Re: GPL's OS Exception (was Re: OpenSSL and GPLed programs)

[Raul Miller <moth@debian.org>]

>     Raul> The OS exception lets people other than the OS distributor
>     Raul> distribute GPLed code linked against a proprietary OS.

On Sat, Jun 16, 2001 at 10:13:23PM -0400, Sam Hartman wrote:
> This is not what the text says:
> 
>  The source code for a work means the preferred form of the work for
>  making modifications to it.  For an executable work, complete source
>  code means all the source code for all modules it contains, plus any
>  associated interface definition files, plus the scripts used to
>  control compilation and installation of the executable.  However, as a
>  special exception, the source code distributed need not include
>  anything that is normally distributed (in either source or binary
>  form) with the major components (compiler, kernel, and so on) of the
>  operating system on which the executable runs, unless that component
>  itself accompanies the executable.
> 
> 
> I see nothing in that that applies differently to the OS than to
> others.

This exception says that the OS[1] needn't be considered part of the
source code[2]  unless the OS component accompanies the executable[3].

[1] Anything that's normally distributed with the major components of
    the OS -- a convoluted phrasing which was introduced when Sun
    unbundled the compiler from the OS itself.
[2] Meaning that the GPL needn't apply to the OS.
[3] Those who distribute the OS would be the OS distributors.

> I do now understand how a sufficiently broad interpretation of
> accompanies that executable could prevent us from using this for SSL.

Excellent.

Thanks,

-- 
Raul