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This entire thread is news to me. Just the other day I was searching the apple store for "GNU" and "GPL" and came up with almost nothing of note. So what you a

This entire thread is news to me. Just the other day I was searching the apple store for "GNU" and "GPL" and came up with almost nothing of note. So what you are saying is if I wrote, say, a game for the app store, and wanted to release it under GPLv3, Apple wouldn't approve it? Even if I provide the binaries/src on a seperate website linked from within the app but not dependent on apple in anyway whatsoever? Would it matter on the monetization scheme? eg free, one time payment, in app purchases, all with access to src to be compatible with GPL? If it's true that Apple doesn't allow GPL'd s/w in the store, I think my hatred for Apple just grew by 10,000 sizes. edit: Seems to be true, Apple store is completely at odds with GPL'd software, and potentially quite a few other licenses. https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/more-about-the-app-store-gpl-enforcement https://www.fsf.org/blogs/licensing/more-about-the-app-store...

cwyers 12y ago
> So what you are saying is if I wrote, say, a game for the app store, and wanted to release it under GPLv3, Apple wouldn't approve it? Even if I provide the binaries/src on a seperate website linked from within the app but not dependent on apple in anyway whatsoever? Well, to clarify. You, as a software author, are quite free to release your software under both the GPL and the Apple App Store. This is fine. In other words, you're distributing your software under multiple licenses. What you cannot do is distribute someone else's GPL'd code as part of your Apple App Store app, because the GPL does not give you the right to distribute the code under the App Store's conditions.
- arca_vorago 12y ago
  So this is why I can't just have a native OpenSSH client and have to install some random SSH app made by some developer I have non source access to... Thank you very much for the clarification.
  - toast0 12y ago
    OpenSSH is under a BSD license, so there shouldn't be a problem with it on the app store. However, it doesn't provide a terminal so I don't know how you would use it. It may be included in the app you installed though.
jordigh 12y ago
The GPL says, "you must grant people the right to distribute, modify, and study this... or you may not distribute it at all." The app store says, "you may not redistribute this". Those two terms are incompatible, and neither side is willing to change the terms.

cwyers 12y ago

> So what you are saying is if I wrote, say, a game for the app store, and wanted to release it under GPLv3, Apple wouldn't approve it? Even if I provide the binaries/src on a seperate website linked from within the app but not dependent on apple in anyway whatsoever? Well, to clarify. You, as a software author, are quite free to release your software under both the GPL and the Apple App Store. This is fine. In other words, you're distributing your software under multiple licenses. What you cannot do is distribute someone else's GPL'd code as part of your Apple App Store app, because the GPL does not give you the right to distribute the code under the App Store's conditions.

arca_vorago 12y ago
So this is why I can't just have a native OpenSSH client and have to install some random SSH app made by some developer I have non source access to... Thank you very much for the clarification.
- toast0 12y ago
  OpenSSH is under a BSD license, so there shouldn't be a problem with it on the app store. However, it doesn't provide a terminal so I don't know how you would use it. It may be included in the app you installed though.

jordigh 12y ago

The GPL says, "you must grant people the right to distribute, modify, and study this... or you may not distribute it at all." The app store says, "you may not redistribute this". Those two terms are incompatible, and neither side is willing to change the terms.