Siju George wrote: > Hi, > > I been asked about > > http://www.openbsd.org/faq/faq3.html#ISO > > How is the Layout defined??? > > maybe Nick or Theo or some other responsible person could give an > authoritative answer so I can give it back to the person who asked me. > If the md5 sum of the ISO image of a custom made OpenBSD CD is > different form that of the md5 sum of the ISO image of official CDROM > then can it be considered different in lay out???
uh, no. If you publish a book, and I duplicate it in every way EXCEPT that I change one character in one location, or the color of the cover, or insert a page with the text, "THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT (almost) BLANK", I can argue that it is a different book (different md5!), but I suspect you would feel cheated, and the courts would probably agree. If you start from the official CD set and try to "change" it, maybe someone somewhere can give you a guide as to how much change would have to take place to make it "safe", but I think you would be clearly violating the spirit if all you can say about your work is, "here is my CD, it is just like the OpenBSD disk, except different". HOWEVER, if you start "fresh", and with different criteria, you will be very likely "safe". Some of the criteria the OpenBSD project uses includes shipping as many CD-useful platforms, with the most common packages that would be of use in a coherent way, and put it all on three CDs. I suspect that would not be YOUR criteria. Change your criteria to something like "single platform" or "single media" or "All platforms" or "All Packages" or "DVD media", put it together in the BEST WAY that fits that criteria, and you suddenly end up with something that is very useful and clearly different. In short, if you are wondering if you are too close, you probably are. If you spent some time and effort to put something together that has some of your own thought and planning, you might be just fine. (heh. funny how one's life flashes before one's eyes when interpreting the words of Theo. Be forewarned, Theo has NOT named me his official spokesperson -- you can follow my guideline to the letter, but I won't be the one jumping down your throat. :) Nick.
