[Gllug] Hypothetical GPL question

[Steve Goodwin]

> What if you deliberately wanted to be awkward ;), had a good memory of

Oh, I like being awkward :) [This comment is Dean-bait!]

> the hex representation of machine code (or could refer to a book), and
> wrote a small program directly into the hex editor? In that 
> case the hex
> editor *would* be the preferred method for making 
> modifications, because
> the whole point of the exercise would be to be intentionally
> obstreporous (is this the right word?) in writing a program that comes
> as close as possible to the boundary condition of the GPL without
> actually crossing it.
> 
One step further...what if the intention was to write a program to help
people touch type. The program is written in such a way (using variables
like 'quickbrownfox' and 'lazydog', and functions 'jumpedover' :) that
itself is a touch typing test. Therefore, no computer stored version
_should_ be made available, making the GPL 'preferred method' being a piece
of paper with the hand written program code. (or perhaps a GIF scan would be
acceptable)

> Of course, you couldn't write a very big program this way
> (understatement) and it wouldn't be very useful, really just an
> intellectual oddity. But I still claim you could have a GPL program
> where the binary *is* the source code.
> 
Is this a good point to mention my mandelbrot generator? The prefered method
for editting is the source code formatted into a mandelbrot. Changing the
code breaks the layout, meaning you have to re-fix the layout to achieve the
programs intention - a mandelbrot that produces a mandelbrot.

Steev



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