Thread: On the massive success of the Nokia Innovators contest at bringing us quality N900 software
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Wikiwide is offline Wikiwide
2010-10-23 , 00:02
Posts: 2,006 | Thanked: 3,351 times | Joined on Jun 2010 @ N900: Battery low. N950: torx 4 re-used once and fine; SIM port torn apart
#94
Originally Posted by benny1967 View Post
oh come on. assuming fabien gives you the source for his application, too, we have the source packages in extras and fabiens source. no difference there.
Maybe, Fabien will send source only to people who (EDIT: --bought the binary and-- buying the binary isn't necessary) specifically requested source. He has right to do so.

While source from extras is available to everybody, without requesting it from the developer.

Originally Posted by benny1967 View Post
source packages don't appear magically; they're not shown in the application manager. you have to know that they're there and search for them.
It's a shortcoming of application manager. With command line, it's equally easy to install an application and to get its source.

Originally Posted by benny1967 View Post
(extras has a non-free section, too. not everything you download from extras needs to be free software.)
I know. Batterygraph is non-free, for instance.

Originally Posted by benny1967 View Post
a respective notice in the about-box is helpful. fabien at least gives users a hint... those who know what the gpl is and what it means.
Yes, stating license in About is a good practice.

Originally Posted by benny1967 View Post
other applications lack such information. so how are they better?
QStarDict (free),
mstopwatch (free),
Sudoku Solver (???),
Simple Qt Editor (free),
phototranslator (free),
orrery (free),
FM Radio (free),
case (free),
PeQersi (free),
Faster Application Manager (free),
MyPaint (free),
Pen Pen (free),
mbarcode (free),
Front View (non-free),
metre (???),
modrana (free),
location test (non-free)
don't seem to state their licenses clearly either.

Irreco, swappolube, Stellarium, ShipsRolling state clearly their GPL license.

Yes, majority of applications don't state the license clearly. But it doesn't prevent you from getting the source, if you want to.
Last edited by Wikiwide; 2010-10-23 at 04:39. Reason: EDIT: buying the binary isn't necessary; any third party can request source code of GPL software, if the source code is distributed separately from binaries