On Wed, Sep 10, 2003 at 03:18:14PM -0400, Matt Zimmerman wrote: > | The source code for a work means the preferred form of the work for making > | modifications to it. For an executable work, complete source code means > | all the source code for all modules it contains, plus any associated > | interface definition files, plus the scripts used to control compilation > | and installation of the executable. However, as a special exception, the > | source code distributed need not include anything that is normally > | distributed (in either source or binary form) with the major components > | (compiler, kernel, and so on) of the operating system on which the > | executable runs, unless that component itself accompanies the executable. > > To me, it seems clear that the intent is to allow someone who already has a > build environment, capable of producing "hello world" on their target > platform, to compile the source code. So, if I have a Windows build > environment (or equivalent tools on another platform), I can build the > Windows executable. Or, if I have a Linux build environment, I would have > enough information to try to port it. > > Legally, how does this apply to running a Windows executable using WINE? It > would seem to depend on the interpretation of "the operating system on which > the executable runs". It could either be "the operating system for which > the executable is built" or "the operating system on which the executable is > being run". > > The former interpretation seems much more sensible to me, but again, I would > appreciate a second opinion. But the latter is far closer to the actual wording. I don't know how to reconcile this clause with the phenomenon of emulation. (The siutation is even more complex with WINE because "Wine Is Not an Emulator".) It may be worth asking the FSF. They have an email address for license questions, but I have forgotten what it is. -- G. Branden Robinson | Fair use is irrelevant and Debian GNU/Linux | improper. branden@debian.org | -- Asst. U.S. Attorney Scott http://people.debian.org/~branden/ | Frewing, explaining the DMCA
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