Launchpad itself

Hosting some closed source supporting software alongside an open source project

Asked by Jukka Laurila

A clarification is needed on the exact criteria used to decide whether a project is classified open source, in the case where an otherwise open source project either depends on or can work with some closed source supporting software.

Is it permitted to host downloads of those closed source support libraries on Launchpad alongside the open source project for convenience? How about hosting a combined installer that contains a build of the open source project as well as some closed source modules? Does a single closed source blob classify the whole thing as closed source?

I asked this also in a comment on https://answers.launchpad.net/launchpad/+question/40633 but this is probably different enough to merit an item of its own.

Question information

Language:
English Edit question
Status:
Answered
For:
Launchpad itself Edit question
Assignee:
Brad Crittenden Edit question
Last query:
Last reply:
Whiteboard:
Brad, could you please look at this? mars 2008-11-24
Revision history for this message
Brad Crittenden (bac) said : 		#1

Hi Jukka,

In the situation you describe where the bulk of the project is open source, and the source code is readily available, but there is a dependency on a freely available closed-source binary then you are welcome to use Launchpad. The binary can be redistributed through Launchpad as long as there are no legal issues barring it.

Please let me know if you have further questions.

Brad Crittenden

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