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Re: Corel's apt frontend



On Sun, Oct 31, 1999 at 04:58:29AM -0500, Raul Miller wrote:
> > If that is the case the GPL contaminates other software (like the
> > Debian distribution as a whole) by requiring that EVERY SINGLE THING
> > we distribute be GPL. A specific example of something that the GPL
> > would be trying to contaminate would be Apache.
> 
> If people are distributing derivative works that include GPLed code and
> apache, sure.  But if apache is just calling /bin/sh, there's nothing
> special about that -- any /bin/sh can be used.

And if the apache module in question calls /bin/bash specifically?

Or if /bin/bash calls apache?


> > Fortunately, the GPL does not do this. I think it's approaching
> > dellusional to believe otherwise, nothing in the GPL itself indicates
> > that simply running a program or having another program run it should
> > be considered a combined work. ANd in fact the GPL is careful to say
> > that mere aggregation of GPL packages is perfectly acceptable if we
> > follow the other restrictions in the GPL.
> 
> Sure, and that has nothing to do with the Corel front end.  The Corel
> front end for dpkg is obviously intended to enhance dpkg.

The line HAS to be drawn somewhere.  ANY program can be said to enahnce
ANY OTHER program.  How clearly a program enhances another is completely
an arbitrary opinion.  Licenses should not be applied arbitrarily.

(FWIW in this case I agree---their front end IS an attempt to enhance apt
which is an attempt to enhance dpkg.  They're seperate works though..)

-- 
- Joseph Carter         GnuPG public key:   1024D/DCF9DAB3, 2048g/3F9C2A43
- knghtbrd@debian.org   20F6 2261 F185 7A3E 79FC  44F9 8FF7 D7A3 DCF9 DAB3
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
<tigah_-> i have 4gb for /tmp
<Knghtbrd> What do you do with 4G /tmp?  Compile X?
<tigah_-> yes

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