Re: Is NPL DFSG complient or not?

[Philip Hands <phil@hands.com>]

> Philip Hands wrote:
> > Richard Braakman <dark@xs4all.nl> wrote:
> > > This means that if we distribute modified versions of an NPL'd
> > > program, we're going to have to keep source packages around long after
> > > we have replaced the binaries with new versions.  We have no mechanism
> > > in place for this.
> > 
> > Take a look at the GPL --- it says three years:
> > 
> >     b) Accompany it with a written offer, valid for at least three
> >     years, to give any third party, for a charge no more than your
> >     cost of physically performing source distribution, a complete
> >     machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code, to be
> >     distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium
> >     customarily used for software interchange; or,
> 
> Yeah, but that's only option b).  You also have option a), which is to
> distribute binary and source together, like we do.  Then you can drop
> the source as soon as you drop the binary.  The NPL has no such option.

Yes it does.

The 12 month restriction is part of a sub clause, which only applies if you
chose not to supply the source on the same media as the binaries.

Cheers, Phil.