Summary

See #9144 for details on what we're trying to do. This issue is for general discussion, since that issue is likely to become crowded with consent notifications. If you just want to be part of the discussion, unsubscribe from #9137 and #9144, and subscribe to this issue.

Why MIT / Apache-2.0?

We want to make this change so that Spack can be used as widely as possible. At many organizations, it is difficult or cumbersome to use LGPL-licensed packages, but a number of those organizations have expressed interest in contributing to Spack. The Apache 2.0 license contains important protection against patent aggression, but it is not compatible with the GPL, version 2. The MIT license allows Spack to be integrated with GPLv2 projects. We believe that this combination will appeal to the broadest possible base of users and contributors, and that it will enable us to grow the Spack community most effectively.