On Tue, Feb 19, 2008 at 11:22:04PM +0100, Kurt Roeckx wrote:
> On Tue, Feb 19, 2008 at 10:50:23AM +0100, Bas Wijnen wrote:
> > As a sidestep, I think this target may actually be legally required for
> > GPL (at least 2 and 3) licenced code.  They say
> > 
> >     For an executable work, complete source code means all the
> >     source code for all modules it contains, plus any associated
> >     interface definition files, plus the scripts used to control
> >     compilation and installation of the executable.
> > (version 2), and
> >     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 the object code and to modify the work,
> >     including scripts to control those activities.
> > (version 3).
> > 
> > In other words, build rules to generate the binary from source must be
> > present.
> 
> The GPL does not require us to build anything.  Just that the source
> are available.

Yes.  But in "source" any scripts needed to build it are included.  So
having a debian/rules target which can generate configure, and not
running it, is fine.  Not having it is a violation of the license
AFAICS.

> I would also like to point out this exception from the autoconf license:

This is about configure itself.  It means that autoconf may be used to
generate a configure for a non-GPL project.  It doesn't mean that using
autoconf is a way to avoid having to follow the GPL on a project's
source.

Thanks,
Bas

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