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From: keithd@cadovax.UUCP
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: PD Boot Disks
Message-ID: <1549@cadovax.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 19-May-87 18:11:16 EDT
Article-I.D.: cadovax.1549
Posted: Tue May 19 18:11:16 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 21-May-87 06:38:02 EDT
References: <504@myrias.UUCP> <1868@cbmvax.cbmvax.cbm.UUCP> <1541@cadovax.UUCP> <2142@hoptoad.uucp> <709@unccvax.UUCP>
Reply-To: keithd@cadovax.UUCP (Keith Doyle)
Organization: Contel Business Systems, Torrance, CA
Lines: 26
Keywords: boot copyright

In article <709@unccvax.UUCP> innes@unccvax.UUCP (Norm Innes) writes:
>Carolyn's remarks refer to the distribution of *files* from the WorkBench disk.
>Consider the case, for example, where a number of public domain picture files, 
>along with a suitable display program, are copied to a newly formatted disk.
>If you then run the install command to install that disk (without copying any
>WorkBench files) you can boot the disk and run the display program from the
>default CLI that appears.  You can't do a LoadWB, of course, since you don't
>have the necessary files on that disk, nor do you have any of the usual CLI
>commands at your disposal.  You can, however, add a suitable startup command
>file (s/startup-sequence) so the disk will boot and then automatically run the
>display program. 
>
>It appears that this would satisfy many of the needs for bootable PD disks
>without infringing on copyrighted WorkBench files.

Except if you have to have the person RECEIVING the disk do the install,
instead of doing the install BEFORE making the disk public domain, you
lose all of the dumb users who don't know how to use the CLI.  And in other
words, YOU CANNOT LEGALLY DISTRIBUTE A PUBLIC DOMAIN AMIGA DISK THAT
WILL BOOT.  Even if all you want to boot to is your own little program
that dosen't use any WB files.  At least until someone can come up with
a PD version of 'install'.  Bah!

Keith Doyle
#  {ucbvax,ihnp4,decvax}!trwrb!cadovax!keithd
#  cadovax!keithd@ucla-locus.arpa  Contel Business Systems 213-323-8170