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From: Robert Dewar <robert_dewar@my-deja.com>
Subject: Re: Ada test example - Linux Software Installer
Date: 2000/05/07
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In article <hD5dQSoakfDi@eisner.decus.org>,
  Kilgallen@eisner.decus.org.nospam wrote:
> I am trying to avoid a requirement for those using the
> installer to distribute the source of the installer.

I just want to reemphasize the point I made in my previous
post. The GPL *never* requires that you distribute sources.
You must make the sources available, common ways of doing
this are

 a) indeed distribute sources with the distribution
 b) point to a website containing the sources
 c) make a written offer to provide the sources

for case c) you can charge a reasonable fee for copying.
THat's the only time the GPL has anything to say about levels
of fees, and the reason is obvious, if sources cost $5 million
they are operationally unavailable. But it would be fine to
make the sources available on a CD ROM and charge whatever it
cost you to make the copy (e.g. a charge such as $200 would
be quite reasonable, given the time to make and check the
copy etc).

As an example of b) consider the TIVO consumer device for
digital TV recording and replay. This device is based on
Linux, and the instruction manual points to a website where
you can get the sources of the particular source version
of Linux used in this device.

It's quite common to redistribute GPL'ed tools without providing
the sources, by simply referencing the original source. That
should be fine for almost all purposes, unless you want to
deliberately conceal the fact that you are borrowing someone
else's software.



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