Re: Linux kills terrorists

[Chris Ahlstrom]

After takin' a swig o' grog, Tim Smith belched out
  this bit o' wisdom:

>
> [gnu.misc.discuss added]
>
> In article <4e75ec0c3e4b86954f67a4297a8e9047@remailer.cyberiade.it>,
>  Cyberiade.it Anonymous Remailer <anonymous@remailer.cyberiade.it> 
>  wrote:
>> Linux is used in almost all UAV's. It's reliable, completely 
>> customizable and cheap. Windows was never even considered since the 
>> U.S. air force was afraid a virus would bring down its combat planes.
>
> This raises an interesting question. Suppose Linux were used in the 
> on-board systems of a missile. Would shooting that missile at someone 
> count as a distribution of the GPLed software used in those onboard 
> systems? Is the missile required to be accompanied by a copy of the GPL?

A scenario worthy of 7, Tim.  And I mean that as a compliment.  Quite a good
chuckle!  <grin>

> Assuming that it is a distribution, and is accompanied with a written 
> offer to deliver source code in a manner customarily used for software 
> distribution, if a terrorist were to write to the missile manufacturer 
> and ask for the source, would it be acceptable to put that source code 
> in another missile and fire that at the terrorist, since that is the 
> manner the original software was distributed?

We need a munitions clause in the the GPL, now!

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