Russ Allbery <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > | 2. You may modify your copy or copies of the Program or any portion > | of it, thus forming a work based on the Program, and copy and > | distribute such modifications or work under the terms of Section 1 > | above, provided that you also meet all of these conditions: > | > | [...] > | > | c) If the modified program normally reads commands interactively > | when run, you must cause it, when started running for such > | interactive use in the most ordinary way, to print or display an > | announcement including an appropriate copyright notice and a > | notice that there is no warranty (or else, saying that you provide > | a warranty) and that users may redistribute the program under > | these conditions, and telling the user how to view a copy of this > | License. (Exception: if the Program itself is interactive but > | does not normally print such an announcement, your work based on > | the Program is not required to print an announcement.) > > In fact, on first glance, I'm not sure that I understand the difference > between Debian's inclusion of software which triggers GPL 2c (such as bc) > and a similar clause for non-interactive programs. Maybe I'm missing some > previous discussion?
Well, for a start, it's legal to add a -q option to bc -- since that is not the way to start running it in the most ordinary way. It's also legal to modify all such programs to look for a ~/.gnu-shut-up file, and if it sees one to leave out the copyright and non-warranty notices. It is also legal to derive noninteractive works, and use them to interface with tightly defined communications protocols. If I want to modify reiserfs to work in an elevator controller, with no useful display, how can I comply with the provisions which require credits? I cannot modify the software to be useful to me, so it is not Free. -Brian -- Brian Sniffen [EMAIL PROTECTED]
