GPL and Vagrant

[r...@astade.de]

In my understanding of GPL you MUST NOT distribute GPL software in any binary form without offering the source code, too.

Linux and therefor e.g. Ubuntu is GPL software.
Is it legal to offer a Vagrant box for download without maintaining a download site for the source code, too?
Or is there somewhere a source code site?

I ask because I plan to offer a Vagrant box for download on my own website.
But in my personal understanding of GPL that is not possible without maintaining a source code page, too.
How do you see this?

[Mitchell Hashimoto]

Hi,

Ubuntu themselves provide official Vagrant boxes without source code in the boxes. 

I'm not a lawyer, but that seems like a blessing to do so.

Best,

Mitchell

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[r...@astade.de]

Hi Mitchel,

GPL does not ask you to provide the source code in the box. GPL just says "if you provide GPL binarys, you must provide the corresponding source code in the same way you provide the binaries.

3. You may copy and distribute the Program (or a work based on it, under Section 2) in object code or executable form under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above provided that you also do one of the following:

a) Accompany it with the complete corresponding machine-readable source code, which must be distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or,

b) Accompany it with a written offer, valid for at least three years, to give any third party, for a charge no more than your cost of physically performing source distribution, a complete machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code, to be distributed under the terms of Sections 1 and 2 above on a medium customarily used for software interchange; or,

c) Accompany it with the information you received as to the offer to distribute corresponding source code. (This alternative is allowed only for noncommercial distribution and only if you received the program in object code or executable form with such an offer, in accord with Subsection b above.)

Ubuntu (Canonical) provides the source code for all Ubuntu systems, so it's totally legal for Canonical to provide the Vagrant boxes (a binary form of the source).

But if somebody else (e.g. me) provides a box, I think, I must provide the sources myself (and cannot link to canonical for that).
This is especially true, if I do it in a commercial project.

Thomas

[Marco De Bortoli]

Hi Thomas,

if, as per my understanding, you are going to this for commercial purposes, then point 3.a or 3.b are the answer to your problem. In the latter case you will be even allowed to charge the end user for the hosting cost.

Alternatively I would recommend you to either contact the Canonical team or the GNU Project and ask them what the best course of action should be.

I hope it helps.

Best regards

Debo

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