirements.  I'm not just making

This up, go have a look at the (real) source code for yourself.  Those

Of you wanting them to release it, keep bugging them.  If they continue

To deny the requests, let me know - duuuude!

 

Kevin Custer - W3KKC