Cool.
I just started using Bitwarden almost a year now. I don't know how I lived without it before? It's nice to know I wont have to switch to something else.
this post was submitted on 26 Oct 2024
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I'm nerdy enough to use bitwarden but not nerdy enough to truly understand this.
Can someone explain it like I'm 5?
Sure. The majority of the BitWarden client is licensed under the GPL, which categorizes it as “free software”. However, one of the dependencies titled “BitWarden-SDK” was licensed under a different proprietary license which didn’t allow re-distribution of the SDK. For the most part, this was never a problem as FOSS package maintainers didn’t include the dependency (as it was optional) and were able to compile the various clients and keep the freedoms granted by the GPL license. However, a recent change made BitWarden-SDK a required dependency, which violated freedom 0 (the freedom to distribute the code as you please). BitWarden CTO came out and said this was an error and fixed this, making BitWarden SDK an optional dependency once again which now makes BitWarden free software again. For the average joe, this wouldn’t have mattered as BitWarden SDK contains features that are usually favored by businesses and the average Joe can live without. So everything now returns back to normal, hopefully.
Now could you explain it like I'm 4?
Free software had a non-free extra bit that it technically didn't need. Accidentally got changed to need the non-free part in order to run which caused news stories. Now the change has been reverted so it's free again.
Now could you explain it like I'm 3?
Free cookie recipe not really free because oopsie! Man fixed it now. Cookie recipe is free again! Yay!
Now could you explain it like I'm 104?
Now could you explain it like I'm 2?
NO, LouNeko! No touchy non-FOSS.
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This seems like classic corporate backtracking when their customers spot a terrible, deliberate decision.
That being said, I am happy about it. I got my company to use it and finally got my girlfriend to use it and just recommended it to her brother. Would hate to have to try to find something else
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I was really sceptical of the CTOs first response, but this does actually seem to be genuinely good news.
Initially Bitwarden was one of the most impressive FOSS password managers, but their increasing willingness to trade user privacy for services and promotion by our favorite surveillance capitalist's is the real issue imho. Believing Privacy and Security are inextricably linked, I cannot recommend, nor use them at this time.
A quick scan on Blacklight (TheMarkup's Privacy Tool) is an eye opener.
This is an interesting tool that I'm going to back pocket, so thanks for that. That being said, any trackers and such on Bitwarden.com root page isn't really indicative of the real product, though I'll say it reflects poorly. That page basically is a sales pitch put together by probably a completely separate marketing team.
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