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GPL... (was: Re: Debian based GNU/Solaris: pilot program)



On Friday 04 November 2005 14.33, John Hasler wrote:
> Wouter Verhelst writes:
> > Any *distributed* changes to foo.c must be contributed back to the
> > community.
>
> That's not true either.  Any distributed changes must be made available
> to those to whom the changes were distributed.  In practice changes
> usually become available to the community but that is not required.

... and it is also not required to make the changes available in a useable 
form.  (/me remembers some Montavista hacked gcc for some embedded 
platform: I tried to forward port their modification once, but gave up 
because all they distributed was the complete toolchain source with no 
indication what upstream version, exactly, it was based on[1].  Legally ok, 
to the letter of the GPL, but totally useless beecause isolating 
Montavista's work was virtually impossible.  I'm not picking on MV 
specifically here, it's just a good example from personal experience.)

[1] nontrivial - I concluded that it must have been a CVS snapshot with some 
additional upstream patches applied.

-- vbi

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Could this mail be a fake? (Answer: No! - http://fortytwo.ch/gpg/intro)

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