Question about GPL programs

A

Anarchonixx

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Nov 6, 2002
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I'm not sure where this would go, if anywhere, but I think this is the most appropriate place.

Anyway, I've seen plenty of sites that sell Linux distros and CDs containing GPL programs, the same ones that you can download free off their respective sites. I was wondering on the legality of this. Is it alright to do all this? Do you have to ask the companies first? Basically I'm asking if there are any restrictions to doing this.

Thanks for the responses beforehand.
 
They are charging for the cd, any packaging, postage, effort put into putting things on the cd, technical assistance, suport, warranty, anything else that is value added to the product.

You don't expect all that to be given away for free do you? People need to make money so they can eat and put a roof over their head :)
 
Yes, that is perfectly legal. If I wanted to, I could try to sell you xcdroast for $500, but I would have to provide you with the source and you could legally sell it or give it away or whatever you wanted to do with it. You could also legally get it from someone else for free instead of paying me for it. With GPL stuff, you don't have to ask permission to do anything that you have a right to do under the license.
 
This is a question that gets a lot of people, the "free" of the open source is not monetary, it means you are supposed to get the source code along with the binary package without any/additional cost.
 
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