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Apps licensed under the GNU GPL are not allowed in the App Store (Mac or iOS) because Apple's terms and the terms of the GPL are mutually incompatible.

Could this problem be bypassed by releasing a non-GPL dummy application which simply downloads and installs the GPL application? Would Apple accept such an application?

If necessary, the dummy app could be marketed as a "downloader" or "updater" for the GPL app.

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HullCityFan852
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1 Answers1

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This is not possible. Apps can't download other apps.

2.5.2 Apps should be self-contained in their bundles, and may not read or write data outside the designated container area, nor may they download, install, or execute code, including other iOS, watchOS, macOS, or tvOS apps.

https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/#software-requirements

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