Re: Generic Linux / clib question

["Thomas Schmitt" <scdbackup@gmx.net>]

Hi,

Greg Wooledge wrote:
> > The readline library is released under the full GPL, not the LGPL.  If
> > you dynamically link it with a program, then you can only release that
> > program under terms compatible with the GPL.  This is an intentional
> > choice.

tomas@tuxteam.de wrote:
> Practically it doesn't change much, but for some lawyer at Intel it might.

A substantial problem can be that libreadline became "GPLv3 or later" a
few years ago and that GPLv3 is not compatible with GPLv2-only (i.e. not
"or later"). The main reason is in the patent-fighting restrictions in
GPLv3, which would be forbidden extra restrictions under GPLv2.

So at best this causes "GPLv2 or later" programs to become "GPLv3 or later",
like the Debian binary of xorriso. At worst you would have a license clash
and would have to resort to e.g. libedit. (Not what the FSF would like.)


> The gist is that, if the user is the one doing the last linking step,
> all is fine. She's allowed anything.

She's allowed to use it but not to give it to others without obeying the
demands and restrictions of GPL.

Personally i would be ok with a more liberal use of my GPL'ed software.
But the official stance of the FSF is that the license applies on first
contact. In case of libreadline this would the line
  #include <readline/readline.h>
and as next occasion the preparations of the compiler and linker to employ
libreadline.so at run time.


Have a nice day :)

Thomas