DOS ain't dead

GPL user restrictions ? (Developers)

posted by marcov, 23.06.2009, 10:11

> > > The GPL is all
> > > about the user. Isn't that what software should be?
> >
> > Where did you get that delusional idea? It is all about the author,
> > otherwise it wouldn't burden the user with so many duties and pretty
> heavy
> > restrictions.
>
> Last time I read the GPL, most duties and restrictions were for the author
> and co-authors (people modifying source code).

Well, that depends on your view. For e.g. a library, users are more typically what you can co-authors.

> Pure users (people that want to use a binary only) are able to obtain the
> source code as per "the authors are required to provide source", but the
> users don't have to obtain it. Note that a "pure user" in this sense doesn't (re-)distribute the program, he only uses it.

Yes. I know the theory. And it works if you are the recipient of a linux distro, never use anything with a different license. Of course that works with any license, including the various licenses that GPL users frown so much on.

There are some sideways related troubles though. E.g. Lazarus is a fine example. The core app is GPL, but some of the plugins are MPL. This combination is formally not compatible, but that only kicks in with distribution. There was some discussion about that (by e.g. excluding the plugin interface from the GPL), but the paranoid were afraid that evil people would overtake the entire IDE etc etc, so it wasn't done in the end.

But recently, with the portable versions popping up everywhere, it has become a problem, since one can't distribute a full app, and thus must link it on target on the enduser's systems. Requiring extra space, and a slow build step on a stick.

Complete thread:

• New RxDOS memory subsystem source code - ecm, 15.06.2009, 21:33 (Developers)
  • New RxDOS memory subsystem source code - Japheth, 16.06.2009, 17:21
    • New RxDOS memory subsystem source code - ecm, 16.06.2009, 21:23
      • GPL vs. BSD - Rugxulo, 19.06.2009, 06:54
        • GPL vs. BSD - marcov, 20.06.2009, 14:09
          • GPL vs. BSD - Rugxulo, 21.06.2009, 04:37
            • GPL vs. BSD - marcov, 21.06.2009, 14:30
              • GPL vs. BSD - Rugxulo, 22.06.2009, 10:11
                • GPL vs. BSD - marcov, 22.06.2009, 16:07
                  • GPL user restrictions ? - ecm, 23.06.2009, 00:35
                    • GPL user restrictions ? - marcov, 23.06.2009, 10:11
                      • GPL user restrictions ? - ecm, 23.06.2009, 13:05
                        • GPL user restrictions ? - marcov, 23.06.2009, 16:39
                          • GPL user restrictions ? - ecm, 23.06.2009, 20:55
                            • GPL user restrictions ? - Khusraw, 24.06.2009, 20:08
                              • Commercial philosophs - ecm, 25.06.2009, 02:51
                                • Commercial philosophs - Khusraw, 25.06.2009, 08:47
                                  • Commercial philosophs - ecm, 25.06.2009, 16:31
                                    • Commercial philosophs - Khusraw, 25.06.2009, 16:50
                                    • Commercial philosophs - marcov, 25.06.2009, 21:44
                                      • Commercial philosophs - ecm, 25.06.2009, 23:34
                                        • Commercial philosophs - marcov, 27.06.2009, 14:09
                                      • Commercial philosophs - Khusraw, 28.06.2009, 13:16
                                        • Commercial philosophs - Rugxulo, 01.07.2009, 22:52
                            • GPL user restrictions ? - marcov, 25.06.2009, 21:24
                              • GPL user restrictions ? - ecm, 26.06.2009, 11:27
                                • GPL user restrictions ? - marcov, 26.06.2009, 23:59
              • GPL vs. BSD - rCX, 25.06.2009, 18:01
  • New RxDOS memory subsystem source code - ecm, 03.05.2018, 12:55
    • New RxDOS memory subsystem source code - rr, 28.10.2018, 19:44
      • New RxDOS memory subsystem source code - ecm, 05.11.2018, 14:24
        • New RxDOS memory subsystem source code - rr, 05.11.2018, 20:52