Re: what DOES the GPL really say?

[dewar@merv.cs.nyu.edu (Robert Dewar)]

Ted said

<<The GNU source is not installed by default, and I'll admit that it
isn't obvious how to find it (I had to call WRS customer support to
get the instructions).  I don't know about earlier versions, but
Tornado 1.0.1 at least uses a Windoze-ish install tool that lets you
select which of the items you are licensed for you wish to install.
Part of this selector menu includes a "details" button (which is
intended to allow you to "fine-tune" a selection).  If you select
Tornado and details, you are given a list that includes the Tornado
pieces and the GNU source (and perhaps some other pieces, I don't
remember off hand).  The Tornado pieces are selected by default, the
GNU source is not.  One could easily argue that they made this harder
to find than it should be (I did to the customer support person), but
it is definitely there.>>


"harder to find than it should be"

By what standards, the GPL does not say that it has to be super easy to
get the sources, the only restriction it places is that you cannot charge
more than a copying fee for them, but it would certainly be in bounds to
say that the sources are available on request on CD ROM for a payment of
$X with a delivery time of Y weeks (as long as X and Y were reasonable,
where the only person who gets to complain about reasonable is the
copyright holder -- that's important to realize, as with any copyrighted
work, it is the copyright holder who has the sole course of action here.
If you find something you don't like about the way someone is handling
some GPL'ed software, you should complain to the copyright holder, who
may or may not agree that there is a problem, and may or may not do
something about it.