Qt Project

{{See also|List of Qt releases}}

File:KDE Mascot Konqi for Qt.png showing its Qt heart.]]

Haavard Nord and Eirik Chambe-Eng (the original developers of Qt and the CEO and President, respectively, of Trolltech) began development of "Qt" in 1991, three years before the company was incorporated as Quasar Technologies, then changed the name to Troll Tech and then to Trolltech.{{cite web|url=http://safari.oreilly.com/0131872494/pref04|title=A Brief History of Qt|access-date=20 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080630213541/http://safari.oreilly.com/0131872494/pref04|archive-date=30 June 2008|url-status=dead}}

Until version 1.45 the source code of Qt was released under the Qt Free Edition License.{{cite web|url=https://quickgit.kde.org/?p=qt1.git&a=blob&h=2b98366d82a95f66988a7206290120e8c698ea40&f=LICENSE&o=plain|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161014010101/https://quickgit.kde.org/?p%3Dqt1.git%26a%3Dblob%26h%3D2b98366d82a95f66988a7206290120e8c698ea40%26f%3DLICENSE%26o%3Dplain|title=Qt Free Edition License|year=1992|publisher=Trolltech|access-date=14 October 2016|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 October 2016}} This was viewed as not compliant with the open source principle by the Open Source Initiative and the free software definition by Free Software Foundation because, while the source was available, it did not allow the redistribution of modified versions.

Controversy arose around 1998 when it became clear that KDE's K Desktop Environment was going to become one of the leading desktop environments for Linux. As it was based on Qt, many people in the free software movement worried that an essential piece of one of their major operating systems would be proprietary.

With the release of Qt 2.0, the license was changed to the Q Public License (QPL), a free software license but one regarded by the Free Software Foundation as incompatible with the GPL. A compromise was found between KDE and Trolltech whereby Qt would not be able to fall under a more restrictive license than the QPL, even if Trolltech was bought out or went bankrupt. This led to the creation of the KDE Free Qt Foundation which guarantees that Qt would fall under a BSD-style license should no free/open source version of Qt be released during a period of 12 months.{{cite web|url=http://www.kde.org/community/whatiskde/kdefreeqtfoundation.php |title=Free Qt Foundation |publisher=KDE |access-date=2013-05-08}}

In 2000, Qt 2.2 was released under the GPL v2, ending all controversy regarding GPL compatibility.{{cite web |url=http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/reports/2269/1/ |title=Trolltech to Release Qt Under GPL - Decision Alters Linux GUI Landscape - Reports |publisher=LinuxPlanet |date=2000-09-04 |access-date=2013-05-08 |archive-date=24 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180324223759/http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/reports/2269/1/ |url-status=dead }}

On 28 January 2008 Nokia announced that it would acquire Trolltech.{{cite web|url=http://www.nokia.com/A4136001?newsid=1185531|title=Nokia to acquire Trolltech to accelerate software strategy |date=28 January 2008|access-date=28 January 2008}}{{cite web|last=Paul |first=Ryan |url=https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2008/01/nokia-buys-trolltech-will-become-a-patron-of-kde/ |title=Nokia to buy Trolltech, will become a patron of KDE |publisher=Ars Technica |date=2008-01-28 |access-date=2013-05-08}}

On 14 January 2009 Qt version 4.5 was relicensed, adding LGPL as licensing option.{{cite web|url=http://dot.kde.org/2009/01/14/qt-everywhere-45-be-relicensed-lgpl |title=Qt Everywhere: 4.5 To Be Relicensed As LGPL |date=14 January 2009 |access-date=2013-05-08}}

The Qt Project was founded on 21 October 2011.{{cite web|last=Meyer |first=David |url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/nokia-gives-qt-open-source-governance/ |title=Nokia gives Qt open-source governance |publisher=ZDNet |date=2011-10-24 |access-date=2013-05-08}} In August 2012 Digia announced that it would acquire all rights to Qt and take Nokia's role within the Qt Project.

The Qt Project is not a separate legal entity or organization; Digia retains all trademarks around Qt.{{cite web |url=http://qt.digia.com/About-us/ |title=About us - Digia Plc |publisher=Qt.digia.com |date=2011-09-13 |access-date=2013-05-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530221835/http://qt.digia.com/About-us/ |archive-date=30 May 2013 |df=dmy-all }}{{cite web|url=http://qt-project.org/ |title=Qt Project |publisher=Qt Project |access-date=2013-05-08}}

Qt's Open Governance is modelled after WebKit's.{{cite web|url=http://www.golem.de/1106/84244.html |title=Nokia: Qt 5 soll im April 2012 erscheinen |publisher=Golem.de |language=de |date=2011-06-16 |access-date=2013-05-08}}{{cite web|author=Anita Klingler |language=de |url=http://www.zdnet.de/41557441/nokia-startet-qt-projekt-mit-unabhaengiger-infrastruktur/ |title=Nokia startet Qt-Projekt mit unabhängiger Infrastruktur |publisher=Zdnet.de |date=2011-10-24 |access-date=2013-05-08}}

Decision-making takes place in a process the project describes as "lazy consensus".{{Cite web |title=The Qt Governance Model - Qt Wiki |url=https://wiki.qt.io/The_Qt_Governance_Model |access-date=2022-07-20 |website=wiki.qt.io}}

The project facilitates online communication among its developers and community members through public forums,{{cite web|url=https://qt-project.org/forums |title=forums |publisher=Qt Project |access-date=2013-05-08}} mailing lists,{{cite web|url=http://lists.qt-project.org/mailman/listinfo |title=Mailing Lists |publisher=Lists.qt-project.org |access-date=2013-05-08}} and wiki pages.{{cite web|url=http://qt-project.org/wiki/ |title=index | Qt Wiki |publisher=Qt Project |date=2013-03-29 |access-date=2013-05-08}}

File:Qt contributors 2013W18 without Digia.png

Aside from the project leader Digia and various individuals, a number of other organizations participate in the Qt Project.{{cite web|last=Macieira |first=Thiago |url=http://www.macieira.org/blog/2012/04/qt-project-statistics/ |title=Qt Project Statistics | work = Thiago Macieira's blog |publisher=Macieira.org |access-date=2013-05-08}} Second-largest Qt contributor is KDAB, a Swedish Qt consulting company.{{cite web|url=http://www.kdab.com/kdab-contributions-to-qt-5-0-part-1/ |title=contributions to Qt 5.0 (part 1) |publisher=KDAB |date=2012-12-20 |access-date=2013-05-08}} KDAB is involved in many areas, including maintenance of several components.{{cite web|url=http://www.kdab.com/kdab-contributions-to-qt-5-0-part-2/ |title=contributions to Qt 5.0 (part 2) |publisher=KDAB |date=2012-12-21 |access-date=2013-05-08}}{{cite web|url=http://www.kdab.com/maintaining-qt3d/ |title=Maintaining Qt3D |publisher=KDAB |date=2012-12-21 |access-date=2013-05-08}} KDAB together with RIM/BlackBerry are maintaining the QNX and BlackBerry 10 ports of Qt.{{cite web|url=http://www.kdab.com/qt5-on-the-qnx-operating-system/ |title=Qt5 on the QNX operating system |publisher=KDAB |date=2012-04-19 |access-date=2013-05-08}}

Another big participator is Intel, contributing for example Wayland support.{{cite web|url=https://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?page=news_item&px=ODYyNQ |title=[Phoronix] Qt Is Now Drawing On Wayland |publisher=Phoronix.com |date=2010-09-21 |access-date=2013-05-08}} AudioCodes maintains IBM ClearCase support in Qt Creator.{{cite web|url=http://wiki.qt.io/Maintainers |title=Maintainers | Qt Wiki |publisher=Qt Project |date=2013-04-12 |access-date=2013-05-08}}

Many contributions also come from the KDE community, which is oftentimes adding features from their KDE Frameworks upstream into Qt.{{cite web|url=http://community.kde.org/Frameworks/Epics/Contributions_to_Qt5|title=Frameworks/Epics/Contributions to Qt5|publisher=KDE Community Wiki|access-date=2015-04-27}}

• KDE e.V.

{{Reflist|2}}

• {{Official website|https://www.qt.io/contribute-to-qt}}
• {{URL|http://www.qt.io/|Qt website}}
• [https://marketplace.qt.io/ Qt Marketplace]
• {{URL|http://www.kde.org/community/whatiskde/kdefreeqtfoundation.php|KDE Free Qt Foundation}}
• {{URL|http://www.macieira.org/blog/qt-stats/|Qt Project statistics}} (updated weekly)

{{Qt}}

{{KDE}}

Category:Free software projects