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First post, by furriner

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Rank Newbie
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Newbie

According to; http://www.dosbox.com/information.php?page=0

"DOSBox is totally free of charge and OpenSource."

what do you mean by OpenSource? Is this according to GNU Licence, or is it genuinely completely Open Source / Freeware ?

For example, if I wanted a 16-bit DOS game to invoke DosDox, could I include source from DosBox into the executable for the game?

Alternatively, could I request the user install DosBox, and then have the DOS game invoke the DosBox application?

Reply 1 of 3, by Stiletto

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Rank l33t++
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l33t++

DOSBox is GNU General Public License, version 2.0 (GPLv2).
http://sourceforge.net/projects/dosbox/

GPLv2 is Open Source conforming to the standards set by the Open Source Initiative. http://opensource.org/osd

"genuinely completely Open Source" has no meaning.

"I see a little silhouette-o of a man, Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you
do the Fandango!" - Queen

Stiletto

Reply 2 of 3, by ripa

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Oldbie

You cannot compile or link Dosbox source code into the game and publish it without also publishing the game source code*. However, you can publish your closed source game and include Dosbox executable and source if the game is emulated within Dosbox (this is how GoG and Steam usually publish old games). If you make modifications to the bundled Dosbox, the source code must include those modifications.

* Unless you get permission from all the Dosbox copyright holders.

Reply 3 of 3, by bloodbat

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Oldbie

Also Freeware != Open Source and Open Source != Freeware.
Open Source is about freedom (that may or may not also imply no charge...ask Red Hat); freeware is just a program not charged for but not forced to include the source and can legally bind you not to study it, reverse engineer it, decompile it, etc.