- GPL clarification
- Posted by Grumble on February 26th, 2004
Hello,
I have a small question regarding the GPL.
I pay a monthly fee for a DSL connection. As part of that monthly fee,
my Internet Service Provider lends me a DSL modem, inside which I
think there is an ARM CPU. I've read that the modem's kernel is a
modified version of linux-arm.
Is it possible for me to request a copy of the source code? Someone
told me the ISP had no reason to accept because...
a) There is no way for non-developers to access the operating system
running on the modem.
b) I do not own the modem, I only rent it (or my ISP lends it to me,
I'm not sure if it makes a difference).
Is this the correct newsgroup to ask such a question, or is there a
more appropriate newsgroup?
Regards,
Grumble
- Posted by Peter Jensen on February 26th, 2004
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Grumble wrote:
And it's an interesting one too ...
Is this something you know for sure? What DSL modem is it?
You received in binary form a copy of a GPL application, so yes, you can
request a copy of the source code.
Bull-shit. You have the binary, and it matters little if it's not easy
to access. The very fact that *someone* can access it means that you
can too, if you *really* want to.
It has still been distributed to you, and can no longer be considered to
be internal to the organization. Ergo the GPL has to be upheld. Now
for the important part, who do you ask for the source code?
Your immediate distributor is your ISP, so you should have received a
copy of the GPL from them, including a written offer to make the source
code available to you (section 3.b of the GPL, I think). If not, they
have already violated the GPL. The ISP should have received the source
code from the modem manufacturer, who is ultimately responsible for
making the source code available. Check their homepage first.
I think 'gnu.misc.discuss' may be more appropriate. Also check out the
GPL FAQ: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-faq.html
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--
PeKaJe
There is a new service pack that fixes all of IIS's problems
permanently. Go here to download it: http://www.apache.org
- Posted by John Bailo on February 26th, 2004
Grumble wrote:
From the manufacturer, yes.
So. It's still being /distributed/ -- that is, the modem is no different
then a CD ROM.
This is a more appropriate newsgroup for calling people assholes and stuff.
- Posted by Kyle Fox on February 26th, 2004
On Thu, 26 Feb 2004 10:54:35 +0100, Grumble wrote:
The manufacturer, not the ISP would be the one who would be obligated to
provide a copy of the source code.
Bull.
Bull.
- Kay
--
http://kayfox.org/
contact info: http://kayfox.org/contact.html
Linux xheotris 2.4.20-4GB-athlon
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- Posted by Tim Smith on February 26th, 2004
In article <403dd4a8$0$29378$edfadb0f@dread15.news.tele.dk> , Peter Jensen
wrote:
I wonder how this interacts with the first sale doctrine, in jurisdications
where there is such a thing?
--
--Tim Smith
- Posted by Peter on February 26th, 2004
On Thu, 26 Feb 2004 10:54:35 +0100, Grumble <invalid@kma.eu.org>
wrote:
kernal mods.
However you cannot obtain source code for the application that runs on
top (assuming the app has no GPL code) because:
1. Linus' prepend to the kernel GPL allows 'closed source'
applications to make kernel calls.
2. The LGPL applying to libraries allows library modules to be linked
into 'closed source' code
