Skip site navigation (1)Skip section navigation (2)
Date:      Sun, 22 Oct 2006 00:06:45 +0200
From:      Kristian Poul Herkild <kristian@herkild.dk>
To:        doc@FreeBSD.org
Subject:   Factual wrong information in "Explaining BSD"
Message-ID:  <453A99F5.9060508@herkild.dk>

next in thread | raw e-mail | index | archive | help
At this url: 
http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en/articles/explaining-bsd/comparing-bsd-and-linux.html
it is claimed (4.5) that the GPL does not allow binary-only 
distribution. It is factually wrong.

The terms GPL license clearly states it is legal to distribute only the 
binaries under certain circumstances (GPL 3b+c)

--

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) is removed

    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.)

--

It would be nice to see it corrected, and the part "This is particularly 
attractive for embedded applications." removed since the GPL does not 
prevent usage in embedded applications. All which is required is to 
follow the terms in 3b).

Kind Regards,
Kristian Poul Herkild



Want to link to this message? Use this URL: <https://mail-archive.FreeBSD.org/cgi/mid.cgi?453A99F5.9060508>