LibreBVE proposal

by fervi Wed Aug 11, 2021 6:10 pm

Links was removed cause limitation: You can get it here zapread.com/Post/Detail/7987/librebve-proposal/

Hello, I have noticed that many projects in OpenBVE are non-libre. This causes a lot of problems in my opinion, as I can imagine various projects based on OpenBVE not being developed. Or simply FLOSS software fans won't use OpenBVE, and I think it's a good project - but without content it's unusable.

LibreBVE is a project finding routes and trains that are under liberal licenses in order to make them available (maybe even in the core of the game? Who knows!)

The list is divided into two groups (besides routes / trains) - Ones that are very probably Libre and ones that look (and you have to do research).

1) Routes:

2) Trains:

_______

Possible:

1) Routes:

They are officially under a Creative commons license, but Creative Commons is a collection of licenses, and some are in conflict with each other. Will have to contact the creators and find out exactly.

2) Trains:
* The 'Run' and compressor sounds for this locomotive are borrowed from the (similar) Class 47 for openBVE, and are courtesy of Martin Corbett of BVETMD

This needs to be fixed by looking for other sounds - similar

Probably only the sounds need to be replaced.

IF YOU HAVE ANY FILES ON LIBRE LICENSES, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SHARE. MAYBE AN OFFICIAL LIST SHOULD BE MADE

by **leezer3** Thu Aug 12, 2021 11:23 am

Believe it or not, this is an *old, old* argument.

Michelle (the original primary developer of OpenBVE) was a (imho) somewhat OTT evangalist for copyright free stuff.

We've got some discussion here from the program POV:
https://github.com/leezer3/OpenBVE/issues/305

Please remember that many developers have invested not insignificant amounts of money, time etc. etc. into building this stuff, and this leads them to wish to control distribution, derivatives etc.
We would ask that you respect this.

I'll just leave this with the following snipped from my site:

When OpenBVE was created, Michelle advocated placing everything under the public domain, in order to try and allievate this problem.
I support the aims of this initiative, although I personally prefer clearer OSS licencing. I was also there before this sim was even concieved (Anyone remember Mechanik back in 1997??), and I refuse to let others with an agenda spoil things for the end-user.
Was this the right choice?- I don’t know. It probably would have been easier to drop this altogether, and move onto something else…..
All I know, is that when I started this back in 2001, this route wouldn’t have been possible without drawing on the help and hard work of others, who gave it freely in the spirit of co-operation.
I have also invested thousands of pounds into books, camera equipment and trips to the ‘real’ thing to pursue this hobby and bring you the route you see today.
You are welcome to use anything that I’ve created for this route for your own purposes, under whichever Open-Source licence you see fit, or for that matter, no credit at all.
My personal preference is for the BSD 2-Clause licence, which is what I release any programs under, but I’m not here to place restrictions on what you wish to do.
All I ask, is that before you release something, you take a step back and consider the hard work of those who made it possible-
Copyright, and other using your work is a priveledge, not a weapon, and I will never use it as such.

by fervi Thu Aug 12, 2021 12:09 pm

I will generally analyse the whole thread. However, in my opinion OpenBVE has a problem that many projects have. In its basic form it is unplayable. To drive trains you have to download them from the internet, routes too. My idea is simply to create a repository (in some form) and distribute OpenBVE as a full-fledged project, "Out of the Box".

As for Public Domain, on the other hand. I have to go through the whole thread, but there are licenses that define the public domain like CC0
creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0

And it seems to me that the CC0 license will be accepted in laws where there is no definition of "public domain".

by Phonteus Nevolius Fri Aug 13, 2021 7:52 pm

A central content distribution system once existed but it didn't live long. It depended on a central server and once that ceased to exist it didn't work anymore. Also, very little content was available from it.

An obvious advantage of a working repository would be that content doesn't disappear as creators leave the OpenBVE world or their websites go offline with time. However, in the world of BVE there is no income from content for anyone, so basically there's no financial interest to cover the continuous running costs of such a repo. And enthusiasm only lasts for a while.

Also, BVE is a fairly decentralised world in which people from different parts of the world don't necessarily meet over the internet, so even organising filling up the repo with content would be troublesome at best.

I'd be happy to see such a repo working (and surely I'd add my addons just like I did ten years ago) but I don't see it coming.

The content management system OpenBVE now has is very good, though: download, browse the file, install. Oh, I forgot step zero: Google. Smile

by fervi Sat Aug 14, 2021 6:14 pm

Generally what I wanted to do is of course a centralised repository, but with legal material that can be distributed for free. So you could have such a repository yourself on your server.

Many sites do not focus on the legality of the material provided or the licence. In LibreBVE it will be different.

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