Bitwarden Desktop version 2024.10.0 is no longer free software

pnutzh4x0r@lemmy.ndlug.org to Open Source@lemmy.ml – 526 points –
Desktop version 2024.10.0 is no longer free software · Issue #11611 · bitwarden/clients
github.com

Pull request #10974 introduces the @bitwarden/sdk-internal dependency which is needed to build the desktop client. The dependency contains a licence statement which contains the following clause:

You may not use this SDK to develop applications for use with software other than Bitwarden (including non-compatible implementations of Bitwarden) or to develop another SDK.

This violates freedom 0.

It is not possible to build desktop-v2024.10.0 (or, likely, current master) without removing this dependency.

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The explanation is the second-to-last comment before it got locked. 🤦

This hysteria is really stupid.

That "explanation" is unsatisfactory and likely wrong: https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html#MereAggregation

So they either have to license their SDK under a GPLv3 compatible license, or switch the license of their client to a non-GPL one.

Their "explaination" only mentions why they think can do it, but not why they are doing it.

That may or may not be the case, but the comment I replied to said they locked the thread with "no explanation".

I would say a proper explanation includes the goal you want to achieve, not just the statement that you think that you are allowed to do something.

That's the technical explanation for the changes, no an explanation for closing the discussion all together.