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I would sell somes computers, each computer:

  • Contains a MariaDB database (GPL v2).
  • Some web applications under apache/php (GPL v2 and/or GPL v3). These applications use MariaDB.

I can't find an precise answer about if I can sell theses computere despite the applications licences I use.
My english is fair, I'm afraid miss important subtleties when I read the GPLv2/GPLv3 descriptions.

My questions:

  • Can I sell computers to differents peoples with a GPL-v2 database and somes applications in GPL-v2 and GPL-v3?
  • Can I sell computers to differents peoples with a GPL-v2 database and only somes applications in GPL-v2?

I read I must give the source code to my buyer. Are there other "constraint"?

Can you help me and link official text sources if it's possible?

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    Include the source with the computer (you have to make it accessible, by similar means). You also can not take away the rights of the new user, they must be given the same rights that you have. This includes the right to sell copies at any price.
    – ctrl-alt-delor
    Jun 30, 2016 at 22:12

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Yes, you can sell computers to different people with software under GPL2 and/or GPL3. For example, as far as I know, there is no problem to sell a computer with Debian preinstalled.

As for the second question, I don't understand if when you say "... only somes applications in GPL-v2 ... " you intend that you have some GPL-v2 application and some proprietary application. I think the answer is yes anyway, provided that you have the right to sell the proprietary application(s).

The only constrain that I remember are that you must include a copy of the license and that you must provide, at least, a clear indication on where the source code is, a link to github for example, or a link to a downloadable zip file, since of course not everyone is interested to obtain the source code.

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  • Thanks for your answer :) I ask for "only somes applications in GPL-v2" because I read somewhere GPL-v2 and GPL-v3 are incompatible. I can't have in the same application, GPL-v2 and GPL-v3 piece of code. So, I thinked maybe I can't have GPL-v3 and GPL-v2 applications in the same "system" (same OS ?)
    – spacecodeur
    Jun 30, 2016 at 19:58
  • I wait another answer but if they go to your way, Ill valid my post with your answer :)
    – spacecodeur
    Jun 30, 2016 at 19:59
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    yes, you cannot have gpl v2 and gpl-v3 code in the same application, but there is no problem to have some gpl-v2 application along with gpl-v3 application (many distro already do this, which way more licences)
    – Gianluca
    Jun 30, 2016 at 20:01

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