GPL compliance

Forum: Other Help Topics
Topic: GPL compliance
started by: Afecks

Posted by Afecks on June 06 2005,05:59

I am looking to use DSL embedded for a commercial application. I'm not making a remaster. I am simply modifying filetool.lst and bootlocal.sh.

What do I need to do to comply with the GPL licensed software that is included with DSL?

Do I need to order the sources from < http://distro.ibiblio.org/pub....ces.txt > and then also offer them to be shipped? Or would it simply be enough to point people to that txt file?

Posted by John on June 06 2005,08:06

According to GPL licensing pointing to someone else's GPL source repository is not enough. You need to make the sources available too, it doesn't need to be via download, but you are obligated to provide the sources upon request and you need to state that publicly. If you don't do this you will eventually have someone from the Free Software Foundation contacting you and asking you to comply.

Posted by friedgold on June 06 2005,12:17

Well if you are just planning on just using GPL licenced program internally within a company/organisation then the GPL's terms don't kick in (see < here >). It is only if you plan do redistribute your remaster to others where you need to consider the GPL.

As for you obligations under the GPL the relevent section is

Code Sample

3. You may copy and distribute the Program (or a work based on it, under Section 2) in object code or executable form under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above provided that you also do one of the following:

a) Accompany it with the complete corresponding machine-readable source code, which must be distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or,

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,

c) Accompany it with the information you received as to the offer to distribute corresponding source code. (This alternative is allowed only for noncommercial distribution and only if you received the program in object code or executable form with such an offer, in accord with Subsection b above.)

See < http://www.gnu.org/ >.

Posted by John on June 06 2005,16:37

Right, I should have qualified what I said, this is only for people who plan on distributing GPL software.