Re: Do I have to release the patch for a GPL software under GPL?

[Alfred M. Szmidt]

   > All of this is irrelevant.  The instructions to crop a photo can
   > be applied to millions of photos, your instructions on how to
   > modify the program can only be applied to a single program to
   > have a useful result.  The instructions are the modifications in
   > this case.

   No, they are instructions and they do not actually *contain* all or
   part of the preexisting work. If there is no trace of the
   preexisting work, the instructions by definition cannot be a
   derivative work.

The instructions on where to modify are the trace.