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I am working on a social networking platform using a database wrapper released under GPL. I'm fairly new to using open source software, so I'm not sure what would require me to release my source code.

From my understanding, if the code is modified and distributed, the modified code must be released. I am planning on adding to the db wrapper, and the social networking platform will be a public, for-profit website. However, since I'm not distributing the actual code itself, will I need to release my modified code?

A. Fenske
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If your code is a derived work of the GPL code it must be released.

If your code incorporates the GPL code, modified or not, it is (almost certainly) a derived work. The question is a little different if the database wrapper is an LGPL library.

Martin Beckett
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  • It sounds like the OP is not planning to distribute any derivative works, only use them to run a web site. In that case, no releasing of code is necessary -- this is exactly the reason that the AGPL was created. – wjl May 03 '16 at 01:29
  • This is simply wrong. You only need to distribute the source code to those people whom you distribute the binaries to. If you don't have a binary, you have no right to the source code. If you don't distribute the binaries, you don't need to distribute anything. (Actually, you don't need to *distribute* the source *at all*, you only need to *offer* to do so – it's up to recipient if he wants to take you up on that offer or not.) – Jörg W Mittag May 03 '16 at 11:38