[H-GEN] Kernel source

[ben.carlyle at invensys.com]

"Raymond Smith" <raymond at humbug.org.au>
Sent by: Majordomo <majordom at caliburn.humbug.org.au>
30/10/2003 10:10 AM
Please respond to general

 
        To:     <general at lists.humbug.org.au>
        cc: 
        Subject:        Re: [H-GEN] Kernel source


> Jason Parker-Burlingham said:
> > Mandrake should not be handing out compiled binaries without also
> > handing out source code.
> But they do not have to do that on the same CDs/ISOs. They would
> be quite within their rights to only offer the source to people
> who asked, with a modest fee to cover cost of distribution.
> I see no problem here, unless Mandrake is saying 'no we will
> not give you the source at all'.

IANAL, but given this context I think it's also relevant to point out that 
Mandrake would not be required to provide the sources of these pre-release 
GPL binaries to just anyone. It would only be the people they actually 
distributed the binaries to that would be automatically eligible to 
request and recieve the sources at the cost of distribution.

I would suspect that anyone who got a copy from a friend would not be 
eligble to ask for the sources from mandrake directly, but would have to 
ask their friend... who would be responsible for obtaining the sources 
form Mandrake for re-distribution, just as they obtained the binaries from 
Mandrake for redistribution.

To summarise I think that as a concerned community member it is probably a 
good idea to directly obtain the binaries from Mandrake, then ask Mandrake 
to supply the relevant sources also. If you can't get the binaries then 
you probably have no individual rights to the source anyway. If they 
refuse access to sources after providing the binaries then you are 
probably in a position to put them in the poo. Alternatively, if you know 
someone who has already recieved the binaries you might ask them to 
request sources on their own behalf. A refusal at this point might also 
put them in the same poo.

Given that this appears to be an important issue to at least a few list 
members, perhaps someone who has been given the binaries directly by 
Mandrake could ask Mandrake if the sources would be available. An 
affirmative response would clear any confusion, and a negative response 
would be slashdot material.

Benjamin.
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