Hello Mike!

07 Jan 21, Mike Powell wrote to PAUL LEE:

 MP> might be ok, especially if you are not selling the OS just whatever
 MP> antique it happens to reside in.  I.e. like you are giving away a free
 MP> copy of the OS.

There is no difference between selling or giving of the programm (=compiled running code) in the GPL. No matter if you sell or give - you are responsible for delivering the source code. That's your duty.

This had been forgotten because common end users like on Ubuntu would install from a binary media and if someone needs the source code he would fetch it directly from Ubuntu Servers. But for those 3rd party requests Ubuntu could say "We did not gave you any GPLed software so we are not responsible to give you source code".

The main protection element of the GPL is the availibility of the source code.

But with an "if". I do not understand why it's called "public"; there is no enforcement to give a any modified code back into public. But if you give anything to others then it's part of the licence that you have to include the source code.

Regards

Kai

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