On Mon, Jun 27, 2011 at 1:24 PM, Galkowski, Jan <jgalkows@akamai.com> wrote:

> I wondered if there were standard practices in CRAN for delivery of R
> source implementing functions in R packages. I has encountered a couple of
> packages where the gzipped version of source contains very little, primarily
> the Help files describing the functions in the package. In some cases I can
> find the source as the value of the function name.
>
> Given that these packages are released as GPL, oughtn't the unoptimized
> source be freely available, hopefully with comments? Am I missing something?
> Is there a central place other than mirrors where such source is retained?
> Sourceforge?


I'm not a lawyer but as I understand the various versions of the GPL the
requirement is that that source code be made available to whom ever asks
(though we all seem to take that to mean that the software is provided  in
source form). The provider may request coverage of costs for distributing
the source code; I vaguely remember that such a charge is to be "at cost"
rather than prohibitive but it has been many years since I last bothered to
read the text of the GPL. Also I don't ever remember reading a clause in the
GPL as to the source being commented at all.

CRAN may impose additional criteria over and above those of the GPLs. Again
I don't recall reading any such criteria being imposed.

I'm assuming from what you wrote about value that the zipped files contains
an executable version of the package that you can use. Anything else is
surely a condition of the GPL but the provision of source with the package
not a requirement.

Regards, Trevor.

<>< Re: deemed!

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