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Bitwarden SDK relicensed from proprietary to GPLv3

github.com

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Re: Bitwarden SDK relicensed from proprietary to GPLv3

#11

Post by odo1242 »

threatofrain wrote: post #5

GPLv3 is interesting because it means to use their code in a commercial setting, then you must also have the guts to open source too.

Not necessarily. You can run a “Bitwarden hosting service” or something like that without violating GPL. You’d only have to make your changes available on request if you changed the actual Bitwarden source code or linked some other library into it and shared that modified version with someone else (just running it on a server doesn’t mean you need to open source changes, for example)

Re: Bitwarden SDK relicensed from proprietary to GPLv3

#13

Post by odo1242 »

jdlyga wrote: post #8

Bitwarden is still excellent, but keep an eye on them over the next few years. Remember that Bitwarden was originally a LastPass alternative without the fuckery.

I mean, it still is. It’s honestly gotten better too - for evidence, it’s the one password manager that never gets recommended by sponsored YouTubers but always gets recommended by non-sponsored YouTubers.

Re: Bitwarden SDK relicensed from proprietary to GPLv3

#14

Post by nine_k »

hk1337 wrote: post #7
threatofrain wrote: post #5

GPLv3 is interesting because it means to use their code in a commercial setting, then you must also have the guts to open source too.

I don’t believe that is entirely accurate. I believe it depends on the application and what you’re doing with it whether or not you would be required to open source it. Like, if you’re distributing the application as a product, not necessarily saas application?

Yes, GPL3 only works for directly distributed software. But an important part of BitWarden is exactly such software, in the form of a browser extension.

Re: Bitwarden SDK relicensed from proprietary to GPLv3

#15

Post by MisterKent »

People here are incredibly hard to please. Very clearly a packaging issue that got blown out of proportion.

They've done largely the right things for _years_ in terms of security. They've operated pretty transparently in terms of open sourcing. They've allowed vaultwarden to exist, and eventually created a self hostable version as well.

But one bad release with a license screw up and nobody is willing to give them an inch?

I will continue to use bitwarden, and am willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. Especially considering this action above. They are a company that is perfectly toeing the free/oss and commercial line.

Re: Bitwarden SDK relicensed from proprietary to GPLv3

#16

Post by prophesi »

jdlyga wrote: post #8

Bitwarden is still excellent, but keep an eye on them over the next few years. Remember that Bitwarden was originally a LastPass alternative without the fuckery.

The LastPass fuckery was long and frankly egregious.

Though I don't understand why this git commit is what's linked here. I'd rather hear the discussions on it. https://github.com/bitwarden/clients/issues/11611

Re: Bitwarden SDK relicensed from proprietary to GPLv3

#17

Post by PaulKeeble »

Once an organisation has tried once they invariably do it again and again until they find a way to getting what they want. The customers tire of complaining over and over about little enshitifcations and eventually the company wins. Once they start it always goes the same way it just often takes a few goes before most give in.

It will years until it becomes awful but the process has started. It's really a shame every company has to do this with otherwise good products.

Re: Bitwarden SDK relicensed from proprietary to GPLv3

#18

Post by sneak »

Doesn’t GPL mean that it can’t be forked and published into the Apple iOS app store?

Presumably they are able to do it because they own the rights and can grant a non-GPL license to Apple for distribution.

This seems to me to still be a “nobody can fork this [and still have a viable iOS app] but us”.

Re: Bitwarden SDK relicensed from proprietary to GPLv3

#19

Post by blendergeek »

Thank you to Bitwarden for relicensing a thing to Free/Open License! Unfortunately, I no longer recommend Bitwarden for normal people because the built-in password manager in Firefox is too good. But for anyone with more advance needs (or who doesn't trust a password manager built into a web browser, I always recommend Bitwarden because KeepassXC + syncing is way too difficult for normal people.

Re: Bitwarden SDK relicensed from proprietary to GPLv3

#20

Post by sneak »

MisterKent wrote: post #15

People here are incredibly hard to please. Very clearly a packaging issue that got blown out of proportion. They've done largely the right things for _years_ in terms of security. They've operated pretty transparently in terms of open sourcing. They've allowed vaultwarden to exist, and eventually created a self hostable version as well. But one bad release with a license screw up and nobody is willing to give them an…

For a long time their KDF was bad and the iteration count was low. When I reported it to them they got really hostile and evasive about it.

Years later they switched to Argon, somehow solving all of the blocking problems they had repeatedly claimed they couldn’t fix.

I don’t trust the org at all. The software is ok but I only use it because it sucks marginally less than all my other options.

People who care about software freedoms don’t release proprietary software. Organizations like this or Microsoft are just engaging in open source cosplay.

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