Hi Neil, > If someone were to sell a router, and were to include the offer as > part of the web GUI (e.g. in the equivalent of an "about" screen) > instead of as a piece of paper in the box, I would have thought this > would be more than acceptable: the aim of provision of the licence is > one of raising awareness.
I think I disagree. It's a long time ago now, but when I persuaded Amstrad that they had to supply the Linux kernel's source used on their E3 videophone they added the written offer into the GUI of the phone, as you suggest. The problem was, IIRC, that this part of the GUI was only accessible once the device had `phoned home' as part of its registration. IOW, dialling a premium line and passing on my phone number. That doesn't seem acceptable to me. Also, as a programmer, what if I learn of a Linux kernel binary for device A that's similar to device B that I have but not compatible enough to run the binary? Perhaps I've less RAM but want to support similar peripherals. I want to take up the written offer buried in it in order to help with B's development. It may be that I can disassemble the binary enough, e.g. the written offer is visible in the initial RAM disk, but it could be more entwined somewhere in compressed form. I shouldn't have to disassemble to get the offer of the source that means I don't have to disassemble. :-) If the source is readily available and locatable then I agree it's less important but where hoops are being put in place to jump through, such as Amstrad's `send a cheque for £25 for a CD', then a pucker written offer accompanying the binary should be more insisted upon IMHO. (The CD didn't contain matching source BTW; Amstrad claimed to be too busy to sort it out, but perhaps they didn't have it.) Cheers, Ralph.
