Re: MPL and Source Code
On 04 Apr 2006 00:04:32 -0400
Michael Poole <mdpoole@troilus.org> wrote:
..deleted
> [snip]
> > The MPL specifies (see para 3.2) that source must be provided via an
> > agreed "Electronic Distribution Mechanism", which is defined as (see
> > para 1.4) "...a mechanism generally accepted in the software development
> > community for the electronic transfer of data."
> >
> > I don't see why this excludes FTP. I would expect to also include HTTP,
> > scp, rsync, or for that matter, CVS and SVN.
>
> The "Electronic Distribution Mechanism" clause applies if you want to
> continue to provide source for six or twelve months, which is the
> objection -- given package update rates, this could add up to hundreds
> of megabytes of compressed files.
Very true, but the alternative is that source code for an executable
could disappear the moment that a new version of the executable is made
available. While strictly speaking this would appear to conform to the
letter of the license, I don't see it as being particularly useful.
This would appear to impose a serious caveat on Open Source users,
namely "get the source when you get the executable because the source
may not be there there tomorrow"
Which is why I originally suggested that making the source available via
SVN or CVS could be considered as a performance of the "Electronic
Distribution Mechanism" requirement.
Thanks against for the education!
Craig
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