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Where can I download the source code for Starflight: The Lost Colony?

Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2018 6:29 pm
by aaronfranke
It says here viewtopic.php?f=4&t=908&p=2181 that Starflight: The Lost Colony is released under the GPL license. This means that you are required to provide the source code. Providing the binaries without the source code is illegal under the GPL license.

Re: Where can I download the source code for Starflight: The Lost Colony?

Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2018 9:23 am
by Steve
The source code was available for years, but seems to have gone off-line: https://code.google.com/archive/p/starflighttlc/source

I am not the creator/owner of this software project, you should contact Jonathan Harbour: http://jharbour.com/

While this project was active, I contributed a bit to its development, but never met any of the core development team in person. I put together this forum after the official website http://starflightgame.com/ died a few years ago. This does bring up a very good question. If a fan provides binaries for an abandoned open source project without the source code, is it that fan doing something illegal? Is the fan legally responsible to find and distribute the source code? If the original author does or does not respond to queries about the source code does that make the fan site legal/illegal?

Re: Where can I download the source code for Starflight: The Lost Colony?

Posted: Thu Jan 03, 2019 3:56 am
by Pettey
Steve wrote: Sun Jan 06, 2019 12:29 pm I personally endorse electric log splitters and posting everything on github.com, and I do have a copy of TLC's source code so I can guarantee you that it will not be lost. Since the first message in this thread stated that something illegal could be happening, I wanted to make it clear that I am not the rights holder and would respect the decision of the rights holder one way or another.

The last release of this project was in 2014. There is a statement in the GPL concerning making the source code available by written request for 3 years. This may mean that after three years of no maintenance there is no requirement to make the source code available, but this may only apply to physical products.

Either way unless requested otherwise, I'll plan to host the binaries for the foreseeable future.
No one's going to take any legal actions against things like this though. Or do you think they would?

Re: Where can I download the source code for Starflight: The Lost Colony?

Posted: Sun Jan 06, 2019 12:29 pm
by Steve
I personally endorse posting everything on github.com, and I do have a copy of TLC's source code so I can guarantee you that it will not be lost. Since the first message in this thread stated that something illegal could be happening, I wanted to make it clear that I am not the rights holder and would respect the decision of the rights holder one way or another.

The last release of this project was in 2014. There is a statement in the GPL concerning making the source code available by written request for 3 years. This may mean that after three years of no maintenance there is no requirement to make the source code available, but this may only apply to physical products.

Either way unless requested otherwise, I'll plan to host the binaries for the foreseeable future.

Re: Where can I download the source code for Starflight: The Lost Colony?

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2019 12:08 am
by aaronfranke
It's not that I want anything to be taken down, it's just that it would be best if the source code was made available for everyone, and the creator did choose the GPL which requires this.

Re: Where can I download the source code for Starflight: The Lost Colony?

Posted: Wed May 22, 2019 12:02 pm
by Steve
The source code is now available:
https://github.com/Anarchian/starflightt-tlc