Re: generated source files, GPL and DFSG

[Matthew Garrett <mgarrett@chiark.greenend.org.uk>]

Jeff King <peff-deblegal@peff.net> wrote:
> On Sat, Jul 23, 2005 at 02:35:01AM +0100, Matthew Garrett wrote:
> 
>> So say we have two drivers for a piece of hardware. One is written
>> without comments. One was originally commented, but the comments have
>> been removed. Both provide the same amount of information about how they
>> work. Both are released under the same license. Both provide exactly the
>> same freedoms to our users.
>> 
>> How is one of these free and the other non-free?
> 
> Let's say I write a program in C code and compile it to assembly
> language, which I distribute. Somebody else writes an equivalent program
> directly in assembly language and distributes it. The distributed
> products contain the same amount of information about how they work.
> 
> How is one of these free and the other non-free?

Machine generated assembly is, in general, significantly less modifiable
than hand-written assembly.

-- 
Matthew Garrett | mjg59-chiark.mail.debian.legal@srcf.ucam.org