I want to license my software with the Apache License 2.0. The software is only a single file of source code. I do not want to include the entire license verbatim in the code. The license appendix describes how I may apply the license to my work by reference. This is done by including text in my software, referring to the license, which I am willing to do.Recipients of my software then clearly will be subject to the terms of the license, one of which is a redistribution restriction (section 4(a)). That restriction requires that recipients who want to redistribute the work must give any other recipients of the Work or Derivative Works a copy of this License.Does this mean that recipients who want to redistribute the work must include 2 files, instead of merely 1 - the single file of source code, and a copy of the license?
Using the Apache License 2.0 By Reference Only
open source;apache license
Yes, that is what it means.However, it is recommended that you already include that second file with a copy of the license, just to avoid that a (potential) user of your software needs to go to a different site (which might be down or unreachable from their location) to read what their rights and obligations are.