Re: Is the BitKeeper network protocol documented?

David Schwartz
2003-01-18T04:48:21Z

I'm starting to think that one cannot legally use BitKeeper as the
preferred means of developing a GPLed program. The problem is, the
GPL defines the source as the preferred base to modify the software
from and requires you to be able to distribute the source without any
additional licensing requirements.

If BitKeeper is the version management tool, then BitKeeper is part
of the source by this definition. Providing the source in BK form
without BK is as useless as providing it encrypted. Providing it in
any other form does not satisfy the GPL (assuming that BK form is in
fact the preferred way of modifying it).

DS