Gentoo Archives: gentoo-dev

From: Chris Gianelloni <wolf31o2@g.o>
To: gentoo-dev@l.g.o
Subject: Re: [gentoo-dev] GPL and Source code providing
Date: Wed, 28 Jun 2006 15:53:13
Message-Id: 1151509368.2774.18.camel@cgianelloni.nuvox.net
In Reply to: Re: [gentoo-dev] GPL and Source code providing by Mivz
1 On Wed, 2006-06-28 at 17:18 +0200, Mivz wrote:
2 > Mike Doty wrote:
3 > > Mivz wrote:
4 > >>> Then I have got this one question, I don't need a answer too.
5 > >>>
6 > >>> How free is free software if you need a lawyer and a expensive server
7 > >>> just to be able to publish your addition under your own name?
8 > >>>
9 > > Very free. There are many project sites that will host your content if
10 > > you have it under a GPL or similar license. Similarly, as long as you
11 > > provide the source, you satisfy the main point of GPL. Thousands of
12 > > projects do exactly this without any input from a lawyer.
13 > >
14 >
15 > But then it's still 'free beer', and not 'freedom'. I still can not
16 > write a patch and make a cd with the patch applied to give to my mum and
17 > my friends, without the risk of my intelligence being stolen and abused.
18 > Or I have to go through the hassle of finding a provider, which of
19 > course needs attention too.
20
21 This is a common misconception. All that you really need to provide is
22 the patches. If you, for example, made a Gentoo-based distribution, and
23 made changes to 3 packages, you would only need provide the source for
24 those three packages. At most, providing a link to the upstream (us)
25 packages/code/etc for everything else would be required. Also, you are
26 only required to provide source to the people you provide binaries to,
27 and you're only required to do so on request. Meaning that if you made
28 a CD and only gave it to your mom, you don't need a server. You just
29 need to burn her a CD of source if she asked. It really is that simple.
30 The only way you need a server is if you're going about distributing it
31 to the world, and you made a ton of changes. Remember, the GPL just
32 says that you have to provide the code. Pointing someone to where they
33 can get it *is* providing it, so long as any patches/changes you've made
34 are also available under some means.
35
36 --
37 Chris Gianelloni
38 Release Engineering - Strategic Lead
39 x86 Architecture Team
40 Games - Developer
41 Gentoo Linux

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Replies

Subject Author
Re: [gentoo-dev] GPL and Source code providing Ciaran McCreesh <ciaran.mccreesh@×××××××××××××.uk>
Re: [gentoo-dev] GPL and Source code providing Mivz <mivz@×××××××××××××.net>
Re: [gentoo-dev] GPL and Source code providing "Diego 'Flameeyes' Pettenò" <flameeyes@g.o>