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tribute them. Consequently, one of the four freedoms established by Richard
Stallman in the Free Software Manifesto was being violated [117]. As of versi-
on 2.0, Trolltech distributes Qt under a dual license that specifies that if the
application that uses the library operates under the GPL, then the license valid
for Qt is the GPL. Thanks to this, one of the most heated and hot-tempered
debates in the world of free software had, fortunately, a happy ending.
9.3.2. Development of KDE
KDE is one of the few free software projects that generally follows a new ver-
sion launch schedule (let us remember, for example, that there will be a new
Linux version "when it is ready", whereas, as we shall discuss later, GNOME
has always suffered significant delays when it came to releasing new versions).
The numbering of the new versions follows a perfectly defined policy. The
KDE versions have three version numbers: one higher one and two lower ones.
For example, in KDE 3.1.2, the higher number is the 3, whereas the 1 and 2
are the lower numbers. Versions with the same higher number have binary
compatibility, which means that it is not necessary to recompile the applica-
tions. Until now, the changes in the higher number occurred in parallel with
the changes in the Qt library, which shows how the developers wanted to
take advantage of the new functionalities in the Qt library in the imminent
version of KDE.
Where the lower numbers are concerned, the versions with one single lower
number are versions in which they have included both the new functionali-
ties and in which the bugs that have been discovered, have been corrected.
The versions with a second lower number do not include new functionalities
in respect of the versions with the first lower number, and only contain the
bug corrections. The following example will explain this better: KDE 3.1 is a
third-generation version of KDE (higher number 3) to which new functionali-
ties have been added, whereas KDE 3.1.1 is the previous version with the same
functionalities, but with all the bugs that have been found corrected.
KDE was built, shortly after the project began, in an association registered in
Germany (KDE e.V.) and, as such, the articles of association meant that there
has to be a managing committee. The influence of this managing committee
on the development is nil, as its main task is the administration of the associ-
ation, especially where the donations that the project receives are concerned.
In order to promote and disseminate KDE, the KDE League, which includes
all interested companies, was created, as we shall discuss below.
9.3.3. The KDE League
The KDE League is a group of companies and individuals from KDE that ha-
ve the objective of enabling the promotion, distribution and development of
KDE. The companies and individuals that participate in the KDE League do
not have to be directly involved in the development of KDE (although the