[csw-users] Source Code Availibility

James Lee james at blastwave.org
Mon Dec 6 11:31:37 CET 2004


On 06/12/04, 01:26:40, <dave-blastwave at overbearing.org> wrote regarding Re:
[csw-users] Blastwave in trouble?:

> Where is the source code for these excellent packages?

A link to the source should be in the packages and can be extracted
with the pkginfo(1) or pkgparam(1):

$ pkginfo -l CSWapache2 | grep VENDOR
    VENDOR:  http://www.ibiblio.com/pub/mirrors/apache/httpd/ packaged
for CSW by Cory Omand

$ pkgparam CSWapache2 VENDOR
http://www.ibiblio.com/pub/mirrors/apache/httpd/ packaged for CSW by Cory
Omand

Follow the URL to the source. (I might have chosen to put
http://httpd.apache.org/ in the packages; Cory gives the URL of a
mirror.)


> I used the apache2 package and found it to be A terrific build, but
> I wanted to make some small changes to the build flags.

If you want something different to the current package make a
request for enhancement via http://www.blastwave.org/bugtrack/.


> The license on most of this software does require that the source
> be downloadable from the same place you got the binaries.

Most packages are covered by GPL but apache2 isn't one of them:

   4. Redistribution. You may reproduce and distribute copies of the
      Work or Derivative Works thereof in any medium, with or without
      modifications, and in Source or Object form, provided that You
      meet the following conditions:

So I presume CSW chooses the Object form and not Source form and has
no requirement to provide the Source form.



The GPL says:

  3. You may copy and distribute the Program (or a work based on it,
  under Section 2) in object code or executable form under the terms of
  Sections 1 and 2 above provided that you also do one of the following:
...
    b) Accompany it with a written offer, valid for at least three
    years, to give any third party, for a charge no more than your
    cost of physically performing source distribution, a complete
    machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code, to be
    distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium
    customarily used for software interchange; or,

So there is no requirement to distribute the source with the packages.
If you want the source ask for it, then I say "that'll be a quid" and
send it.  The Blastwave file server is retaining copies of GPL source
for the required 3 years should anyone make such a request.



Finally note there is no requirement for a CSW package to be GPL, open
source or even free (as in money).



James.



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