On 7/23/07, GerardM gerard.meijssen@gmail.com wrote:
Hoi, I have the idea that you are making projecting issues of the GPL on the GFDL. The GPL insists that you have to provide source code. As far as I can see, the GFDL does not.
The GFDL requires you to distribute transparent copies if you distribute more than 100 copies. "If you publish or distribute Opaque copies of the Document numbering more than 100, you must either include a machine-readable Transparent copy along with each Opaque copy, or state in or with each Opaque copy a computer-network location from which the general network-using public has access to download using public-standard network protocols a complete Transparent copy of the Document, free of added material."
<blockquote>A "Transparent" copy of the Document means a machine-readable copy, represented in a format whose specification is available to the general public, that is suitable for revising the document straightforwardly with generic text editors or (for images composed of pixels) generic paint programs or (for drawings) some widely available drawing editor, and that is suitable for input to text formatters or for automatic translation to a variety of formats suitable for input to text formatters.</blockquote>
Basically that is the document equivalent of "source code".
This is reasonable because a book can be published on paper under the GFDL. It is not necessary to provide a digital version as well.
If you distribute more than 100 copies, it is.