[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: GPL-licensed packages with depend-chain to OpenSSL



> Glenn Maynard <glenn@zewt.org> schrieb/wrote:
> > This is all irrelevant.  The issue is that you can't distribute GPL
> > binaries *linked against* GPL-incompatible libraries.

On Mon, Sep 06, 2004 at 02:16:00AM +0200, Claus Färber wrote:
> It's more complicated than that when dynamic linking is involved.

Maybe.

> It ultimatly does not make sense if you can choose one of several  
> libraries (with different licenses) that can be dynamically linked  
> against a program without recompiling it.

Maybe.

> For example, you distribute a program linked against "libcurl". It works  
> with "libcurl-nossl", "libcurl-gnutls" -- but also "libcurl-ssl". Is it  
> linked against a GPL-incompatible library?

Maybe.

The answer to this question depends on information you've not provided.

> > The operating system clause makes an exception for this, but it's not
> > available when the program is packaged along with the libraries.
> 
> The GPL does not say "packaged along with", it says "accompanied with".  
> The later suggests a closer relationship than mere aggregation on the  
> same distriution medium.

True.  Utterly irrelevant to the current context, but true.

"Dynamically linked against a library" is certainly not the same thing as
"mere aggregation" with that library.

And, yes, this can be an annoying issue to deal with.

> You could only claim that something is "normally" part of the os when it  
> is not.

"What's a part of the os" is also utterly irrelevant in the current
context.

-- 
Raul



Reply to: