Apple’s Darwin team has announced that version 2.0 of the Apple Public Source License (APSL) has been certified as a “Free Software License” in accordance with the Free Software Foundation (FSF). The team has submitted the APSL 2.0 to the Open Source Initiative to certify its continued compliance with the Open Source Definition, as well.
Apple has a number of open source projects underway, including stream server software, compiler tools, printing, networking, security, and other technology, as well as Darwin itself. Darwin is the foundation technology upon which Mac OS X is built. The software integrates Mach 3.0, operating system services based on Berkeley Software Distribution (BSD) 4.4, network technology, and support for multiple integrated file systems.
The revised license makes it easier for open source developers to use Darwin code — source distribution is only required for “external deployment,” for example, so developers working on private solutions for themselves, individuals or corporations don’t need to distribute their source code. Developers also now have an option to distribute source code only to those receiving binaries, rather than having to distribute to the general public. Apple also noted that the revised license contains “simpler, clearer and more symmetric licensing terms.”
More details on the APSL 2.0 and how to accept it is available from the Web site.