Questions tagged [distribution]
Use this tag if the question concerns the distribution of an object, package or notice to the developer or public community.
148
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3
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0
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How Do I Publish My Java Application On Physical Media? [closed]
I have written an application in Java and my goal is to distribute my software on a disc to be sold. I understand that this is a very complex process and am willing to take it on. Any advice or ...
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2
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1
answer
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Exact attribution requirements for distributing compiled binaries depending on MIT and/or Apache 2.0 libraries
Consider an executable program whose source is licensed under the MIT and/or Apache 2.0 license and that depends (directly & indirectly) on a number of libraries written by third parties that are ...
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5
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2
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Do public foundation registered members constitute "organization" in the GPL distribution context?
From this question:
Is making and using multiple copies within one organization or company
“distribution”?
No, in that case the organization is just making the copies for
itself. As a consequence, a ...
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3
votes
0
answers
74
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Is aggregation of GPL and non-GPL software possible?
A colleague of mine is working with Matlab on a simulation of some sort. In order to enhance the simulation she needs a way of adding some additional data that can be easily generated using a GPL C++ ...
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20
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1
answer
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Does requiring users to accept the GPL before using GPL-licensed software violate the GPL?
As far as I know, you are not required to agree to the GPL to make personal use of GPL-licensed software. You are only required to agree to the GPL to redistribute the software. The GPL prohibits ...
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20
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5
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If I can't provide GPL source because a supplier did not provide it, am I at fault?
Let’s say that I paid a third-party company to develop a new application for me. I also make myself clear about the need to have the full property of the code at the end of the developing phase. I ...
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18
votes
6
answers
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Does this constitute a breach in GPL license? Article with GPL licensed software and Journal reviewer guidelines
Here is the scenario:
As a researcher you are making a modification to some GPL3-licensed software, and thus if you were to distribute the code, you would need to do this using the GPL (or a ...
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1
vote
0
answers
66
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Open Source - With Intellectual property
Recently I have been to open-source stuff and most of the time I license my projects under MIT License.
While open-sourcing projects, how do I "exclude" certain files and assets like "...
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1
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0
answers
140
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Confusion about Licenses
I have confusion about how the GNU open source licenses and QT commercial licenses.
In the QT's pricing page it says:
Can I distribute Qt binaries in conjunction with my desktop or mobile application?...
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1
vote
1
answer
348
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How to distribute licenses of linked DLL libraries along with the release?
I'm working on a side-project for C# based Windows Desktop app which depends on following two open source components (DLL libraries):
Newtonsoft JSON library - MIT license.
SQLite.NET library - ...
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0
votes
1
answer
92
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Correct license for header only library
I want to distribute a header only library and I think that the spirit of the LPGL license is very much what I want. In particular, however, I want that a 3rd party that uses my library and modifies ...
- 101
0
votes
2
answers
95
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Does every distributor of unchanged opensource software become a licensor?
I would answer the question with yes. Because:
First licensor A gives B software under opensource license. A wants to have anything to do with it anymore and is not permitted to revoke. B distributes ...
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0
votes
1
answer
198
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distributing gcc together with program
Ok so i have a project which requires gcc to work. I would like to distribute gcc binaries together with program for sake of convenience. What are legal requirements for this. Should i add copy of gcc ...
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1
vote
1
answer
177
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What is the scope and trigger of the the copyleft provision of the Common Public Attribution License v1.0 (CPAL)?
I wrote a C++ program that uses an unmodified as-is 3rd-party library that's licensed under the Common Public Attribution License v1.0 (CPAL). I want to distribute my program along with the 3rd-party ...
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1
vote
2
answers
190
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Copyleft licenses that do not mandate free distribution?
The GPL tries to guarantee that a piece of software, and all derivative versions of that software, will allow anybody to use, study, modify, and distribute the software however they choose.
I think ...
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0
votes
1
answer
200
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(L)GPL software on devices provided for internal use
As far as I understand, there can be issues with (L)GPL-licensed software in code-signing contexts where modified code is not allowed to run.
Now, suppose an organization (for example, a company or a ...
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1
vote
1
answer
232
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Selling / Providing Customers a Service on an Embedded Device with an Open Source OS
I have researched this question quite a lot on stackexchange but my thoughts are inconclusive, the different licenses involved and options by the distribution vendors are giving me a headache.
My ...
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1
vote
1
answer
104
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Using a GPL library in a separate module that's included with the main program
There's a GPL sound library I'd like to provide as an option in a game which will be released under MIT license. My plan is to create a generic, abstract audio interface in the engine, which can ...
- 113
1
vote
1
answer
90
views
LGPL and different architectures
I am in the midst of writing software using LGPL libraries, which will be part of an image for a device. Am I obliged to provide object files for different (micro)architectures than the device the ...
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3
votes
1
answer
303
views
Publishing code on github considered (re)distribution?
I wonder if publishing some code on github is considered a distribution.
According to this answer, it seems that it would be :
Yes, this is considered redistribution. If not what would?
Also, that ...
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2
votes
1
answer
254
views
Distribution of different oss libraries in the same zip file
within a project that involves distribution of software that will (on recipient side) then be flashed into a hardware component, i have to make the different libraries available under the same ...
- 141
2
votes
1
answer
66
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Free App and non free Pro app source code licensing model
I'm going to build an Android app under some open source license but I want to use this same app as a basis for a proprietary software in the future.
So I will have two softwares:
My Software
My ...
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2
votes
1
answer
61
views
How to donate a complete working project to the open source comunity?
I created a fully running application in Spring Boot that I like to share with the community of open source, so individuals can contribute to it and companies can use it.
I have few questions:
I'm ...
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5
votes
2
answers
132
views
Call GPL functionality from non-GPL interpreted code
I have code written in R, an interpreted language. The R interpreter and most R libraries are under the GPL. What are the limits upon my code, if I want to distribute it while keeping it proprietary ...
- 153
2
votes
1
answer
75
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Finding a license that prohibits distribution
I have some open-source things I’ve made, and I am trying to get a license that prohibits the redistribution of them. By this, I mean when I publish it to wherever I do, I don’t want to permit others ...
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votes
1
answer
37
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Software as both product and service?
Can someone give an example of software that is distributed as both service and product and how to classify, if i have to eventually, under one category?
8
votes
1
answer
869
views
Does importing a python package in my source code constitute redistribution of that package?
I wish to make a python package I have written publicly available on GitHub as source code. I am being advised that I should add a NOTICE detailing all the third-party packages that my code depends on....
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1
vote
1
answer
106
views
Do I have the right to the bundle that generate by / dependent on open-source libraries?
I created a project with the following structure:
The question is:
Do I have the right to the BUNDLE where I do not want clients to resell the BUNDLE they have bought?
Is it sufficient to include ...
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2
votes
1
answer
137
views
Distribute GPL software in enterprise
I am being asked to deploy Notepad++ (a software distributed under GPL) in an enterprise which is a SaaS company. Before doing so, I want to make sure our users wouldn't be violating the license in ...
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9
votes
2
answers
1k
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GPL code behind a registration form
My employer wants to publish a paper about software and make it open-source under the GPL, but they want to know who is interested and downloads it.
Is it legal to ask people to fill in a regular ...
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4
votes
1
answer
78
views
Combined distribution of open source binaries when used as program in a CLI-Script
I am planning on creating a rather small repo on github but I am not sure which license should I use. The project is basically a collection of bash, batch and powershell scripts. Those scripts invoke ...
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21
votes
6
answers
4k
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What is the standard practice when the developer does not want third party redistribution of a certain free and open source software?
I recently tried to build .deb package and a PPA for Droidcam (turns phone camera into webcam), and mentioned it in a related GitHub issue for feedback.
The developer replied
I am going to ask that ...
1
vote
1
answer
83
views
What legal considerations needs to be made for distributing a commercial/closed source software which utilizes LGPLv2 open source libraries?
I am developing a Java web application which utilizes Open source libraries with LGPLv2.0 and v2.1 libraries without any modification. For distributing this software commercially, what legal ...
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0
votes
1
answer
292
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Is it required to disclose proprietary / closed source code of commercial software which utilizes open source CDDLv1.0 libraries?
I am working on a Java server side solution utilizing open source libraries (using jars ‘as-is’) released under CDDLv1.0 license. The open source libraries is either statically or dynamically bound in ...
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2
votes
1
answer
100
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Uploading to online service and distribution
Would uploading a file, a program, a script, etc. to an online storage service without sharing it, count as distributing the file to the online service?
More specific cases of interest:
If I backup ...
- 977
4
votes
1
answer
53
views
Extending a GPL website by web service plugin
Please consider this situation.
A company modifies a GPLed website X and adds a feature to accept plugin.
Then develops a new feature as API service Y and publishes it separately. Service Y needs to ...
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2
votes
1
answer
148
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Dependencies installed via package managers
Is there any difference to provide for instance a npm package.json or to provide all the packages source code in the source code repository of the software project? What's the impact if the project ...
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2
votes
2
answers
627
views
GPL v2: what does "distribution" mean in terms of cloud apps?
I'm thinking about writing a cloud app that uses wasm-git. wasm-git is licensed under GPL v2.
Since wasm-git runs in the browser, users of my cloud app would get a copy of wasm-git when they open my ...
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2
votes
1
answer
316
views
NDA over code that includes GPLv3 headers
Suppose there is a piece of software that uses GPLv3 headers, but the code that includes said headers is not under the GPLv3 itself, but rather a GPL-compatible license, say MIT Expat. Thus the binary ...
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6
votes
1
answer
1k
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Does a program need to show the open source license (Apache 2.0) of its components?
The Apache 2.0 license defines (emphasis added):
"Work" shall mean the work of authorship, whether in Source or Object form, made available under the License, as indicated by a copyright notice ...
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3
votes
3
answers
221
views
Releasing the source code of a premium feature for another open program
If I use a compiled program/non compiled source code which is under a license that everyone has the rights do use and sell (Eg: GPL) and no one can deny any person to use or sell it and then I want to ...
1
vote
2
answers
186
views
Why don't we have a full-fledged alternative for the Android OS?
Why can't we have a mobile operating system and applciation store that is independent of any country's current political views? It would be an alternative of Google's Android OS. Or if it exists, why ...
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8
votes
1
answer
3k
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MIT-licensed app without the source code
There is one very cool app on GitHub, under the MIT license. However, for some reason, the author has not published the source code, only binaries.
Is it allowed under the MIT license to provide ...
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2
votes
1
answer
96
views
Any lasting licensing implications from previously used, subsequently dropped library dependencies or usage licenses?
I will start off with this excerpt from Qt's legal faq to give some context:
3.13. I have started development of a product using the open source version of Qt, can I now purchase a commercial ...
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3
votes
1
answer
352
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Distribution of Python modules
I've been thinking about create a couple of python-based applications and distributing them for free.
My applications will be only for Windows since it is the system I use personally. What I am ...
user17257
6
votes
1
answer
1k
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How does Javascript minification process comply with requirements of opensource licenses
Let's take React framework for example.
During the minification process, all the code is modified and put in a single minified file also stripped of licenses.
As far as I understand, as required by ...
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5
votes
1
answer
534
views
Using Oracle VirtualBox Base Package for Commercial Applications
The VirtualBox Base Package is licensed under the GNU General Public License, version 2.
My company is distributing software that runs on an Ubuntu system within a VirtualBox VM. We have not modified ...
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3
votes
1
answer
166
views
Need help understanding GNU LGPL terms
I'm a new developer and recently have to work on project where I guess using arduino lib will be easy, because writing my own library will be a lot more time consuming. This isn't a mass production ...
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3
votes
1
answer
185
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Community and enterprise editions of LGPL software
Red Hat has community and enterprise editions of it's application server. WildFly is licensed under LGPL. JBoss EAP is based on WildFly and costs a lot of money.
How is it possible that they don't ...
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22
votes
5
answers
8k
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GPLv3 forces us to make code available, but to whom?
I've read that GPLv3 imposes that we should make the source code of our app available.
But, available to whom?
In case we sell our GPLv3 software, does it mean we have to make it available to those ...
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