Re: cdrtools - GPL code with CDDL build system

[Eduard Bloch <edi@gmx.de>]

#include <hallo.h>
* Måns Rullgård [Sun, Mar 19 2006, 01:50:24AM]:
> Sam Morris <sam@robots.org.uk> writes:

> These are the bits I'm referring to, from cdrecorc.c (sorry for the
> long lines, but that's how it's written):
> 
> ---BEGIN QUOTE---
> 	/*
> 	 * Begin restricted code for quality assurance.
> 	 *
> 	 * Warning: you are not allowed to modify or to remove the
> 	 * Copyright and version printing code below!
> 	 * See also GPL § 2 subclause c)
...
> For completeness, here's GPL 2c:
> 
> ---BEGIN QUOTE---
>     c) If the modified program normally reads commands interactively
>     when run, you must cause it, when started running for such
>     interactive use in the most ordinary way, to print or display an
>     announcement including an appropriate copyright notice and a
>     notice that there is no warranty (or else, saying that you provide
>     a warranty) and that users may redistribute the program under
>     these conditions, and telling the user how to view a copy of this
>     License.  (Exception: if the Program itself is interactive but
>     does not normally print such an announcement, your work based on
>     the Program is not required to print an announcement.)
> ---END QUOTE---
> 
> Take note that cdrecord is never interactive, so GPL 2c doesn't apply.

Wrong. It displays messages by default and tells you how to stop the
command etc. IMO this can clearly be interpreted as interaction. And
since it does print such an announcement by default then it should be
kept. However, I disagree on the level appropriateness - stuff like
"This is a broken Linux system" does not belong to the
disclaimer/copyright category.

> I don't know why JS refers to it, but then JS does a lot of things
> that nobody understands.

This question is out of scope here.

Eduard.