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Re: GPL-script to be run on a non-free interpreter



On Aug 04, Ralf Treinen wrote:
> Is it OK to distribute a script, which is
> - licencend under GPL.
> - intended to be executed by a non-free interpreter.
[..]
> When I sent my ITP on debian-devel today, Moshe Zadka claimed that
> even distributing maria-viz would be illegal.
> 
> http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel/2002/debian-devel-200208/msg00188.html
> 
> Can please someone advise whether this is really the case?

I do not believe the Free Software Foundation interprets the GPL in
this manner.  After all, some GNU software includes code that is only
intended to work with non-free compilers and make implementations.  I
believe there is GPL'ed software in contrib that requires certain
(non-free) Java class libraries as well.

The issue in the case of this program is perhaps even more narrowly
cast, since there is a free alternative to (at least some of) graphviz
(http://www.chaosreigns.com/code/springgraph/), and it is entirely
possible to develop a free alternative for the particular interpreter
in question.


Chris
-- 
Chris Lawrence <cnlawren@olemiss.edu> - http://www.lordsutch.com/chris/

Instructor and Ph.D. Candidate, Political Science, Univ. of Mississippi
208 Deupree Hall - 662-915-5765

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