On 09/12/2011 02:05 PM, Matt Giuca wrote:
To summarise, any iOS app, even if its source code is fully disclosed,
cannot possibly grant all of its end users the ability to reproduce
the executable, for three reasons:
1. It requires a Mac, which is not the same operating system as iOS,
2. It requires a subscription to the Apple developer program, without
which it is impossible to test on a real device,
3. It requires explicit approval from Apple, without which it is
impossible to distribute to others.
On my point 3, it may seem like I am being overly picky. (Surely it is
sufficient that the user can modify the program and test it without
the ability to distribute their modified changes to others?) But no --
point 3 is in fact essential in the Free Software Foundation's
definition of free software. From
https://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html, the final of the "four
freedoms":
"The freedom to distribute copies of your modified versions to others
(freedom 3)."
This last point is one of the main reasons the (L)GPL was written in
the first place.
For point 3, I think it fails because you can choose to distribute the
modified source code outside App Store, and it'll be available to use
for anyone who fulfils points 1. and 2.
// David
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