Re: [PROPOSAL] Full text of GPL must be included
- To: debian-policy@lists.debian.org
- Subject: Re: [PROPOSAL] Full text of GPL must be included
- From: Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@debian.org>
- Date: 01 Dec 2000 00:21:30 -0600
- Message-id: <[🔎] 87zoigpsph.fsf@glaurung.green-gryphon.com>
- In-reply-to: <87hf4o68tn.fsf@becket.becket.net>
- References: <20001129182150.C28458@cistron.nl> <XFMail.20001129092759.shaleh@valinux.com> <20001129184749.A31832@cistron.nl> <87y9y24gx9.fsf@ariel.local.net> <20001129143418.B436@adsl-63-195-123-115.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net> <20001129230303.4C336DF5F@ariel.local.net> <87r93uqlzp.fsf@becket.becket.net> <20001130120026.D6656@azure.humbug.org.au> <873dgaqb0i.fsf@becket.becket.net> <87hf4osuct.fsf@glaurung.green-gryphon.com> <87hf4o68tn.fsf@becket.becket.net>
>>"Thomas" == Thomas Bushnell, BSG <tb@becket.net> writes:
Thomas> Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@debian.org> writes:
>> >>"Thomas" == Thomas Bushnell, BSG <tb@becket.net> writes:
>>
Thomas> However, Debian is in a different position, and the problem is that
Thomas> people can and do pull .debs off the Debian site and install them on
Thomas> other distros. The license really does require that we give them a
Thomas> copy of the GPL, and that's a reasonable requirement.
>>
>> I can pull single files off the FSF's ftp archive and not
>> download the COPYING file. Is the FSF in violation as well? We
>> seem to be in august company, then.
Thomas> LOL. Are you speaking of ftp.gnu.org? I don't think you *can* pull
Thomas> single files off that site; it only contains complete tarballs of
Thomas> source.
You are wrong. /pub/gnu/windows/emacs/contrib/nttcp.c is the
immediate example that proves that.
Thomas> We cannot assume that *those* users have copies of the GPL, or any
Thomas> knowledge about the presence of it in the "base-files" package or some
Thomas> other package.
If they have a supported configuration, knowledge is not
required. The package is essential. If peple go out of their way to
grab parts of our distribution, and use non supported platforms to
run the binaries on, all we can do is say we shall send them a copy
of the GPL (which they sha;ll know when they read the Copyright
file).
Thomas> That works if and only if they are on a Debian system. They might not
Thomas> be.
That is a) not supported, really
b) not what we distribute.
We distribute a system. Our policy governs our system (debian-policy
is not relevant to a non debian system).
manoj
--
Q: How do you keep a moron in suspense?
Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@debian.org> <http://www.debian.org/%7Esrivasta/>
1024R/C7261095 print CB D9 F4 12 68 07 E4 05 CC 2D 27 12 1D F5 E8 6E
1024D/BF24424C print 4966 F272 D093 B493 410B 924B 21BA DABB BF24 424C
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