Marco Ghirlanda <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: >> >> >>Knoppix should be distributing the source from the same location that >>you would get the CD, so its still compliant with the GPL. >> > Really I couldn't find the sources of Knoppix anywhere.
<http://developer.linuxtag.net/knoppix/> looks like a good place to start. That's a result of googling for "Knoppix source" and taking the first hit. There's a link to that from the index file of a Knoppix CD. > The fact seems that it is necessary for correct application of the > GPL, but it is not respected so much indeed. So I have to publish for > every *.deb a *-src.deb? Well, you have to publish the source in some convenient format -- a bunch of tar.gz's is fine, for example. >>The real issue comes when you are handing out or selling binary only >>cds. Those need to have a written offer for source valid for three >>years (for the GPL) >> > I would point to the Debian Source, is it right? No. You need to provide it yourself -- you can't point to something which might fold up and vanish tomorrow. It has to be *you* providing the source, not you pointing to somebody who does. There's an exception to this, but it only kicks in if you're doing non-commercial distribution AND you received a written offer for source yourself. Debian provides no such offers. >>, or the source needs to be available at the same >>time for no extra cost. >> > This I don't understand. Seems like I have to create an ISO with only > the sources. > Is there a program who download the sources for a given list of packages? 'xargs -ifoo apt-get source -d foo' -- the source debs are all sitting in one directory, it's not hard to programatically assemble their names and fetch the ones you want.. > Not to seem un-ethical, but if MrKnoppix doesn't do this, why should I > do it (I mean publish the sources cd) that I am a much smaller and > derivative project? Klaus Knopper does do this. He's actually put a lot of thought into making sure that he, and those who redistribute his CDs, have a good way of complying with the GPL. Check the archives here, it was discussed this past summer. Or, check out The Man Himself at <http://mailman.linuxtag.org/pipermail/debian-knoppix/2003-April/002425.html>. As I said, Knopper's done his homework to help with this sort of situation. > Anyway I'm still considering this possibility, cause Medialinux was > born as a project for the students of our school, but it looks like it > has many possibilities more... > I'm just very sorry I have to tell to my users that they will not use > this to look at their payed DVD, 'cause they have to pay for the > software again. I wish someone here could help you with that, but the way copyright and patent laws are written right now, it would be very risky to do so. > And that I need the double of the space on the server (that in our > case is hosting us for free, in pure Linux tradition) to put also the > sources. Hardly. Source is typically much smaller than the binary. > Thanks so much, Marco Ghirlanda
