On Mar 30, 2004, at 20:56, Alexander Strange wrote:
The Gimp 2.0 isn't a ripoff because I haven't finished the package yet. He does provide the original Gimp sources, but if the "application bundle" contains anything else it would need to be published as well (but it's not a violation until someone asks him and he refuses, I believe).
His app bundle contains all the libraries gimp is linked to. His wrapper script uses DYLD_LIBRARY_PATH to find them in the app bundle, because the install_names all point to /sw/lib. No sources.
He only provides a link to the sources on a GIMP mirror, whereas the GPL requires him to properly host the source on his own server. It's unlikely that anyone will have issues with that unless it really becomes more than a simple script hack posted because it makes things easier. I post little hacks to big GNU programs wrapped up in app bundles, and it really shouldn't be an issue. The point of the GPL is to prevent big ripoffs of software.
For me, this is not the main point of the GPL. It does not forbid making money from other people's work. What is forbidden is not to let others participate in your programming achievements. You have to show how exactly you produced what you are distributing.
The gimp-app guy seems to have compiled gimp-2 using Fink, but he doesn't tell how and he doesn't let the Fink community participate in his work. For me, this intellectual honesty aspect is the main point. Commercial aspects are less important, maybe not important at all in the case of gimp-app. As the FSF can explain better, there are other drawbacks of distributing binaries without the precise sources used for producing them.
-- Martin
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