Releasing an app using the CUPS source code

Michael Sweet mike at easysw.com
Tue May 12 20:08:20 PDT 2009


Alex Cohen wrote:
> If one were to release an app on an Apple OS that uses the the source code for CUPS without any modifications, would one need to also release the source code to that Application?

OK, so if you mean you have an application that essentially bundles
your own build of CUPS then you would, under the terms of the GPL, be
required to either include for free or later provide for a reasonable
fee (cost of media and shipping) the CUPS source.  If this is what you
plan to do, please talk with me offline - it is legally OK but
installing different CUPS builds on any Mac OS X release is a support
nightmare.

If you are linking to specific source files, the answer depends on
*which* source files you link to.  Files from libcups or libcupsimage,
as well as the backend and sample filter sources generally do not
require a source release - the key bit is the sentence:

     This file is subject to the Apple OS-Developed Software exception.

If you are linking to a source file that does not have this sentence
at the top, you will need to provide source code.

-- 
______________________________________________________________________
Michael Sweet, Easy Software Products           mike at easysw dot com




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