I want to correct at least one egregious error in this list of correcting errors; it's a big one, though.
> -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Wednesday, April 02, 2003 4:11 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Stop the disinformation! (Was Re: Download Redhat 9 > right now) > > > This thread is really upsetting me. I will try to go > through each of > the comments that I feel need to be commented on below. My > answers may > not be complettely correct by I believe them to be more on > track than some > of the discussion already in the thread. I'm open to any additional > comments that anyone has. > --- <snip> > - "You cannot really 'bootleg' software that is freely > distributed under > the GPL." > > Again, bootleg would be the wrong term but if you mean that > you can not > violate the license then your wrong--all you need to do to > violate the GPL > when distributing is to only provide the binaries without offering > availablity of the source code. Once you with-hold the > source code, it is > no longer Free Software in spirit since it is no longer > modifiable in the > preferred form (source code) for performing modification. Uh, not QUITE.... close, but not quite, and it's a big difference. You DON'T have to offer the source RPMs of packages that you distribute the binaries for AS LONG AS THEY ARE AVAILABLE from the original site, i.e., if I make a distro, but include only the binary for apache, I STILL don't have to make the source available for Apache FROM MY SITE since it can be freely acquired from http://www.apache.org, for example. I do need to tell you what version, and I need to give you any special changes I may have made, plus the configuration files, etc. Now, if I'm WRITING Apache, I would need to make the source available, but that's a horse of a different color. Also, no one says I can't CHARGE for the source; I just can restrict you from giving it away afterwards. And no one says I have to give you the source electronically; I could always publish the source in a book, and make you buy the book to get the source. I just have to make it available to you under reasonable terms. Now, I haven't seen anyone actually DO that yet... but I do have a book called Linux IP Stacks, which is 90% just the IP Networking Stacks for the kernal, plus some commentary... Note, this little bit (the not requiring that >I< give you the source for things that are available from others that are not my copyright) means that Redhat (and most of the other mainline distros) go above and beyond, by hosting it in one easy to find group, and paying the bandwidth charges to get it; they don't have to do that, as some of the smaller (more specialized) distros refuse to do; they only have to give you source on what they changed to comply with the GPL. In other words, Redhat pays out of pocket to give you something they don't have to give you by the GPL, as they could say "Here's what we used, go find it on the Internet". -- redhat-list mailing list unsubscribe mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/redhat-list
