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Re: is it allowed to deny access to obsolete GPL2 source packages?



On Tue, Nov 01, 2011 at 07:51:59AM +0100, Harald Dunkel wrote:
> Dropping the sources immediately is surely not the idea behind GPL2.

Sure it is.  GPL2 requires that sources are available *with* binaries.  The
only place where GPL2 requires a distributor to provide sources later is if the
distributor specifically took advantage of 3b and provided, instead of the
source, a written offer to provide source to anybody at request for a limited
period.  When binaries are delivered on the network with sources available at
the same time at the downloader's discretion, 3a (which contains no requirement
for prolonged source access) is generally assumed to apply.

> If I run into a problem, then I might like to look at the sources
> and the patches applied by the pm, regardless whether the binaries
> have been removed from the ftp server.

GPL2 assumes that you downloaded source with binaries (or took advantage of a
written offer for sources if provided).  If you chose not to, that's your
choice, and the consequences of that choice are yours as well.

-- 
Antti-Juhani Kaijanaho, Jyväskylä, Finland
http://antti-juhani.kaijanaho.fi/newblog/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/antti-juhani/

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