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Questions tagged [source-code]

Source Code is a human-readable collection of instructions in a programming language used to produce a computer program.

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10 votes
3 answers
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Is it allowed to use web APIs exposed in open-source code?

I often find web projects on GitHub where the author has included their private web API in the code. Is it reasonable to use the author's publicly available web API from the perspective of community ...
Miller's user avatar
  • 103
4 votes
1 answer
68 views

NuGet and LGPL libraries

We're creating software written on the .NET platform. As such, we're obviously heavily reliant on the NuGet package manager. Some of these packages are LGPL (2.1, 3) licensed. As this other question ...
Martin Ba's user avatar
  • 571
3 votes
1 answer
130 views

Is it legal to reverse engineer source from an Apache-2.0 licensed binary, and redistribute that source?

I've recently discovered a tool that is distributed binary-only under the Apache-2.0 license. The authors are clear and explicit that the tool is not "open source" (there is no source code ...
Peter's user avatar
  • 175
2 votes
0 answers
69 views

How to open-source code for an ebook-style iOS Qt app but retain control of the content? [duplicate]

Years ago (whenever Qt 5.7 was current), as a contractor I developed a closed source tablet app for a company with (at the time) a commercial license for Qt (they assigned me a license seat). The app ...
timday's user avatar
  • 121
13 votes
1 answer
3k views

Hypothetical: FOSS License for Compiler with Ken Thompson's "Trusting Trust" backdoor

About a year ago, I made a modified copy of the Tiny C Compiler, which is licensed under LGPL-2.1. Using the techniques described in Ken Thompson's talk and paper titled "Reflections on Trusting ...
Eli Minkoff's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
96 views

Using a FOSS license for binaries created in a hex editor

For about a year and a half, I have been working on a creating series of minimal ELF executables that print terminal control escape sequences to clear the screen. My workflow is a bit backwards - ...
Eli Minkoff's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
137 views

Why don't people want to pay/donate for my software?

Apologies if this is no the correct forum for my question - it looked like good fit though! I have some software ( www.rgraph.net ) that I used to sell - thus it was commercial. This was OK for a few ...
Richard's user avatar
  • 117
7 votes
1 answer
512 views

Is the GNU All-Permissive License suitable for source code?

Text of the GNU All-Permissive License (also known as the "FSF All Permissive License"): Copying and distribution of this file, with or without modification, are permitted in any medium ...
Flux's user avatar
  • 743
3 votes
2 answers
433 views

Can CC-BY-SA code be removed from a larger code base and not have the remaining code bear the CC-BY-SA license?

My understanding of the CC-BY-SA is that if you use a snippet of CC-BY-SA code in a larger project, not only must you reveal the source code of your entire project, but you must also brand the entire ...
NextNightFlyer's user avatar
7 votes
2 answers
757 views

Can I accept donations under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0?

There is a repository of code that I would like to use to run a website. The code is under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) license, as the ...
K. LeBlanc's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
1k views

Open source program - commercial compiler?

If a program is licensed under GPL, I have the right to receive the source code along with the binary. But what if only commercial (non-free) compilers exist to compile the code? This would make it ...
J Fabian Meier's user avatar
-5 votes
1 answer
185 views

License for JavaScript which doesn't permit minification? [closed]

I'm writing a JavaScript library and am wondering how I could license it such that developers/user: must include the license (or a link to it) can't minify the source code, but must include it as-is ...
EoghanM's user avatar
  • 91
2 votes
2 answers
126 views

copyrights when learning from licensed code and then applying that knowledge to write your own code

When learning from different sources, some of which license their code, is re-applying those techniques and/or knowledge in my own projects considered copyright infringement
Noureddine Debiane's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
293 views

Is it a GPL violation to provide source code in a format that can only be opened or "compiled" with non-free software?

Looking through the GPL FAQ, there is the question of if you can use the GPL license for non-software products, as long as it is clear what constitutes the source code. Of course, that does not mean ...
cat40's user avatar
  • 161
8 votes
2 answers
2k views

Does modified server code, used in public website development, which is originally available under GPL2 have to be released to the public?

To be precise, I am referring to MySql source code which is available under GPL2. I want to make certain modifications in the code which is actually for some custom requirement. The modified MySql ...
Sunny's user avatar
  • 183
2 votes
1 answer
114 views

As author of AGPL / GPL project, do I need to keep previous versions, or only current one?

As author of AGPL / GPL project, do I need to keep previous versions, or only current one? For example I made and published 50 versions of the project (via git). Can I delete previous modifications ...
user51616516516511's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
251 views

Is data part of corresponding source for GPL 3?

The GPL3 defines correspond source as the following: The “Corresponding Source” for a work in object code form means all the source code needed to generate, install, and (for an executable work) run ...
Max Xiong's user avatar
  • 1,077
5 votes
1 answer
193 views

Are Source-code-based Open Educational Resources and CC-Licenses Incompatible?

For my post, I assume that for software developers or authors of educational texts, an important part of choosing the proper license for their work is attribution: as the original author, I would want ...
el_tenedor's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
217 views

API source code has a dependency with BSD license

I have an API that I use for commercial purposes. I find out today that I have dependencies with licence types: BSD (3-Clause), BSD, Apache, and MIT. I am confused as the BSD (3-Clause) license states ...
Hector Ricardo's user avatar
-4 votes
1 answer
553 views

Structuring C libraries [closed]

In the past years, I wrote much C source code, parts of which might also be useful to others. So I would like to restructure this code in a way such that it makes sense to publish it on Github and ...
Kolodez's user avatar
  • 95
2 votes
1 answer
787 views

MIT License technicalities and compatibility with Apache 2.0

I'm working on a FOSS project and would very much prefer to release it under MIT license. To consider, it is a C program, using a MIT licensed library, a MIT licensed executable packaged in the files, ...
epodegrid's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
255 views

Is the PDF output of LaTeX code licensed under GPLv3 also covered?

I have seen the similar question here Does "the GPL doesn't cover the ouput of a program" also apply if...... However, I think the use of LaTex to write a book with code examples that were ...
Devon  Oliver's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
492 views

Consequences of html files being under GPL license

This is about consequences of html files being under GPL license (v2 or v3). I am aware that it is not recommended to apply the GPL license to documentation. However, a typical use case is that a blog ...
stewori's user avatar
  • 183
-3 votes
1 answer
180 views

coding rules in the linux kernel

A rumor states that some person perhaps named Arpan Mukherjee has contributed some coding rules inside Linux kernel. If you did met that person, please tell (e.g. by email to [email protected]) ...
Basile Starynkevitch's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
296 views

Can I sell an Electron application that use a library under Eclipse Public License 1.0 without disclosing the source code of the entire app?

I want to sell an Electron desktop application that uses a JS library under the Eclipse Public License 1.0 license. One of the conditions is to "disclose source". It's not totally clear to ...
tigrou's user avatar
  • 121
0 votes
1 answer
1k views

How to give attribution to media that is used in game

I downloaded a audio clip licensed under Attribution 3.0 (it literally just said "license: Attribution 3.0"). I am using this in a JavaScript game. Where should the attribution go? Can I do ...
hotwisp's user avatar
  • 351
5 votes
2 answers
146 views

I accidentally left a crude, personally-insulting debug print line in a public pull request

It was left there for four hours before I discovered it. Obviously, I fixed that with a force push. What else can I (or should I) do?
Cecilia Chen's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
106 views

Can I distribute a LGPLv2.1 derivative work whose source code doesn't compile?

Section 4 of the LGPLv2.1 gives me permission to distribute a "work based on the Library" in object code form, provided that I also distribute "complete corresponding machine-readable ...
Criticizing Israel not allowed's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
834 views

If I use a mobile app that fetches data from a website under GPLv2+ is the app also under GPL?

I am currently programming a mobile app that is not under the GPL. However, the mobile app correspond with a website that is under GPL Version 2 or higher. In my case the mobiel app send request via ...
Vincent Musk's user avatar
8 votes
1 answer
4k views

Can I sell UNMODIFIED Open source software without providing the actual source code?

Since everyone can sell open source software, modified or unmodified, at any price, under GPL and MPL as long as I know, can I do it without providing the source code since the recipients are just &...
jayjay19's user avatar
  • 101
3 votes
1 answer
123 views

Do you have to be mark the changes when modifying code under MIT, Apache2.0 or BSD?

I'm currently programming a Flutter mobile app and a website. I use code from the MIT license on the website and the app. In the app I also use code under the Apache 2.0 license and the BSD 3 clause. ...
Vincent Musk's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
835 views

google_font license (Apache2.0) has no Copyright what to do?

I'm currently programming an app with flutter and have already listed all the licenses I use from the packages on an individual license page in the Settings. I also used the google_font package. ...
Vincent Musk's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
859 views

What counts as derivative work in GPL-3.0?

So there's this app which is licensed under GPL-3.0 and there is a piece of code in that application that I like to use. My app is not by any way a copy/modification of the this app. Since the two ...
MrPancakes39's user avatar
-1 votes
1 answer
60 views

The official node.js deb package repository has no source packages, is it a license breach?

Recently I tried to download the official node.js source debian packages, as described here. For my largest surprise, their source repositories are simply empty (although they are part of their ...
peterh's user avatar
  • 1,006
3 votes
1 answer
254 views

Explicit linkage of GCC STL source code in end user's code - GPLv3 + GCC runtime exception

My question is related to GPLv3 and GCC runtime exception. I need to include GCC source code in my project. I am an author of an embedded library that is intended to be built using GCC C++ compiler ...
Piotr Grygorczuk's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
2k views

What counts as disclosing source for software licenses?

MPL v2, GPL v3 and other licenses alike require giving users access to source code. Having read both licenses, I did not come across specific examples of how to disclose source code, so my question is ...
Programmer's user avatar
3 votes
1 answer
288 views

Choosing a license in Arduino environment

I wrote a C++ library for Arduino. The source code have the following specificities: it includes headers, uses functions, macros, and structures/classes (and their methods) from LGPL libraries (...
Wind's user avatar
  • 73
5 votes
1 answer
172 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 ...
Keith Russell's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
939 views

How to reuse code in GitHub without passing other code as mine?

I'm doing my first real project on Github (in Python) and I'm using functions from two other repos (which I'll call foo and bar) as well as rewriting some of their modules. I have two options. Option ...
Scarbo's user avatar
  • 53
2 votes
0 answers
81 views

does anyone know the location of Oracle's 3 different berkeley db source code repositories? [closed]

The Oracle corporation states that their 3 Berkeley DB family products Berkeley DB, Berkeley DB Java Edition and Berkeley DB XML are each offered under the OSS Affero General Public License. I have to ...
Andy Glick's user avatar
-2 votes
1 answer
142 views

Is the entire beta/release candidate process of open source projects mostly just "for show"?

This risks offending some. I don't mean to. I'm seriously wondering about this. And it's not at all specifically about PHP; it's just that this is such a major, critical software project which is ...
Skeeter's user avatar
  • 25
12 votes
4 answers
5k views

Is a software open source if its source code is published by its copyright owner but cannot be used without a commercial license? [duplicate]

Suppose I wrote a commercial program, and I publish its complete source code on my website. I retain all rights to the source code. No one gets any distribution or usage rights. They only have the ...
Flux's user avatar
  • 743
2 votes
1 answer
463 views

Transpiled Source-Code License & Copyright Holder

Can Transpiled Output Source-Code Have Different License And Different Copyright Holder Than Input Source-Code ? Prj-A──>─┬─>Prj-TP──>────┬─>Prj-┐ (Apache) │(Python-to-C++)│ TP │ ...
atErik's user avatar
  • 123
15 votes
2 answers
2k views

What license can I use for source code in an (e)book, that does not restrict binary distribution?

I'm writing an eBook (perhaps to be published physically one day) on the topic of programming. As such, it contains many coding samples. I want to expressly allow readers to copy the source code of ...
Flimzy's user avatar
  • 469
6 votes
1 answer
1k views

Is Google's Chrome web browser truly open source?

I have been trying to understand if Google's Chrome web browser is truly open source. Some people claim that it is, while others claim that it integrates binary blobs for which the source is ...
Amazon Dies In Darkness's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
226 views

Are there examples of the free software which are available to run and copy as gratis but source code is being sold?

Think of the software which is being distributed in following way: Available to download gratis and giving the freedom to run the software for any purpose as you wish, the freedom to redistribute ...
Pandya's user avatar
  • 2,102
3 votes
1 answer
109 views

NAS vendor modified rsync with own options; can I ask for the source code?

My NAS has an app which includes a modified version of rsync version 3.1.3 with additional options: --XXXX-mode=mode 0:Normal, 1:XXXXXX, 2:USB copy 3:HD copy USB --check-dest ...
NASUser's user avatar
  • 31
2 votes
1 answer
162 views

Do I need to include the licence for part of a program, which I have modified?

The X window manager dwm is designed to be customised by copying its default configuration config.def.h (which is supplied, along with the program's source code, under the MIT/X consortium licence) ...
C Ren's user avatar
  • 121
4 votes
2 answers
3k views

License of code generated by a code generator

I am wondering under what license the code generated by a code generator that generates code from conditional code templates would fall under. Would it be possible to release the generator's source ...
Klemen's user avatar
  • 181
2 votes
1 answer
319 views

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 ...
dsm's user avatar
  • 43