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Re: Integrity of Source Code



On Thu, Nov 30, 2000 at 02:30:28PM +0100, Henning Makholm wrote:
> Scripsit Joseph Carter <knghtbrd@debian.org>
> > > > If the source code (not build parameters) are changed you are required to
> > > > have the message popup with 'This is an UNOFFICIAL version of X. The
> > > > official version can be obtained from Y.' - again for ~3 seconds.
> >
> > This is no different than the interactive execution copyright notice that
> > the GPL mandates unless the upstream author opted not to place one.  Of
> > course, it is more annoying.
> 
> I would argue that there is a difference. The GPL interactive
> copyright warning requirement explicitly applies only if the modified
> program is interactive - thus it is legal to modify the program
> for non-interactive environments.

Alright then, would loosening the restriction to having the message
displayed at program startup to the user work? I mean even non-interactive
programs have a time at which they're loaded and if they don't use X they
could just dump the message to stdout. Any packaging of the program would
just have to make sure not to redirect this message to /dev/null in a
system startup script...

ie: if the program is an X program it has to output to X b/c that's where
the user will see the message. If it's a daemon/console app, it has to dump
to stdout?

PS. This is not a popup we're talking about, but a splash screen - no
annoying buttons to press.

-- 
Wesley W. Terpstra <terpstra@javien.com>
Javien Canada Inc. - Linux Developer

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