SCO is still distributing the Linux kernel [LWN.net]

SCO is still distributing the Linux kernel

Posted May 15, 2003 16:21 UTC (Thu) by metacircles (guest, #8895)
In reply to: SCO is still distributing the Linux kernel by proski
Parent article: SCO suspends, Gartner warns

There is no kernel source there. Note that the kernel packages have "nosrc" in them.

If those packages contain kernel binaries and there's no corresponding source, that falls foul of the GPL section 3. Perhaps the kernel's copyright holders want to take this up with SCO?

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SCO is still distributing the Linux kernel

Posted May 16, 2003 2:50 UTC (Fri) by proski (subscriber, #104) [Link]

I don't see how this would violate GPL. GPL doesn't require the sources to be distibuted electronically and be available to everyone. I think it's assumed that the users who need the update already have the source from the original distribution.

SCO is still distributing the Linux kernel

Posted May 16, 2003 9:36 UTC (Fri) by error27 (subscriber, #8346) [Link]

GPL doesn't require the sources to be distibuted electronically

True.

and be available to everyone.

If you distribute code with source then you do not have to make it available to everyone. However, if you do not distribute source then you have to make the code available to anyone who asks within three years. Any way, in this case they are distributing the object files to everyone from a public ftp server and so they have to make the source available to everyone.

I think it's assumed that the users who need the update already have the source from the original distribution.

The GPL calls for "a complete machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code". Patches probably don't qualify as complete. This is all coverred in the paragraphs 3a and 3b of the GPL.