license question ..

[Jean-Francois Dive <jef@linuxbe.org>]

hi guys,

I've got a licensing issue with my new package isakmpd.

Okay, so here we go:

- isakmpd is from openbsd and so is under BSD license.
- isakmpd will use for some times (but plan to drop it in the future) freeswan kernel code
  for ipsec implementation.
- isakmpd need libdes (same license as openssl, as it is the same person who wrote it).

As far as i understand, if i link against any freeswan lib (which i can avoid), but use any freeswan
header (which define the kernel interaction), or use any freeswan tools in the isakmpd packaging, isakmpd
becomes GPL in this case of utilisation. 

To be clear, my interaction  with freeswan are:

- need kernel interface headers (pfkey socket type).
- need some freeswan user-space binaries to attach a physical interface to an ipsec interface.
  --> need the ipsec user space command.

For libdes, i need it full stop and as far as i can see, it is not GPL compatible, so could not link against
it, Angus Lee (freeswan maintainer) told me i could get an explicit authorisation from the libdes author
for inclusion in isakmpd without restriction (as freeswan does)..

So, my main problem is that isakmpd becomes GPL, and this make it incompatible with the libdes license.

As a solution, i can rewrite any bit, but libdes is really optimized and a rewrite'd not make me feel
doing something better than what exist (and 'd add another source of bugs). 

Finally, isakmpd will interract with the standard linux kernel as soon as ipsec is supported (which should
happen soon).

thanks for any hints on how to solve this, or if there are no problems, helping me to understand the licensing
arcana.

JeF

ps: please CC me as i am not subscribed to the list
-- 

-> Jean-Francois Dive
--> jef@linuxbe.org

  There is no such thing as randomness.  Only order of infinite
  complexity.  - _The Holographic Universe_, Michael Talbot