Re: Fwd: reiser4 non-free?
Russ Allbery <rra@stanford.edu> writes:
> | 2. You may modify your copy or copies of the Program or any portion
> | of it, thus forming a work based on the Program, and copy and
> | distribute such modifications or work under the terms of Section 1
> | above, provided that you also meet all of these conditions:
> |
> | [...]
> |
> | 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.)
>
> In fact, on first glance, I'm not sure that I understand the difference
> between Debian's inclusion of software which triggers GPL 2c (such as bc)
> and a similar clause for non-interactive programs. Maybe I'm missing some
> previous discussion?
Well, for a start, it's legal to add a -q option to bc -- since that
is not the way to start running it in the most ordinary way. It's
also legal to modify all such programs to look for a ~/.gnu-shut-up
file, and if it sees one to leave out the copyright and non-warranty
notices.
It is also legal to derive noninteractive works, and use them to
interface with tightly defined communications protocols. If I want to
modify reiserfs to work in an elevator controller, with no useful
display, how can I comply with the provisions which require credits?
I cannot modify the software to be useful to me, so it is not Free.
-Brian
--
Brian Sniffen bts@alum.mit.edu
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