Re: [security-discuss] gnuradio project DoS attacks GNU wget users

[Alfred M. Szmidt]

   > Works for Me.
   > 
   >   ~ $ wget http://gnuradio.org/releases/gnuradio/gnuradio-3.7.10.1.tar.gz

   If you use wget in the manner required by CloudFlare, Inc. and GNU
   Radio Foundation, Inc., indeed there is no issue.

   But some of whome embrace freedom 0 don't want to be forced to use the
   tools in a restricted capacity.  A privacy-proponent might want to use
   wget over Tor, as follows:

To use a program you have to have a copy of it, there is no obligation
(be it ethical, moral or otherwise) on the distributor that they have
to distribute a copy to you over your prefered means.

A party could require that you ID yourself with a passport before they
send you a copy of a free software program.  Though when you have
aquired that copy, you can distribute it over any other means that you
so prefer.

     "The freedom to run the program as you wish means that you are not
      forbidden or stopped from doing so."

GNU Radio abides by that, it is licensed under the GNU GPL version 3
and thus can use it for any purpose you wish.  Just because something
is free software does not mean that you must be able to get a copy of
the program.

     "a free program should come with manuals providing the same freedoms
      that the software does."

Should and must are not the same.  The Preamble sets out the purpose
of the license, i.e. a license that will see that free software can
have free documentation as well.  It does _not_ force someone to
provide said documentation, or actually distribute it as part of free
software program.

   and this is the quote supporting point 2:

     "Examples of suitable formats for Transparent copies include plain
      ASCII without markup, Texinfo input format, LaTeX input format,
      SGML or XML using a publicly available DTD, and standard-conforming
      simple HTML, PostScript or PDF designed for human modification."

These are examples, not mandates.