Re: Distributing LilyPond

[David Kastrup]

Gilberto Agostinho <address@hidden> writes:

> Hello LilyPonders,
>
> I am currently writing my thesis on algorithmic music and I use LilyPond
> with all the programs that I wrote (used as examples in my thesis).
> Basically, I created a kind of a Fortran library of subroutines that are
> summoned in a Fortran code but output LilyPond sintax in a .LY file, thus to
> run my programs the user necessarily need to have LilyPond installed on his
> computer. 
> I will add a CD to my thesis with all the codes and programs mentioned in my
> text, and the ideal thing would be if I could also add LilyPond 2.18.0 in
> the same CD, so any person checking it would not have to look for it
> anywhere else. Also, my codes work with the version 2.18.0, but who knows
> how they will handle future versions, so it makes even more sense to have it
> added in the CD (of course anyone can download older versions in LilyPond's
> website, but this just makes things more difficult for the average reader
> who is not familiar at all with LilyPond). So my question is: would it be
> all right if I would also add the LilyPond installer in this CD? 
> And just to be clear: I mention on my text that all examples I used were
> compiled with LilyPond and I also give the link to www.lilypond.org,
> mentioning that it is a free program part of the GNU project.

The GPLv3 also demands to include the corresponding source code (or a
written offer valid for at least three years yaddayaddayadda and other
options that would mean a continued responsibility) on the medium.  I am
not sure what the GUB (which generates the installer) conditions are
(can't consistently be GPLv3 when at the same time bundling externally
provided binaries).  If you include the corresponding source tarball of
the correct LilyPond version, you can at least compile a version of
LilyPond up to compiling all the examples on a suitable platform.
I doubt that anybody really worried all too much about the bonafide
state of all the GUB-generated binary installers we distribute through
our website.  As long as you include the basic sourceball, you'll not
have dirtier hands than we do.

All the best

-- 
David Kastrup