Questions of Legality

[MarioMasta64]

these are four .dll files that i need for an application im distributing:
msvcp120.dll
msvcp140.dll
msvcr120.dll
vcruntime140.dll
questions:
1. is it okay to redistribute these with my projects?
2. is it okay to host the files ready for my project to download?
anyone can answer.
although proof (such as an article or such) would make me feel better about the answer.

 

[Kioku]

Or you could have whomever is receiving this app download the proper app through the proper channels? I don't think it's illegal.

C++ through Microsoft BTW

 

[MarioMasta64]

Or you could have whomever is receiving this app download the proper app through the proper channels? I don't think it's illegal.

C++ through Microsoft BTW

thats what im doing. i know what it is. and all my projects download the needed binaries from their site. so thats a "i dont think its wrong but im not sure" right?

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Or you could have whomever is receiving this app download the proper app through the proper channels? I don't think it's illegal.

C++ through Microsoft BTW

and because c++ is required to be installed as admin is why i wish to just download the needed .dll from a server i set up. but im not sure the legality of such a thing.

 

[Boogieboo6]

It's free software, so I don't see why it would be illegal. The worst that could happen would be a C&D and that one particular project gets taken down, right? I don't think Microsoft's going to care about a little free project or fine you a small loan of a million dollars.

 

[MarioMasta64]

It's free software, so I don't see why it would be illegal. The worst that could happen would be a C&D and that one particular project gets taken down, right? I don't think Microsoft's going to care about a little free project or fine you a small loan of a million dollars.

so then im thinking from the responses i just have my binary download another binary specifically to install the needed .dll (so that if the project that downloads the .dll files gets taken down the original project will still stay) as an option. (say something like... "choose me if the program complains about .dll files" something like that) also all .dll files get installed to system32 right? (im considering making a checker but i think itd be risky .3.)

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on another note. i could maybe find out how vcredist works and extract the needed files manually but it'd be alot more work than youd think. .3.

 

[Boogieboo6]

so then im thinking from the responses i just have my binary download another binary specifically to install the needed .dll (so that if the project that downloads the .dll files gets taken down the original project will still stay) as an option. (say something like... "choose me if the program complains about .dll files" something like that) also all .dll files get installed to system32 right? (im considering making a checker but i think itd be risky .3.)

That's a good idea, but I meant that you could just do what you want and Microsoft wouldn't really care because you're not charging for the project and the project isn't super mega popular and won't attract their attention. If it somehow did get their attention, I think at worst you'd get a C&D to get your project taken down. That's even if they care at all!

 

[MarioMasta64]

and if i do that i would need to download binaries which on a slow connection is terrible.

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That's a good idea, but I meant that you could just do what you want and Microsoft wouldn't really care because you're not charging for the project and the project isn't super mega popular and won't attract their attention. If it somehow did get their attention, I think at worst you'd get a C&D to get your project taken down. That's even if they care at all!

ill create a seperate binary to download the .dll files instead of including it with the portable application and ill make it not run automatically (so if it gets taken down the binary will still function)

 

[MarioMasta64]

i made the file. by choosing a in the menu of the projects (currently being revamped see https://gbatemp.net/threads/portableeverything-for-all.465297/ for more details) it will download the launcher from here: https://github.com/MarioMasta64/DLLDownloaderPortable to get the dll files so that incase this gets taken down the programs will still run (youll just have to find .dll files manually)

 

[MarioMasta64]

well this is officially a thing: https://github.com/MarioMasta64/DLLDownloaderPortable not sure how github or microsoft will respond to it. but hey it exists

 

[Joom]

I'd say that this actually isn't a good idea as the official redistributable packages incorporate themselves into Windows Update. Just downloading individual DLLs results in outdated binaries unless you as the purveyor can keep up with the original developer's upstream. Honestly, including the option to install the redistributable in your installer or package (like most developers do) would be more practical.

 

[Boogieboo6]

I'd say that this actually isn't a good idea as the official redistributable packages incorporate themselves into Windows Update. Just downloading individual DLLs results in outdated binaries unless you as the purveyor can keep up with the original developer's upstream. Honestly, including the option to install the redistributable in your installer or package (like most developers do) would be more practical.

That means you have to be an admin to install them though, right? And the portability of this means it can be used anywhere even without admin privilege.

 

[MarioMasta64]

I'd say that this actually isn't a good idea as the official redistributable packages incorporate themselves into Windows Update. Just downloading individual DLLs results in outdated binaries unless you as the purveyor can keep up with the original developer's upstream. Honestly, including the option to install the redistributable in your installer or package (like most developers do) would be more practical.

thats what i did. did you not see my post?

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That means you have to be an admin to install them though, right? And the portability of this means it can be used anywhere even without admin privilege.

and thats why i used the .dll specificly and you seem to get my point

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I'd say that this actually isn't a good idea as the official redistributable packages incorporate themselves into Windows Update. Just downloading individual DLLs results in outdated binaries unless you as the purveyor can keep up with the original developer's upstream. Honestly, including the option to install the redistributable in your installer or package (like most developers do) would be more practical.

also the downloaded .dll havent gotten updates in like forever. and the files can easily be interchanged. also i dont include it because of reasons i state above. i can get not reading threads but this thread is short.

 

[Joom]

Sorry, I was at work when I made my post so that's why I only read the OP.

 

[MarioMasta64]

Sorry, I was at work when I made my post so that's why I only read the OP.

its fine. i do the same thing sometimes xD but i try my best to get a grasp of things before i reply. i usually only go on the temps when i got time to burn.

 

[th3_r3v]

A fairly generally accepted knowledge is if it's m$ft, it's proprietary and illegal to repurpose or redistribute.

You need to have open source licenses like MIT, Linux, GNU, FreeBSD, etc. These have clear distributive freedoms written on included LICENSE file or commented statement at the top of the file/script you'd like to use. It's pretty B&W...

 

[MarioMasta64]

A fairly generally accepted knowledge is if it's m$ft, it's proprietary and illegal to repurpose or redistribute.

You need to have open source licenses like MIT, Linux, GNU, FreeBSD, etc. These have clear distributive freedoms written on included LICENSE file or commented statement at the top of the file/script you'd like to use. It's pretty B&W...

if they werent okay. why would they be included in a binary install called "vcredist" aka "visual c redistrubitable" all dll files included in the package can be used in a project. if youre saying i should include a license then sure. but i did alot of my own research into this too. and its okay to redistribute the binaries im hosting.

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A fairly generally accepted knowledge is if it's m$ft, it's proprietary and illegal to repurpose or redistribute.

You need to have open source licenses like MIT, Linux, GNU, FreeBSD, etc. These have clear distributive freedoms written on included LICENSE file or commented statement at the top of the file/script you'd like to use. It's pretty B&W...

nothings being repurposed either its the full unmodified redistrubitable binary.

 

[jsa]

Just bundle the redistributable and have the user install it silently -- if this isn't an option then yes you should be fine extracting the DLLs from the redist at runtime

 

[MarioMasta64]

Just bundle the redistributable and have the user install it silently -- if this isn't an option then yes you should be fine extracting the DLLs from the redist at runtime

i could do that. but would require downloading a 350mb file @-@ this is supposed to be as portable as possible. if i require to do this i will. until then i will host them seperately so that the main project still works and its optional. if i need to include a license i will. also the main demographic of people who'd use my projects wont have admin privs. ill look more into it tho.

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Just bundle the redistributable and have the user install it silently -- if this isn't an option then yes you should be fine extracting the DLLs from the redist at runtime

or actually vcredist isnt that big.. but i dont think it has command line params like dxsdk does. does it?

 

[jsa]

i could do that. but would require downloading a 350mb file @-@ this is supposed to be as portable as possible. if i require to do this i will. until then i will host them seperately so that the main project still works and its optional. if i need to include a license i will. also the main demographic of people who'd use my projects wont have admin privs. ill look more into it tho.

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or actually vcredist isnt that big.. but i dont think it has command line params like dxsdk does. does it?

There's a /quiet flag
Check out this MSDN page: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms235299.aspx
According to that you should be okay to redistribute just the DLLs though it's not recommended

Update: I checked the license, here's what it says:

Visual C++ Runtime Files
Subject to the License Terms for the software, you may copy and distribute with your program any of the files within the followng folder and its subfolders except as noted below. You may not modify these files.

• C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\VC\redist

You may not distribute the contents of the following folders:

• C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\VC\redist\debug_nonredist
• C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\VC\redist\onecore\debug_nonredist

Subject to the License Terms for the software, you may copy and distribute the following files with your program in your program’s application local folder or by deploying them into the Global Assembly Cache (GAC):

VC\atlmfc\lib\mfcmifc80.dll
VC\atlmfc\lib\amd64\mfcmifc80.dll

So basically, yes you can, and if you have Visual Studio installed you'll find the DLLs in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio XX.X\VC\redist or C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio XX.X\VC\redist

 

[MarioMasta64]

There's a /quiet flag
Check out this MSDN page: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms235299.aspx
According to that you should be okay to redistribute just the DLLs though it's not recommended

Update: I checked the license, here's what it says:


So basically, yes you can, and if you have Visual Studio installed you'll find the DLLs in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio XX.X\VC\redist or C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio XX.X\VC\redist

oh nice ^~^ this makes everything alot easier