DD-WRT Continues to exploit free open-source software

I have spent almost a year in the embedded development community and have enjoyed it, for the most part. I am however increasingly sickened by DD-WRT's exploitation of the open-source community. This intention of this post is to reveal the truth about what DD-WRT has become.

Before DD-WRT made a turn to commercialization and exploitation, I fully supported it. I personally contributed to DD-WRT's growing fortune in the form of developing the WRT54G(S)v5 flashing technology and Firmware Modification Kit. I spent hundreds of hours adding value to DD-WRT.

Many months ago I saw the direction DD-WRT was taking and tried to intervene. Being in the software business for so long, I knew that one step towards commercialization initiates an unavoidable slide down a slippery slope.

Brainslayer, the self-proclaimed author of DD-WRT, claimed he'd never do various things, but as the desire to generate revenue increasingly influenced his decisions, concessions on every front were made.

Being in the software business for so long, I knew that one step towards commercialization initiates an unavoidable slide down a slippery slope.

x86 build - activation required
Now, the x86 DD-WRT is in full swing. To use it you must buy a license, which is enforced by a product activation scheme. If you have two routers, you must buy two licenses. Licenses aren't cheap, at 30 Euros per license, with marginal discounts if you buy 10 or 50 licenses at a time (250 and 1000 Euros, respectively).

Broadcom special edition - more and more special
Also, as I predicted, the 'special edition' of Broadcom DD-WRT continues to gain features that the free version doesn't have. Brainslayer originally claimed the special edition would only have one extra feature. Of course, I knew that to generate more revenue he'd start adding new features to the special edition first... and he has. Essentially now there is a DD-WRT full and DD-WRT lite.

Walking on the backs of open-source developers and contributors
What is most disgusting about DD-WRT is not that its making boatloads of cash and Brainslayer is traveling the world, from London to San Francisco. Instead, it is that he has done so on the backs of so many developers who have contributed their time and resources to aiding the supposedly free open-source project. Additionally, so many people have donated to DD-WRT, under the guise that it is a free project. To this date, Brainslayer continues to unabashedly ask for donations. It's like Microsoft asking for donations, its ridiculous.

To this date, Brainslayer continues to unabashedly ask for donations. It's like Microsoft asking for donations, its ridiculous.

Consider who authored DD-WRT - NOT Brainslayer
Users that don't know any better falsely assume Brainslayer has authored DD-WRT, something he proudly claims everywhere. In fact, Brainslayer has written less than 1% of DD-WRT. All the core capabilities are implemented by free open-source other people have authored. Consider it for a moment, DD-WRT consists of the following:

• Linux kernel and standard drivers.
• Drivers from the Open Source community - i.e. JFFS2 and Squashfs.
• Drivers and patches from Broadcom, OpenWrt, Sveasoft, Linksys, and other
  
• Packages from a variety of open source projects, i.e. busybox, dnsmasq, (Linksys) httpd, wondershaper, and so many more. These make up the core of all DD-WRT functionality.

This easily accounts for 99% of the code and capabilities in DD-WRT. So, what *is* DD-WRT then. DD-WRT is:

• A collection of scripts to make the system work as desired.
• A web UI forked from Sveasoft, who forked from Linksys. Further, its contributed to by a number of developers in the DD-WRT community. The biggest capabilities have NOT been authored by Brainslayer.
  

Users that don't know any better falsely assume Brainslayer has authored DD-WRT, something he proudly claims everywhere. In fact, Brainslayer has written far less than 1% of DD-WRT.

GPL? What GPL?
Brainslayer tried to make his fork of the httpd non-GPL, but recanted that claim in the next update when he was confronted about it. Still, to this day, what few scripts and minor pieces of the firmware he has authored he tries to make non-GPL. Whether or not it is illegal depends on the individual items, but it certainly isn't very cool. After all, these are just a bunch of scripts and a some small pieces of code. He can't find it in his heart to make those things GPL even though he' profiting so much from GPL software?

Below is the license from DD-WRT v23 SP0, where Brainslayer tries to illegally claim the httpd (web interface) as his own non-GPL work, and makes his few contributions to DD-WRT non-GPL:

the use of the "NON GPL Parts" of this firmware and the distributed source
is permitted without any charge for PRIVATE USE ONLY unless other rights are
granted by the firmware author only.

26.8.2005 Sebastian Gottschall / Blueline AG

the following features are tagged as NON-GPL

Webinterface
macupd (mac update daemon for rflow collector)
the configuration scripts and definitions within /etc/config

Censor and attack the critics
Many people who dare question DD-WRT in any way now find themselves ousted from DD-WRT's forums. I found myself publicly falsely accused of various things, all because I dared to question the direction of DD-WRT. Of course, Brainslayer's friends and allies come to his defense and believe every word he says and further spread lies about people who dare voice an opposing opinion. According to them, every critic has some ulterior and self-serving motive. But, as far as motives go, we all know Brainslayer's motive: money.

This behavior is ironic considering DD-WRT was forked from Sveasoft because Sveasoft went commercial and behaved just like DD-WRT is behaving now.

This behavior is ironic considering DD-WRT was forked from Sveasoft because Sveasoft went commercial and behaved just like DD-WRT is behaving now.

Users don't care
I tried to get users of DD-WRT to care, but they didn't They were willing to pay for DD-WRT, which is reasonable even though there are free alternatives like HyperWrt, Tomato, X-Wrt/OpenWrt, and others.

After all, why should users care about developers being exploited? I suppose they could stand up for principles, but we can't expect consumers to behave like that.

I thought maybe Brainslayer continuing to ask for donations might anger them. It didn't.

Lastly, I think many users simply don't know the truth. They don't know Brainslayer is such a fraud and exploiter, nor how much he profits. He still pretends to be a poor programmer who solely authored DD-WRT and needs your donations to continue development. People donate or purchase licenses not realizing he's already making plenty of money, despite whatever he may claim, nor that donating does not encourage him to continue development. He still hasn't done basic things that should be expected of him since he is now profiting from DD-WRT.

Users should at least start demanding they get better service for the cost of those licenses. For instance, demanding he take the time to finish the WRT54GS v5 reversion firmware. I did EVERYTHING else with regards to that technology, and even though Brainslayer profits heavily from my work, he refuses to take a few minutes and do a little work himself. I've already written all the necessary utilities, fixed critical bugs, and created a framework for it. It would take all of 30 minutes to put together.

Stop the exploitaton
I have no personal grudge with DD-WRT or Brainslayer, I simply want to see the following things happen:

• Quit asking for donations as if you are a truly free project. A free project does not sell licenses.
• Acknowledge that DD-WRT is the work of so many other people. Currently there is little to no credits given to anyone else besides Brainslayer. In fact, copyright strings have been altered and removed in the past (ref: here).
• Make sure the entire source code is available for download, as required by the GPL license. Quit violating the law by adding copy protections and obfuscating or ommiting code (ref: here).
• Quit attacking and banning anyone who expresses an alternate opinion.