Re: GPL v LGPL for libraries
[Moved from debian-devel]
On Tue, Dec 15, 1998 at 11:54:17 -0500, Stephen J. Carpenter wrote:
> On Tue, Dec 15, 1998 at 05:24:56PM +0100, J.H.M. Dassen wrote:
> > That's just one side of the story. The other side is that having
> > libraries GPLed rather than LGPLed can help non-free software becoming
> > GPLed. Readline being GPL-ed rather then LGPL-ed made ncftp free.
>
> Ok fine...in your eyes that was good but...
Yes. In general, I think having non-free software become free is good.
> As much as I don't like "proprietary software", and I try not ot use it as
> much as possible, I also dislike the idea of forcing ANY software author
> to use a licence they may not want to use.
Authors of software should be aware of the licenses of libraries they use.
Nobody is forcing them to develop code that uses a GPLed library.
> If bash was under a licence which forced all shell scripts using bash to
> be GPLd then would that be good too?
I'm not saying the GPL is the one and final license. In this case, I'd
probably still use bash for scripts for which I wouldn't mind that they
become GPLed. For scripts for where I would mind, I'd simply use another
shell.
> What about a word processor which imposed such restrictions on any
> documents that you use it to produce?
Again, I have the option not to use it.
In my opinion, in general both GPL and LGPL are acceptable as licenses for
libraries and the choice of licensing is in the hands of the coder.
In case of "essential" libraries which are intended to be used as the basis
of a whole infrastructure, and for which non-GPLed alternatives already
exist, the LGPL is probably a better choice, as it is more likely to foster
the library's development.
In the case where there is no alternative (yet), it's up to the author
whether she minds that her effort may be used to develop non-free software.
The GPL is viral. Both users and developers of GPLed libraries should be
aware of that. This doesn't make GPLed libraries evil.
Ray
--
PATRIOTISM A great British writer once said that if he had to choose
between betraying his country and betraying a friend he hoped he would
have the decency to betray his country.
- The Hipcrime Vocab by Chad C. Mulligan
Reply to: