The requirement of the GPL is that the user must be able to get the source code if they ask for it, potentially for a small fee to cover the cost of distributio

The requirement of the GPL is that the user must be able to get the source code if they ask for it, potentially for a small fee to cover the cost of distribution. Contrary to what the document seems to imply, it doesn't mean the source needs to be up on Github. But that is a common method of complying. The document is not really clear if anyone asked them or not or what their response was. I'm not sure what you mean by philosophical vs practical. The problem is past that point and is really is not related to either of those, it's a legal problem: a user wants the source code, the license says they're entitled to receive it, but the distributor is violating the license by refusing to provide it to the user. Or at least that was my read anyway.